Life After the Storm
by meerkatluvr789
Summary: This takes place after episode 126 Turn Heartache Into Courage, but instead of Kagome and Inuyasha making up, Kagome confesses her feelings but then leaves the group. They get back together, dont worry Inu/Kag Mir/San. Real summary in prologue.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, like many others who don't. To bad for us…. **

_**Summary: **__This takes place after episode 126 Turn Heartache Into Courage, but instead of Kagome and Inuyasha making up, Kagome confesses her feelings but then leaves the group because she can't stand how Inuyasha acts anymore. Once reunited though, how do they react to each other? And what does life have to throw at them. _

_For this story let's say Miroku and Sango are already engaged. This story also does not have a definite ending, just pretty much a continuation._

"talking" '_thinking' _regular *actions*

Main Pairings: Inu/Kag & Mir/San

Prologue

(Ep. 126) Kagome stirs from unconsciousness and blink open her eyes.

"Are you awake, Kagome?" asked Inuyasha worriedly.

"You did come for me, after all." whispered Kagome. Kagome then tries to sit up from the straw mat she was lying upon while the blanket covering her falls from her upper body to her lower body.

"Take it easy." whispered Inuyasha while helping Kagome sit up.

A few minutes later they're both sitting side-by-side on the hill that overlooks Kaede's village with the trees from the forest covering the bright rays of the sun.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry about-" Inuyasha started.

"It's okay Inuyasha." Kagome cut in.

"No it's not!" yelled Inuyasha. "I'll never leave you alone again!"

"Yeah, but if you hear a hint of Kikyo you'll go looking for her again." scoffed Kagome.

"No, I will not!" Inuyasha defended himself.

"Liar."

"I am not!"

"You're the type that would go!" Kagome said loudly while moving her face near his until they were mere centimeters apart. Inuyasha made a low growl sound as he backed away slightly and his ears flattened to his scalp. "And when you do," Kagome paused. "I'll be upset. But that's to be expected right?" Kagome finished while looking into Inuyasha's golden eyes.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered in bewilderment. _'She has the same feelings for me as I do for her' _thought Inuyasha. Kagome scooted closer to Inuyasha and rested her head on his shoulder. Inuyasha then rested his hand on her shoulder then pulled her closer. _'Thank you, Kagome' _though Inuyasha, though not really sure what he was thanking her for.

As the sun set, Kagome's last thought was _'What do I do?' _

The next morning in Kaede's hut, Kagome and Sango woke first and started on breakfast. Sango was happy she got her "sister" back from Naraku nearly unscaved. Kagome's thoughts were far from happy. As the fire crackled, and the stew made and cooked, the rest of group woke and ate their breakfast.

A little later, Sango and Miroku decided to have a mock fight to practice for battle.

"Bye guys. Have fun. And Sango?" said Kagome. Sango turned to acknowledge her friend. "Don't beat him up to badly." Kagome winked at her "sister" and everyone, except Miroku, giggled.

"Very funny Kagome. You guys don't think I can beat her do you?" said the annoyed Miroku.

"Nope." everyone said with a smile plastered on their faces.

"Mew." Kirara apparently agreed as well.

"Haha very funny." Miroku said sarcastically. Then the two walked off towards the forest to battle so they won't break anything in the village.

"Hey, Inuyasha I'm gonna go home for a little, kay?" stated Kagome.

"Yeah, okay… sure. Um, I'll walk you there." stuttered Inuyasha.

At the well, Inuyasha and Kagome stood by the well facing each other.

"Well this is good-bye then." said Kagome.

"Yeah. Bye." Inuyasha said softly.

'_I guess this is our last good bye.' _thought Kagome as she jumped in the well. A tear leaked out from the corner of her eye. _'Please forgive me. I know I promised to stay by your side but… My heart can't take this anymore'_

* * *

'_She's gone again.' _sighed Inuyasha _'Is it finally the day she realizes… I'm not good enough for her? That's my only question.' _After that thought, Inuyasha walked into the forest, to watch Sango beat Miroku badly.

* * *

"This is your decision, Kagome?" asked Kagome's mom as she and her daughter sat at the kitchen table.

"Yes, mom." said Kagome as her bangs covered her eyes in a shadow.

"Well then. I respect that decision because you've seem to put a lot of thought into this." Kagome only nodded. "Be safe, hon." Kagome gave a sad smile to her mom then sat up to take a hot bath and wash away the tear stains on her face.

* * *

**Okay, that was my **_**first**_** chapter of my **_**first**_** fan fic! Hope you people weren't disappointed! Please keep reading! I will do a better job in the future chapters, I promise! **

**-meerkatluvr789**

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	2. Gone But Not Forgotten

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha… That would belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm sad…**

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* * *

Gone But Not Forgotten

A few days later, Inuyasha jumped down the well to retrieve Kagome.

"What do you mean she went to my time?!" screamed Inuyasha at Kagome's mother.

"She went down the well a few days ago. You mean you don't know where my daughter is?!" said Kagome's mom in mock anger. She knew Kagome wasn't with him. Inuyasha backed up a little in frustration, confusion, and distress.

"I promise I'll find her." promised Inuyasha as he ran to the well and jumped in.

The familiar blue light engulfed him as he traveled through the ages. From outside the well walls the familiar voices of his friends chatted on as they waited for their beloved friends return.

"Hey! Inuyasha's back!" yelled Shippo the kitsune. "Where's Kagome?" By this time, the rest of the group looked at Inuyasha as he jumped from the well.

"Yes, where is Kagome?" asked Miroku suspiciously as he looked down the well for any signs of the Miko.

"You didn't fight with her again already, did you?" asked Sango already kind of upset at the hanyou.  
"No, that bitch came back a few days ago." said the distressed Inuyasha.

"Well then how come she didn't come to find us?" Shippo asked to no one in particular. "You don't think she go kidnapped again do you?"

"I don't smell her scent anywhere!" yelled the angered Inuyasha.

"Well it did rain the other day. The scent must've washed away." suggested the houshi, Miroku.

"But there were no demonic aura's around for the few days she was gone. You don't think she deliberately-" Sango cut herself off to not let the thought cross her mind again.

"She did seem kind of depressed and upset before she left to her time." said the saddened kitsune.

"What did you do?!" yelled Sango as she smacked Inuyasha's arm. Inuyasha winced, but not totally in pain.

"Nothing… I don't think." whispered Inuyasha while he looked down at his feet.

A few days later the group decided to set off in search of their missing "sister", Kagome, the jewel shards and of course Naraku. Though the group wasn't as cheerful without the very person who keeps this small group together and happy, with some quirks of course

* * *

"Miko! I will devour you!" yelled a monkey youkai with eyes and brown fur.

"I don't think so!" yelled Kagome as she shot another arrow. The monkey youkai easily leapt off the branch it was occupying and dodged the sacred arrow as it embedded itself into the tree. Kagome then got backed up onto a cliff. "Oh hell…" said Kagome as she looked down the 200 feet drop to the rushing river below.

The youkai then smashed both his fists into the ground. As the ground cracked towards Kagome, the cliff gave out and crumbled. Falling with it was Kagome. As she gasped and screamed, the youkai looked on.

"There goes my lunch. Damn." said the monkey youkai as he walked away looking for new prey to feast upon for lunch. Kagome hit the rushing water with a thud that knocked her unconscious. Up ahead was a waterfall that was less than 20 feet away.

* * *

The gang, minus Kagome, stopped in a clearing for a lunch of boar meat, courtesy of Inuyasha. As the meat cooked, the gang was the most quiet they have ever been. Their individual thoughts wandered to a single person. The only one missing in their little group of six… Well five now. They all stared into the blazing fire, thinking.

Shippo: _'I wonder where Kagome is. *sigh* I miss her. She's like a mother to me, and if I lose another family…. I don't think my little heart can take it. I bet anything that its Inuyasha's fault that she left in the first place! But then again… Not EVERYTHING can be his fault, can it? I hope you come back soon, mommy, and forgive father… WAIT! Did I just call Inuyasha father?! I must be losing it! Then again… they are in love… If Kagome's my mom, then I guess that makes Inuyasha is my dad. I have a mean father. *sigh* Come home soon mommy, I miss you.'_

Miroku: _'Kagome, why'd you leave? You like a little sister that I never had. I don't want to lose anyone else that already hasn't fallen to Naraku. Come back to us. I'm worried about you. You haven't been trained to fight like people are in this era. Don't get yourself into too much trouble. Well I guess that's too much to ask, isn't that right Kagome? What am I doing? I'm asking a question to myself. *sigh* We really aren't the same without her here, are we?'_

Sango: _'Another sibling lost, huh? *sigh* I miss her so much, just like I miss Kohaku. Not knowing whether they're dead or alive, wondering everyday they're not in my sight. This life of mine is never easy with the people I love. I don't know if I can't take another loss. But I guess this is her decision, I don't have control over that… Just like Kohaku. I just hope Naraku didn't get to you. Sister… Brother… where are you? Both of you left, without as much as a good-bye. Well… I guess Kagome kind of said a good-bye. And it isn't Kohaku's fault he didn't say good-bye. The thing is he couldn't. I'm missing those little talks we have at the hot springs. We would always bash on the boys. *chuckles* Come home soon… sis.'_

Inuyasha: _'It finally happened, huh? You finally realized a worthless hanyou isn't worth your time. But I though… that you… I guess I'm wrong, right? You don't love me like I lo-… love you… I promised to protect you. And I failed every time it actually counts. But you promised ME that you'd stay by my side. Kagome, what did I do now? I don't understand. What about the time we spent on that hill with you in my arm? Are you betraying me, like Kikyo? NO! You're nothing like her! You're not cold from death and emotionless. You're full of life and have a smile that can melt me… Okay… Is it my human night or something? Cause that was a little to mushy… *sigh* Why does it matter? You're not here. God, I miss you. There I admit it. Please forgive me for all the stupid things I've said and done. Come back…'_

Kirara: _'Mew… *cat sigh* _(everyone forgets about Kirara… I'm just acknowledging her)

The boar meat was cooked and ready to eat. Though no one seemed too hungry. As they finished, the group started cleaning up.

BOOOM! Everyone looked to the North to see a large cloud of smoke. "Seems like an explosion." said Miroku. "Yeah, and lots of blood." added Inuyasha. Kirara transformed into her larger form and let Sango and Miroku on her back, then took to the skies. Inuyasha squatted down on the ground.

"Uh… Inuyasha? What are you doing?" asked a very confused Shippo who was perched on the hanyou's shoulder.

"Huh? What do you me-… Oh. Right." sighed Inuyasha. He was thinking of Kagome climbing on his back, getting ready to travel. He then stood up and took off towards the explosion. Sango and Miroku looked at each other then at Inuyasha sympathetically. Though they felt the same way. Kirara then took off after him and Shippo.

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	3. Welcome to the Taijia's Village

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. But I own my own characters. **

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* * *

"talking" _'thinking' _*actions* regular

Welcome to the Taijia's village

As the gang, minus Kagome, arrived to the burned out village, all they could see was smoke and burned bodies lying on the ground, scattered and charred. As they looked around for the suspects of this scene, Sango puts her poison mask on. But they fail to see a shadow that is lurking behind them. As the shadow gets closer, Inuyasha finally senses he's being watched. He turns around and gasps.

"Oh my god…" Inuyasha muttered in shock.

* * *

As Kagome's unconscious body falls down the waterfall, she wakens from her state and crashes into the deep, dark pool at the bottom. After her shock dies down, she realizes what needs to be done. Kagome swam to the top and gasps for air. Though shortly after, she realizes she's too weak to stay in the water any longer. Kagome uses all of her remaining strength to swim to the back.

Once there she once again looses consciousness. A pair of eyes sneak a peek at the rustling near the river from around a bush.

"Hey! Megumi! Someone washed up on the bank!" yelled a man. The woman in the Taijia's outfit, much like Sango's except white, carrying a large spear appeared.

"Oh, the poor girl" She said as she kneeled down next to Kagome's limp body. Megumi tries to flip Kagome on her back to make it easier for her to breath. But before Megumi could even touch Kagome, a barrier blocked her way. "Oh! What's this? Toshiyuki, I think she's a miko."

"Yeah. What'll we do honey?" said Toshiyuki, who is apparently Megumi's husband.

"We could wait." Megumi suggested, but suddenly the barrier wavered. "Wait! It's disappearing. She's too weak to keep it up." Megumi said sympathetically. "Toshiyuki, can you carry her back to the Taijia's village?"

"Sure." Toshiyuki said as he kneeled down next to Kagome and picked her up bridal style. "You're not jealous, are you?" he joked.

"Shut up." Megumi said playfully. "Besides I'm the one that asked you."

"Okay, that's true."

The couple walked back through the dense forest to the Taijia's village they resided in, with Kagome in Toshiyuki's arms.

* * *

Everyone fell silent as they stared at the blood body of a woman in a red and white kimono. The skirt was red and the top was white, though it seems the same color as the long skirt due to all the blood.

"Ka… Kagome?" Inuyasha stuttered. Kagome looked up from the ground and had a small smile grace her lips before she fell forward from the loss of blood. Inuyasha raced forward to catch her.

"Kagome! Kagome!" he yelled while slightly shaking her, though she was already unconscious. Everyone stared at the two with shocked faces.

**KINK!** The sound of a chained scythe was the only sound over the quietness though nobody registered it. A few seconds later Sango screamed in pain. Everyone turned from Kagome and Inuyasha to Sango then to the figure of a boy in the shadows a few yards away.

"Sango, your arm!" Miroku yelled.

"I'm fine…" Sango quietly said, while staring at the boy and clutching her left arm. "Kohaku…"

While everyone's eyes and attention were now on Kohaku. Kagome suddenly opened her eyes, which glowed red, then took a dagger from her left sleeve and cut Inuyasha deeply form his right shoulder to his left hip. Then jumped out of his hold and did one back flip to get her balance back. After the gymnastics move, she ran over towards Kohaku.

"AHH!!" Inuyasha groaned in pain. He looked shocked at Kagome.

"Kagome. Why?" he muttered. They all took a double take on Inuyasha. Then from the shadows appeared a man in a baboon suit.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't for Inuyasha and gang, I knew the explosion would bring you here. Tell me, Inuyasha, Sango, how does it feel to be betrayed by the one you love?" Naraku said amusedly.

"Damn you! What did you do to her?!" yelled Inuyasha in outrage as he looked into Kagome's red eyes and expressionless face.

"Don't be fooled again Inuyasha." stated Miroku. "That's not Kagome. It's just a replica."

"What?!" snarled Inuyasha.

"Good job, monk. I must admit, that was impressive. Most people can't tell the difference, but then again, this replica doesn't have her miko aura." said Naraku. "Let's test her skills out shall we? Let's see how you fair, Inuyasha, with my greatest creation." Naraku raised his right hand, which is a signal for his 'minions' to attack. 'Kagome' threw off her kimono and was now wearing a black and white miko garb.

"Damn you Naraku! You knew I couldn't smell scents when smoke interferes! And you used a replica of Kagome to toy with me!" Inuyasha all but screamed. Naraku chuckled then disappeared in a cloud of miasma.

After that Sango and Kohaku started their battle with Sango on the defensive, as the mock Kagome held two swords in each hand, as those two swords clashed with Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, who was also only on the defensive. Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara couldn't really do much to help except protect them when they fell.

"Kohaku, please!"A Sango pleaded as she held Hiraikotsu in front of her. Though Kohaku only kept slashing at the giant bone boomerang.

Not too far away were Inuyasha and mock Kagome. Steel against Fang, they clashed over and over. Inuyasha then swings his sword in a position to get her away for a little bit.

'_I have to kill her. She's not the really Kagome I don't have a choice.' _He mused. _'But… I can't, can I?' _Once he came to that conclusion, all he could do is defend himself as she kept attacking with her two swords, while blood dripped from his chest wound.

'_Nope' _said his conscience simply.

"That's it hanyou and taijia. Don't fight back. Let them get into your heart and kill you both mentally and physically." Naraku's voice was heard all over the burned out village.

"Naraku! How dare you use Kagome's face?!" Inuyasha yelled to the sky. "She would never work for you!"

"If you know it's not her than why can't you kill her? Where is the little girl anyways? Would you rather an imitation of your love kill you than you kill her?" Naraku amusedly asked.

"I…I don't love her!" lied Inuyasha.

'_Liar" _mumbles his conscience. Inuyasha ignored it.

Naraku just chuckles at that obvious lie. Naraku then brings two fingers up and signal for the mock Kagome to come. As 'Kagome' puts the two swords in the ground and stands tall in front of Naraku, he leans down and kisses his creation fully on the lips. After about five seconds or so he pulls away from the stoic creation. Everyone gasped and gaped at the sight before them; even Kohaku looked at his master strangely.

"Why you…! And Kagome…!" Inuyasha stuttered for words.

"Does it bother you, Inuyasha?" said Naraku evilly. "Let's call this little girl Dark Kagome, shall we? Finish him." After that little display and speech, Dark Kagome grabs the two swords that were plunged in the ground and runs towards Inuyasha. As he brings Tetsusaiga up to block the oncoming attack, tears well up in his eyes though he refuses them to fall. The attack was strong enough to push him back into a tree. Naraku vanishes into a cloud of miasma and leaves Kohaku and Dark Kagome to finish the small group off.

At Sango's tear stained face, Kohaku struggles with the dark jewel shard in his back and the control Naraku has on his mind.

"Kohaku… Brother…" whispered Sango. "It's me. Don't you remember?" Kohaku stops his attack.

"Sister…" mumble Kohaku. Dark Kagome turns to the pair with her dark red eyes. She sheaths her sword and runs to Kohaku.

Kagome grabs both his wrists and holds them tight behind his back. A barrier is formed and the pair flies off with hundreds of Saimyosho following their tails. Apparently Dark Kagome was given the order when Kohaku starts to disobey, she must take him away.

"Kohaku!" Sango yelled after them, then just stares off into the direction the pair disappeared to. Inuyasha then slowly gets up from the hard oak tree, and stumbles over to Sango with a twisted ankle. He stands slightly behind her, also looking towards that same direction. Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara walked towards them, though Miroku's the one to break the silence.

"Would you like to follow them?" Miroku asked.

"No," simply said Inuyasha.

"It'll only hurt more." Sango finished. Miroku nodded his understandment. Shippo and Kirara felt that they needed to be alone, so they went off to find flowers to place the graves that needed to be made. This was common practice with the group, since Naraku surfaced. Miroku also knew that his two friends/family members needed to be alone, so he went to make the graves.

As Inuyasha stands on one foot and the other slightly on the ground, though has no weight on it at all, he sees that his other companions have gone to deal with the village. He also see's Sango tearing up. He places a light hand on her shoulder and gives a small smile when she turns to face him. Inuyasha then limps away towards Miroku. Though he didn't say anything, Sango knew what he meant.

'_He knows exactly how I feel. Betrayal by a loved one (Kikyo), getting attacked and killed by someone yourself cannot bring to kill.' _As memories pass by in her mind, she closes her eye lids to stop her tears and let the last of them fall to the rugged ground beneath her. She walks away from that spot to find Shippo and Kirara.

As the group finishes burying the villagers and putting flowers on their graves, they walk away towards the forest with Sango and the limping Inuyasha on Kirara's back as the others follow.

* * *

As she awakens from her unconsciousness, Kagome see's that she's in a hut with a woman beside her.

"Um… Excuses me?" asked the confused Kagome.

"Oh you're awake." said Megumi.

"How did I get here? And where am I?"

"My husband, Toshiyuki, and I bought you here. And you're in a Taijia's village." said a smiling Megumi.

"Oh. Well then thank you very much; I should probably get out of your hair." Kagome said while slowly getting up.

"Nonsense! Stay here. Besides you're hurt pretty badly. But you're a fighter, aren't you? That's something us Taijia's work at. Let me ask you, are you a miko?" said Megumi in a bit of a rush.

"Well sort of. I guess. But my powers aren't really trained."

"I see. Well you must be starving. Here, eat." Megumi said while handing Kagome some food.

"Thank you very much."

**

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	4. Kagome's Insights

**Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha. But I do own my own characters.**

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* * *

Kagome's Insights

Two weeks later, Kagome was fully healed of her injuries from the monkey youkai and the fall from the cliff into the rushing river. She now occupied the couple, Megumi and Toshiyuki, empty hut that was next to theirs. That particular little hut use to occupy their only daughter, Sachiko. Sachiko moved away from the Taijia village to wed a young man, Kazuo, in a village south from there.

Since she was already somewhat trained in the art of battle, Megumi decided to show her the ways of the Taijia's and trained her hard. They would wake early morning and come back an hour before dinner. On some days Megumi's husband, Toshiyuki would take Kagome out to train her harder than Megumi.

"Wow, Kagome. I'm impressed. You have progressed well for a only a week of training. And you have absorbed all the information of all types and kinds of demons, their customs, weaknesses and strengths, not to mention all of the poisons used, herbs, and plants." said Megumi when they stopped in the middle of their spar. Kagome had her hands on her knees as she panted in exhaustion. Though Megumi didn't have her hands on her knees, she was still breathing rather hard.

"Thanks. *pant* *pant*" Kagome said after a little while.

"Let's take a break, shall we?"

"Yeah, okay." Kagome said. She was already catching her breath, and her heart rate was slowing down.

"For the two weeks you've been here, I've barely learned anything about you. So lets have a talk shall we? You know, like 'Girl Talk'" Megumi began.

"Well… The village I use to reside in _'sorta' _was south from here. But I ran away. I'm a reincarnation of a priestess who protected the Shikon no Tama 50 years ago whose name was Kikyo, and I apparently inherited her sacred miko powers, but am untrained myself. I had a few friends, we were always an odd group, but we're looking for a great evil who has killed many, named Naraku. My friends were a demon slayer, a monk, a hanyou, a kitsune, and a neko-manta demon. Too much?" Kagome just went on and on about her 'use to be' life.

"Wow. That's interesting. You've come a long way, Kagome. Let's start with, why'd you run away?" Megumi sorted through the information slowly and thoroughly.

"Well. I… um… I kind of became upset with the hanyou, and he was in love with the priestess that I'm the reincarnation of, and we look alike. So then in are last battle with the evil, Naraku, he managed to kill the undead priestess who was resurrected by a demon named Urasue. Then when we were lead to believe that Kikyo was still alive, the um... " Kagome swallowed. "Hanyou, left in search for her. Then I got caught by Naraku's incarnation and had my soul looked at."

"I see. But that doesn't answer my question young one. **Why **did you leave? Not how it happened." Megumi stated coolly. "Were you infatuated with this hanyou and then had your heart broken?"

"Um… Well…" Kagome stuttered.

"I take that as a yes." Megumi smiled. "It's okay to love a youkai, or hanyou in this case. This Taijia's village is different. We had rumors go around that a miko neither hated or looked down upon demons. Though some should still be exterminated, some still have a heart. And that had us thinking. 'We're going to follow this priestess's ways, and try it this way. Then we might have some friends to work alongside us'. Her name was also Kagome. I'm thinking that's you."

"Wow. I'm glad you and your people feel that way." Kagome smiled and had a light giggle.

"Come. It's starting to get dark, and I'm sure Toshiyuki is worried." said Megumi as she got up and held out a hand to Kagome. She gladly took the offered with a smile. As they walked back towards the village, Megumi was going to be excited to tell the rest of the village that the miko they were following examples of, was in the village. "What exactly are your plans later on with this hanyou?" Megumi said out of nowhere. Kagome stumbles a step then looks at her shocked. _'What did she just say?' _Kagome asked herself.

* * *

"Kagura, go spy on our friends, Inuyasha and the others. Let's see how the poor half-breed is coping with the false betrayal by our girl, Dark Kagome." Naraku evilly said. Kagura rolled her eyes but listened to her order. She walked outside and plucked a feather out of her messy bun on top of her head. The feather enlarged and Kagura hopped on. As Kagura flew with the flow of thee wind she controlled around her, two small Saimyosho followed after her tail.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Dinner!" called Shippo as he peaked out from the door covering of Kaede's hut. After a little bit, Inuyasha never showed up, so Shippo went inside to have his share.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Sango asked

"I don't know. He never showed up." said Shippo after he gulped down some brown stew. "He's probably still up in a tree."

"I'm worried, Miroku. He hasn't been himself since that encounter with Naraku." Sango said worriedly while she had her hand near her mouth to chew on her fingernail.

"I'm pretty sure it started when Kagome decided to leave. I believe the encounter with Naraku and 'Dark Kagome' really put him over the edge." Miroku said while pulling Sango's hand away from her mouth.

"He misses Kagome, and he won't admit it. So he's keeping it all bottled inside and it's killing him." Shippo stated matter of factly. (Okay that sounds weird) Everyone stared at Shippo in awe and confusion.

"Wow Shippo. Ye have gained a lot of knowledge for such a young child." Kaede joined in after a while.

"Well I listen a lot." Shippo said while nodding his head. Everyone stared at him contently. "Okay, not really. Are you happy now?" Everyone smiled; Shippo just sunk down and continue eating.

"I'm going to go talk to him." stated Sango, as she walked out with two bowls of some brown stew.

Sango went outside and looked in the tree lines, although she already knew where he was, Goshinboku. As she got there, she went under it and looked directly up. And there it was, a dot of red and silver.

"Inuyasha." She called quietly. He looked down to acknowledge her but didn't move an inch. "Come on, I have stew." Now she tried bribing.

"Not hungry." Inuyasha simply said while looking at the surrounding tree lines.

"Oh, come on. You've barely eaten anything for two weeks. You CAN NOT do this to yourself!" Sango was getting frustrated.

"Fine!" he jumped down grabbed the bowl and bounded back up again. "Are you going to get mad at me and leave to? Feel free to! No one likes to hang around a hanyou for too long."

"Inuyasha…" she sighed as she sat down against the trunk of the tree and stared at her cooling bowl of stew. "I'm not going to leave, and neither is anyone else because your half demon."

"Kagome did." He said a little angered.

"Yes, she left, but I doubt that it's because of you being a han-"

"AND HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Inuyasha yelled down at Sango as his angered rise. But Sango's angered rose as well from his tone.

"BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T CARE **WHAT **YOU ARE! IT'S **WHO** YOU ARE THAT MADE HER LEAVE!" Sango yelled back. After she cooled down a bit she continued. "You know, when you keep things bottled up inside, it's only going to make you suffer. It's okay to let your feelings out. And it's okay that you miss her… I do too." After that, Sango got up and walked away back to the hut.

By now, Inuyasha was thinking about what she has said. _'Who I am, huh? That's bull.'_

As Sango entered the hut, everyone has finished their dinner, while her bowl was still full and now cold. She just put the bowl down and sat down to polish her Hiraikotsu.

"How'd the talk go?" asked Shippo. Sango stayed quiet but later sighed.

"I don't really know Shippo. It's… complicated with him. He always thinks that because he's a hanyou that Kagome left. Then he thinks we'll leave. And because of how he was treated when he was younger… I just don't know how he thinks anymore." Sango shook her head from side to side. Although the explanation was a little rough, everyone understood perfectly.

After that, the night was quiet and Inuyasha still didn't return to the hut. But what the occupants inside didn't know was that Inuyasha was on the roof. Thinking… again.

'_She never cared what I am… but was it a cover up?' _Inuyasha thought to himself.

* * *

"I…uh…. Didn't really think about it." Kagome said so quietly, Megumi almost didn't hear it.

"You should think about going to a miko academy, and then think about talking to him. You're a cute girl, I'm sure he's infatuated with you." Megumi suggested.

"I sort doubt that."

"Think about it, okay?" Megumi said while putting a hand on Kagome's shoulders and gives her a small smile. After a second or so, Megumi retreats her hand and heads in the hut, while Kagome is still standing and staring at the spot where Megumi previously occupied.

'_Yeah. I'll think about it.' _Kagome considered with a small smile gracing her lips. After thinking a little more, Kagome walked inside the hut with the couple, Toshiyuki and Megumi, sat around the fire finishing up cooking their dinner.

* * *

"So, they half breed is torn up inside and slowly killing himself. This is very interesting." Naraku said to himself while looking into Kanna's silver demonic mirror. Kanna just stared to the ground while concentrating on the picture in her mirror.

* * *

"Stupid Naraku. Why do I always have to spy on these stupid people? God, I hate my job." Kagura spoke to herself.

"AND HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Inuyasha yelled down at Sango as his angered rise. But Sango's angered rose as well from his tone.

"BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T CARE **WHAT **YOU ARE! IT'S **WHO** YOU ARE THAT MADE HER LEAVE!" Sango yelled back. After she cooled down a bit she continued. "You know, when you keep things bottled up inside, it's only going to make you suffer. It's okay to let your feelings out. And it's okay that you miss her… I do too." After that, Sango got up and walked away. Kagura listened in.

"Ah, so little Inuyasha refuses to admit he misses that little miko that's always hanging around." Kagura smirked. As she hid behind a tree, Sango walked straight passed her without noticing her presence as she mumbled something.

"Stupid Inuyasha. Why doesn't he just admit he's in love with her and forget about Kikyo. Kagome's the one who stayed by your side, and trusted you. God, your more stupid and dense than I originally thought." Sango mumbled.

'_Well Well, Well. Inuyasha? In love with that little girl? That is no surprise. Man, is he dense or what.' _Kagura mused. She then walked away to a clearing and enlarged the white feather to float away.

* * *

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**OKAY! THAT'S IT FOR CHAPTER 3! THANK YOU FOR READING THIS STORY! :) PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. Just Like Old Times

**Disclaimer: Nope, Don't own Inuyasha.**

Just Like Old Times

About a month later, everything was going pretty well. At least for Kagome that is, but for Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara was a whole different story.

* * *

"Ow! Inuyasha you jerk! You didn't have to hit me you know!" Shippo whined after he got a thump on his head by Inuyasha for annoying the hell out of him. "You know, if Kagome was here she would've kept you in line, and an osawari."

"Shut up, Shippo!" growled a very angry Inuyasha. Inuyasha hated to be reminded of Kagome. _'I can't get her out of my head! Not like these idiots are helping either!' _Inuyasha screamed in his mind.

"Well Shippo's right. Well about the keeping you in line part… Okay and the osawari part, but that's not my point. Without Kagome here, everything falls apart. Inuyasha you need to calm down! All Shippo did was say he missed Kagome, nothings wrong with that! What's up with you lately?" Miroku stated and asked.

"NOTHINGS wrong with me! What's wrong with you guys? How can you miss that… that… bitch! I sure don't." Inuyasha stuttered with his sentence.

"We miss her because she's family! Your just too stubborn to-" Sango started.

"NO! If she cared at all for ME… For US, she would have stayed! But she left, SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU?!" Inuyasha all but screamed out at his friends, then jumped off into the forest that surrounded the clearing they were in.

"It tells me that, she still loves you. You just, broke her heart, and took things too far this time." Sango whispered to the direction Inuyasha disappeared in. After a moment of standing perfectly still, she turned around to help the rest of their group finish cooking their dinner of river fish.

The gang has been following a rumor of a jewel shard used by a rat youkai. Although without Kagome to help seek the jewel and its possessor, they have taken almost the whole month to just start to track it down, about three times as much time as they use to.

"If he keeps things bottled up inside for too long… He's just going to blow, like today." Shippo thought out loud.

"Yes, you're right Shippo. Without Kagome around, everything is falling apart." Miroku stated the obvious. Kirara mewed in agreement. "To tell you the truth, I believe we have _all _taken her presence for granted. Never really appreciating what was put together so easily by Kagome. Our friendship. Our strength. New abilities that are brought forth. Hope. All of this," Miroku waved his hand at everything "Was brought to us by Kagome and kept together and in line. Without her to do that, everything falls apart. We truly never appreciated her." After Miroku's little speech, everyone nodded their heads in agreement and sighed a sad sigh.

* * *

"Kagura, send forth our plan. Do your duty, and create three claw slashes on Dark Kagome's back, and place that fake almost completed jewel made of poison in her hand." Naraku stated his commands for Kagura to follow.

"Yeah, yeah." Kagura tiredly said while rolling her eyes. As she left the dark room filled with Naraku's evil miasma, she went to the chamber that housed Dark Kagome. "Hey! Get up; time to play with Inuyasha a little. " Kagura rudely awakened the evil creation. Dark Kagome opened her blood red eyes and stood up. She was now dressed in a red and white miko garb instead of black and white. "Hmph. You listen to orders well, don't you little girl?" Kagura disgustingly said to her.

"And I see you obviously hate taking orders." calmly said Dark Kagome.

"Oooh. It speaks." Kagura said sarcastically.

"Let's play." Dark Kagome said to get their plan going. Kagura just mouthed her last sentence in a mocking annoyance. Dark Kagome turned her back to Kagura so she can slash three claw marks on her back.

* * *

"So, you've decided to go a miko academy?" Megumi asked

"Yes, I hope it's okay with you." Kagome said worriedly.

"Why wouldn't it be? It's your life. Make the most out of it." Megumi winked.

"Thank you. And thank you so much for letting me stay here, and bringing me here. Send someone if you ever need my assistance." Kagome said while bowing to the couple who housed her.

"Sure. I'm sure you can take care of yourself and don't need an escort. You have learned and fully skilled in the art of the Taijia's. You have mastered _everything _in a month, where it takes most people a year to master. I'm impressed." said Toshiyuki with a smile gracing his lips.

"Thank you, sir. What can I say? I'm a fast learner." Kagome winked a little.

"Yes, you are." Toshiyuki agreed.

"Well, you should get moving, before the sun gets to high and hot. Come visit us if you can, kay?" Megumi said.

"Yes, I will. And thank you again." Kagome said and bowed one last time. As she walked down the dirt road, she looked back at the couple one last time and waved goodbye. As they waved back, she turned around and walked to the miko academy.

* * *

Inuyasha sat near a rushing waterfall, looking into the water, straight into his reflection's eyes. _'Have I lost my mind? Where do I go off yelling at them like that?' _Inuyasha asked himself.

'_Yup, you're a jackass alright. And Shippo's right. Without Kagome to keep you in line, you just blow, and while keeping your emotions bottled up inside. Man, did that add the fuel to the fire, huh?' _his conscience said.

'_Damn. I hate you. Do you always have to be right?' _Inuyasha asked.

'_Well, yes I do have to be right. I'm your conscience silly. And how can you hate me? I'm you. Well it seems to me that you aren't too fond of yourself right now so, I guess that makes sense.' _his conscience said cockily. Inuyasha sighed. _'You know, if you treated her like an actual person with feelings, then maybe she would've stayed. She's not like Kikyo, I know you know at least that much. Unlike Kikyo, she shows her emotions.' _

'_Right.' _That's all Inuyasha said back to his conscience.

'_Let me ask you something, but being your mind I already know the answer, do you trust her?' _his conscience asked seriously.

'_I… um… ' _Inuyasha stuttered…badly.

'_Come on. I'm just trying to make you admit it to yourself. Do you or not?' _The poor little conscience was loosing his patience. And fast.

'_Okay, okay. I do, alright? I trust her with my life! Are you happy now?!' _Inuyasha breathed a sigh of relief after he said, or thought, that little fact.

'_That's a good boy.'_

'_Not a dog.'_

'_Think again.'_

'_Inu YOUKAI! Not PET dog.' _This little conversation was taking a fast turn for the worst.

'_Just go back to the others and stop sulking. God.' _His conscience all but whined.

"Fine." Inuyasha said out loud, then walked away from the waterfall and his reflection into the bundles of trees that is the forest.

* * *

"Go. Do your job, and kill Inuyasha. I'll be waiting for your return with the good news." Naraku said. And with that, Dark Kagome set off to do her job with three gashes from her shoulder to her lower back. Though blood was not dripping from the "wounds" yet, Dark Kagome looked as though she were going to die any second.

Kagura was waiting for Dark Kagome to come outside and get on her enlarged white feather, to fly to their destination to create some trouble with the Inuyasha gang. Dark Kagome stepped out of the musky castle that belonged to Naraku.

"Hurry up. I don't want to wait here forever." Kagura said in annoyance.

"You will wait, if you are ordered to." Dark Kagome retorted.

"That's what you think."

"Then why are you still here?" Kagura went silent. "Got nothing to say to that?" Dark Kagome said with a smirk to her lips.

"Hmph." Kagura said as Dark Kagome got on the feather, and they rode off to set up their little plan of death for Inuyasha.

* * *

As the rat demon roared in pain from the slash in its side it got from the fang, Tetsusaiga, Sango noticed that its strength was unusual for a rat demon, though cannot decipher if it is the same rat demon that was rumored to possess a jewel shard. Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were already unconscious from one whip of the rat youkai's powerful tail.

'_If Kagome was here, we'd be done an hour ago! But with the stupid jewel regenerating the rat demon every time it got hurt! But Sango said that some rat demons can become very fast healers.' _Inuyasha thought. He looked to Sango to see her readying her weapon to throw straight into the rat demons head.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango's battle cry was heard right before a snarl from the rat demon echoed through the dense forest as Hiraikotsu connected with its skull. "Damn! This stupid thing will never die!"

Just then an arrow shot through the air and straight through the heart of the demon and into the tree that was behind it. Sango and Inuyasha just stared at the spot where the rat demon previously stood and there it was, shining in the afternoon sun, was the jewel shard they were looking for falling to the ground. Inuyasha broke away from the stare first to stare at the shot 

arrow. He jumped to where the arrow was currently pinned to the tree and stared at it intently. While he stares, Sango walks up to the fallen jewel and picks it up. She then sees Inuyasha staring at the arrow and decides to check it out.

"Well? Can you recognize the scent on the arrow?" Sango asked with interest.

"There's… blood on it." Inuyasha was still staring at the blood on the end of the arrow as he talked to Sango. Sango took a closer look at the arrow to see some blood splotches on the end of the arrow.

"Who's is it?" asked Sango a bit worriedly. Their minds were both at the same thought about the same person. _'Is it Kagome's? Did she come to help? Is she hurt?' _

"Inuyasha!" the scream of his name was heard throughout the forest. As Inuyasha and Sango slowly turn around to see who it was that called his name, another arrow was shot almost directly at Inuyasha and scraped his cheek.

Inuyasha's face slowly dripped small drops of blood onto the ground. The mysterious person was hidden from their view by the shadows, but it was obvious from the voice that it was a woman.

"That's…Kagome's voice." Sango said quietly, though she did not intend for Inuyasha to hear it. But because of his youkai hearing he heard it.

"I know Sango." Inuyasha started saying, but was startled out of his conversation at the clothes the person was wearing. "Kikyo?" Sango looked at the person a few yards from them. He was right, the person was wearing a white and red miko garb.

As three more arrows were shot, one was heading towards Sango, and two towards Inuyasha. Sango easily blocked the arrow with her giant bone boomerang, but it did leave a small crack to the heavy weapon. For Inuyasha, he jumped away from one, but made the mistake of jumping up into the air. For the second arrow, he unleashed Tetsusaiga and blocked the arrow. As he's in the air, the arrow slowly purified the demonic sword and withered it to its dormant state as a rusty old sword. The arrow then pierces Inuyasha's shoulder with a agonizing groan of pain.

"Inuyasha!" Sango called out to him. Although it was a sacred arrow, it didn't harm Inuyasha as much as the duo originally thought it would.

"Guess who ever this is doesn't have much spiritual power." Inuyasha thought out loud.

"Yeah." Sango agreed. But they made a mistake of looking away from the enemy. Once they looked back up to where the person in white and red stood, she was gone.

"Watch out!" screamed a male voice of to the right side. Then, a pink flash behind them was seen out of the corner of their eyes. They turn around in a frenzy and see none other than Miroku blocking a sacred arrow with his staff. Spiritual power against spiritual power, who will win this fight? Sango couldn't take it anymore, she snapped out of her stupor and ran around Miroku to swing her Hiraikotsu down upon the arrow and crack it in half.

"Thanks Sango." Miroku tiredly said.

"Glad you woke up. And thanks for the help." Sango smiled.

As they wait for the next attack to come, the three stand ready in their battle stances. Then it came, the call of death.

"Die Inuyasha!" That was heard coming from every direction and neither direction all at once. One powerful spiritual arrow was shot straight into Inuyasha's heart.

"Inuyasha!" cried Miroku and Sango in unison. But just before it hit his heart, Kagura jumped from the sky off of her white feather to land straight in front of Inuyasha to get the blow of the arrow. Everyone looked shocked at Kagura.

"Hmph. What good are you to kill Naraku if you yourself are dead?" said Kagura cockily. "It's Dark Kagome. She won't shoot again. The spell that was used to give her spiritual power has worn out with that last arrow." With that said, Kagura fainted at their feet.

"Damn." That whispered word was heard as Dark Kagome jumped out from the shadows, kneeled next to Kagura and quickly placed a barrier around her and Kagura. She then shot a disgusted look at the threesome standing shocked, then quickly flew away in the little barrier bubble.

"Dark Kagome, huh?" Inuyasha said, although he was a little relieved that it wasn't the real Kagome. _'For a second, I thought my past came back to haunt me. Pinned to a tree for another fifty years isn't part of my plan to kill Naraku. I owe you, Kagura.' _Inuyasha mused.

"Hey, Miroku, do you think Inuyasha's thinking about his past with Kikyo? Do you think that's how it happened?" Sango asked so quietly that Miroku had to squint to hear her, though Sango was only making sure that Inuyasha didn't hear, but he probably did.

"Most likely, by that look on his face." Miroku said just as quietly, with a bit of sympathy. He stepped up to Inuyasha a bit and placed a hand on his shoulder. By now, Inuyasha didn't even acknowledge Miroku. But Miroku knew Inuyasha wouldn't look at him.

Sango went over to the other two unconscious members of their group and picked the two up, considering they were small and light enough.

"Let's get going." Simply stated by Inuyasha.

"Are you sure?" asked Sango a little worried.

"Yeah." He stopped to whisper this one word and started heading towards Kaede's village. "Let's go home." Everyone followed his lead as they slowly walked, all exhausted.

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING! HOPED YOU LIKED THE LITTLE TWIST I ADDED. **

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	6. The After Math

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. Nor will I ever. Sad isn't it?**

The After Math

'_Where am I?' _asked a dazed Kagura in her mind. As she open her eyes slowly, only to be confused by the total darkness that surrounds her. She looks to the left, then right, and all she finds are bits and pieces of dead youkai's that make up Naraku's disgusting body. _'That's right. I put myself in harm's way, just to save that pathetic half-breed.' _

**Flashback**

"_Inuyasha!" cried Miroku and Sango in unison. But just before it hit his heart, Kagura jumped from the sky off of her white feather to land straight in front of Inuyasha to get the blow of the arrow. Everyone looked shocked at Kagura. _

"_Hmph. What good are you to kill Naraku if you yourself are dead?" said Kagura cockily. "It's Dark Kagome. She won't shoot again. The spell that was used to give her spiritual power has worn out with that last arrow." With that said, Kagura fainted at their feet. With one last thought on her mind Kagura thought she would die. _'At least Naraku will die.'

**End Flashback**

'_Hmph, I shouldn't have bothered. But then again, I need him and Sesshomaru to finish off Naraku, neither can kill him on their individual strengths. But… why am I still alive? That arrow should've killed me… a demon.' _

As Kagura was thinking, and ratting to herself, she failed to notice a hole in the ceiling appear with rays of light, as someone walks down the slimed filled stair case that connects the underground room with the actual ground level. Apparently, this darkened room was Naraku's underground chamber where he lays on the night where he turns human.

"Well, Kagura. Finally awake, are you?" Naraku said sinisterly. As his blood red eyes shoot through the darkness like a flashlight with a red bulb, or if someone puts a finger over it. Kagura looks up and growls impressively for a wind witch. "Now, now. If I were you, I would be very grateful for actually salvaging your life." Once again, Kagura growls and slowly lift the chains 

that bind her hands to the wall. "You've defied me a lot lately, my little incarnation. And because you are my spawn, I can destroy you."

"And what if you can? Why didn't you?" Kagura wondered. _'Wouldn't it be easier just to kill me?'_

"You seem to be one of my most powerful incarnations, well next to Dark Kagome."

"So let that whore do my jobs. I'd rather die."

"We'll see about that." With that said, Naraku puts one of his hands on Kagura's head. A beat of a pulse echoes through the stuffy room. About a second later, Naraku lets his hand fall, and Kagura's eyes become blank and her head falls forward. Naraku chuckles at this and leaves the dark, damp dungeon.

* * *

As the group arrives at their little home village, they find a barrier surrounding the humbled village.

"What happened?" Miroku asks the others as soon as he senses the miko barrier. Almost directly after that question, the five group members see some unidentifiable purple demon ramming against the barrier. The youkai has two brownish, yellowish horns with a hint of white in them. Its claws were about the height of Inuyasha himself, and that was only one claw. The demon, with its purple scales, whips his long tail at the barrier before swiping its long claws against the same spot trying to weaken it. As it stands on its two hind legs, his ears perk up into tiny circles on top of its head as he hears children crying into their mothers.

"Does THAT answer your question Miroku?" Shippo asked a little sarcastically. Miroku looks at Shippo with a face that says _what do you think?_

The group rushes to help their little village. As they run towards the barrier, through it they can see children scared and tightly hugged by their mothers. The men of the village have their farming tools held out in front of them in a defensive stance in front of the purple demon. As Sango throws her pink and green kimono off of her, Kirara transforms into her larger size with longer fangs and claws, Sango is revealed in her Taijia outfit she wears under her kimono and hops onto Kirara's back to fly off to help the village.

"I'm going on ahead to help the men! Miroku, help Kaede with the barrier!" Sango yells over the screams of the demon.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yells and quickly races off following Sango and Kirara. As Miroku pants from running a long distance, he notices Shippo still sitting on his shoulder.

"Shippo? I thought you went with the others!" Miroku yells into his face.

"Well, you see, I was already on your shoulder, and I'm just a kid! I mean look at that thing! Its claws are the size of Inuyasha!"

"Fine." With that final word, Miroku reaches the edges of the barrier. "Kaede!" He yells to the old miko. She follows the sound of the monks voice and nods her head. She makes a small hole in the barrier to let him and Shippo inside.

Outside the barrier, Sango's battle cry of Hiraikotsu is over heard through the cries of the children. The purple youkai moves back a few steps to side step the attack, but its clawed hand was left behind in its urgency to move away. Hiraikotsu spins itself directly into the left behind claw and breaks it off the hand of the youkai. The demon screams in anger at its lost claw as it falls to the ground with a heavy crash and a new crater.

"Kaze no Kizu! (Wind Scar)" Inuyasha's voice was heard as his sword, Tetsusaiga, collides with the ground. Yellow energy flows from the sword and mixes with the wind itself. The yellow flashes head towards the demon, and with one swift move of its uninjured hand and claws the wind scar itself was dissipated.

"What?!" Sango and Inuyasha cried in unison.

* * *

sigh _'I've been traveling forever! When will I get there?' _Kagome whined to herself. As the peaceful quietness surrounds the forest, Kagome decides to relax in a nearby river to rest her feet from her long journey from the Taijia's village to the miko academy. _'This feels great.'_

After a few minutes later, Kagome drags her feet out of the water and let them air dry as she relaxes on a large rock near the flowing river. She listens to the birds chirping around her, and wonders what her other friends are doing. _'Inuyasha. Sango. Miroku. Shippo. Kirara. I wonder what you're up too. Probably better off without me around, right? But even if I convince _

_myself that that's true, I still miss them.' _Once she finishes this thought, she slips on her shoes and look in two directions.

_'South, or West. Friends, and family, or miko academy.' _She struggles to make a decision as to which way would be best. She steps back a step and looks towards the south, then steps to the right to face to the west. She takes a few steps to the south and continues walking. _'No! I can't. They don't need me. They probably don't even miss me.' _Kagome tried to lie to herself, at least that what she thought. Kagome turns to the right and starts walking away towards the academy.

After about half an hour, Kagome suddenly stops as a bush rustles to her left. She puts her hand on her bow and a hand on an arrow, ready to fire at anything.

"Who's there?!" Kagome yelled at the bush.

"Whoa there! I'm not going to hurt you." said a girl in green, who suddenly popped her head out of the bush, and smiles a big smile. Kagome relaxes a bit, but not completely considering she has no idea who it was.

"Hey! You're a miko too! Wow, you have incredible powers. Hi, I'm Akemi; I'm from the miko academy to the West. I assume that's where you're headed?" Akemi said and asked as cheerfully as ever.

"Um, yeah, that's where I'm going. I'm Kagome. And… thank you?" Kagome said a little bit confused.

"Come, I'll show you the way." Akemi jumps out of the bush and heads towards Kagome with her cheery self. They were about the same height, both with ebony hair and brown eyes. Kagome can't sense any evil about her, and vice versa. So they instantly bonded with one another and started chatting away about their lives. "Oh, so you trained as a Taijia as well? Impressive I must say." Akemi said while looking at her new acquired friend.

"Yeah, kind of I guess. And you've been a miko since you discovered your powers at the age of nine, I must say that is ALSO impressive." Kagome said while giving her friend a slight jab to the elbow. They laugh a little and start talking about nonsense.

Kagome suddenly stops and soon after Akemi stops as well.

"Do you sense that, too?" Akemi asks.

"Yeah, a whole lot of youkai's."

"And there aren't just ten. There are hundreds of them." As the duo look to the skies they see hundreds of demons heading straight for them. A few go ahead of the group to attack the girls. The two of them jump left and right and are getting pushed farther away from one another.

"What do we do?" Akemi asks.

"All we can do. Fight back and stay alive." And with that they turn away from each other to face the hordes of demons alone.

* * *

_'Ah, finally, Kagura is in my control once again. I have stolen her heart back and with the new spell I placed on her, she will not get it back without me dying first.' _Naraku mused. _'How did she get that little piece of her heart back though? I don't get it!' _

"She has learned to love." Kanna said quietly as she walked into the room holding her silver mirror in front of her chest.

"Love, huh?" Naraku said to his second incarnation. "How are my demons fairing?" With that said, the silver demonic mirror shined, though there was no light in the dark room with only a window that was shrouded in miasma.

Kanna's mirror showed hundreds and hundreds of demons attacking to girls, as the girls fought with all their might to destroy them all.

"Excellent. Let them tire out." Naraku said while staring intently into the mirror. Suddenly the mirror changed to view a young baby with white hair and purple eyes. "Kanna, why do you show me this incarnation?"

"He is vital, to our next plan." As Naraku thinks about this new information, he smirks and absently nods his in agreement.

* * *

Kagura slowly wakes from her unconscious state to once again stare at the dark, damp, and humid dungeon. _'Damn.' _Kagura swears in her mind, as she stares straight into the cold 

dead eyes of a dead elephant demon. _'This place is rancid! How does anyone actually stay down here for a whole entire night, doing who knows what.' _Kagura said as she was referring to Naraku's chosen human night. _'Why is it that I feel emptier inside, and more under Naraku's control?'_

Some sort of worm demon squiggles and squirms a few feet in front of her.

"Ew…" simply put Kagura. "How the hell does ANYONE, NOT EVEN THE DISGUSTING SLIME BALL NARAKU, spend _any _time down here?" Just then the dungeon door from the ceiling opens and the person who steps in is none other than the slime ball himself, Naraku.

"Kagura, I have another job for you to do. And I expect you to do it right this time." Naraku said while having a smug look on his face.

"And what would that be?" Kagura asked carefully.

"Carry the dead body back." Then, Naraku just left.

'_Body? What body? And he just leaves without telling me the plan first? Psh, fine. God damn bastard.' _Kagura scowled in her mind.

* * *

"Where's the miko that guards over the Sacred Jewel? I will devour her and inherit her powers and become the strongest demon alive and rule these lands!" the purple youkai yelled at the two warriors that were attacking him.

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled at the top of his lungs, but was cut short by the huge tail whipping at him, knocking him into the nearby forest.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango threw her large weapon while the demon was slightly distracted with Inuyasha and his own thoughts. Hiraikotsu was thrown at full force with a spin that was tightly swirling, but the demon used only one swipe of his powerful hand and claws to send the bone back where it came from with twice the speed Sango threw it at.

"What?!" Sango said as she saw her own weapon coming so quickly it barely registered in her mind. BAM! The bone hit Sango right off of Kirara's back. Kirara growled a little being slightly hit with the boomerang as well while trying to move away, but it came to fast. Kirara stayed in the air slightly in a dazed, while not noticing her master falling and unconscious.

"SANGO!" Miroku and Shippo cried in unison. Shippo jumped off of Miroku's shoulder, ran outside the barrier, and transformed into his large pink balloon with stick arms and legs and big circle eyes, and floated over to where Sango was quickly falling.

Sango landed harshly onto Shippo's soft balloon body. Shippo got hit so hard with Sango's body; he bounced back to the ground with a grunt and back up again higher than he wanted to. At this time Inuyasha came back to see Sango bounce on Shippo.

"Sango." He whispered. Just then Hiraikotsu came crashing into the ground a few feet from where Inuyasha stood, and pinned itself into the ground with rocks pieces flying from the impact. Inuyasha covered his eyes with his long sleeve of the fire rat kimono. "Shippo! Take her away from here, inside the barrier!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Right!" Shippo said as he slowly floated. The youkai snuck up behind them, lifting his clawed hand above them.

"No you don't!" Inuyasha yelled as he sliced at his arm. The demon screamed in agony as his arm came off and spilled blood. The disconnected arm disintegrated into the air as a form of dust.

"Alright, this has gone on long enough!" Miroku yelled. He left Kaede's side and ran right in front of the youkai. The beads around his right hand covering his Kazana (Anyone know how to spell that? Wind Tunnel) jingled as he used his left hand to loosen them. "Inuyasha! Is he using a sacred jewel shard?"

"How the HELL would I know that? That's Kagome's job!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"HA! A sacred jewel shard? I would kill for one of those, well that's exactly what I'm doing now aren't I?" The youkai said before lunging at his new target, Miroku.

Miroku unraveled his prayer beads, not even a second later wind started to be sucked into his right hand.

"What the hell is that thing?!" screamed the purple demon before he was sucked up, but not without harming Miroku. Miroku groaned in pain, it was apparent that the demon was poisonous and his giant claws nicked the sides of his wind tunnel quite badly.

"Miroku!" Shippo yelled from somewhere behind the barrier, with Sango still unconscious. Inuyasha jumped from his spot afar from the fight with Hiraikotsu in tow to the now kneeling Miroku.

"Hey, you need a lift?" He asked while holding out a hand. Miroku smiled a little and gratefully took the hand. Inuyasha lifted him up off the ground and started walking towards the 

dissipating barrier, with Miroku heavily leaning his weight on Inuyasha. Inuyasha led Miroku toward Kaede's hut for treatment and set him down next to the unconscious Sango. The village settled down, and normal activity was resumed.

'_Kagome… I hope you're alright. You're a target for almost everyone, and not to mention Naraku. I promised to protect you, but…how can I do that, if you're not here?' _Inuyasha thought as he saw the images of the demon that wanted to devour her run through his mind. Inuyasha stared at his two injured friends and decided to go get a bucket of water for them and have Kaede treat their wounds.

* * *

As the duo team jump from side to side and up and down, the youkai's keep attacking.

"Ready to attack, Kagome?" Akemi asked.

"Yep. Ready when you are." Kagome said, and with that they both notched an arrow to their bow and shot. Kagome's arrow killed about fifty demons in the arrows target line while Akemi's arrow killed a hundred demons in the arrows target line. "Wow, that was impressive Akemi."

Akemi shrugs. "It's the training I've had. You're not so bad yourself."

"Thanks, but I'm not trained."

"Even more impressive." Kagome smiles at this and keeps attacking. Akemi then didn't notice the demon directly behind her.

"Akemi!" Kagome yelled and shot her last arrow. The arrow hit the demon and it disintegrated.

"Thanks." Akemi smiled then frowned when she noticed that Kagome ran out of arrows. "What do we do now?"

"Don't worry, I have a sword." Kagome said while referring to the sword she got from the demon slayer's village. Kagome drew out her sword and it glowed with an ethereal pink light.

"Wow. The sword is infused with your miko powers."

"You're right. I never noticed that. Ok let's finish this off right now."

Kagome swung her sword directly at the hoards of demons and Akemi shot her arrow at the same time. As blades appear from Kagome's sword, they shoot through most of the 

demons in front of them, while Akemi's powerful arrow shot through the rest of the hundreds of demons that were there when they started. All the demons that were there when they first started were now dust in the air.

"Well, that was a work out. Nice job on that sword, blades thing. What was that, by the way?" Akemi said with fascination.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to take a guess and say that I fused my spiritual powers into the sword and when I swung it, the power unleashed and came out in blade form." Kagome said while looking at her sword before sheathing it.

"I see. Well, why don't you say we get going and I'll show you around the miko academy and introduce you to our sensei and the others, kay?" Akemi said with her famous smile in place.

"That would be wonderful, thanks." Kagome said also with a smile placed on her face.

As they walk away, they don't notice a Saimyosho staring down at them with its purple and black eye.

* * *

_**IMPORTANT!! I WILL NOT POST ANOTHER CHAPTER UNLESS I GET 5 REVIEWS! I'm just trying something. But I won't post another chapter, even if I'm done unless I get 5 reviews. So good luck. **_

**THANK YOU FOR READING, REVIEWING, AND EMAILING! THEY ARE GREAT! PLEASE REVIEW ME SOME MORE AND WRITE ME ANYTIME! COMMENTS, COMPLAINTS, REQUEST, AND ANYTHING ELSE IS WELCOME. BYE! :)**


	7. Authors Note

**Disclaimer: I do not own this song, or lyrics. Those belong to band Buckcherry. The lyrics come from **

**Authors Note**

Okay, I found a song that represents Inuyasha very well in this story and I just wanted to tell you people who read this. Tell me if I'm wrong, but yeah. Well, okay so reading it doesn't seem fun. But if you listen to it, it sound a lot better. This is by Buckcherry. And the new chapter will come really, really soon, so hang tight! :) Thanks!

* * *

_**"Sorry"**_

_Pre-Chorus:__  
_

Oh I had a lot to say was thinking on my time away

I missed you and things weren't the same

_Cause everything inside it never comes out right  
_

_And when I see you cry it makes me want to die_

_Chorus:_

_  
I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry I'm blue, I'm sorry about all things I said to you  
_

_And I know I can't take it back  
_

_I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round  
_

_And I just wanted to say I'm sorry:_

_Pre-Chorus_

This time I think I'm to blame it's harder to get through the days

You get older and blame turns to shame

_(Caus everything inside it never comes out right_

_And when I see you cry it makes me want to die)_

_Chorus_

_(I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry I'm blue, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you_

_And I know I can't take it back_

_I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds, and baby the way you make my world go round_

_And i just wanted to say I'm sorry:_

This time I think I'm to blame it's harder to get through the days

You get older and blame turns to shame)

__

Every single day I think about how we came all this way

The sleepless nights and the tears you cried it's never too late to make it right

Oh yeah sorry!

_  
__Chorus_


	8. A Deadly Catch

**

* * *

**

Disclaimer: Never gonna own Inuyasha, not now, or ever. But that's okay.

A Deadly Catch

Naraku stares into the silver mirror sitting in the lap of a girl clad in white and had white hair and a white flower pinned in it. Staring down at the floor with void eyes was Kanna as she concentrates on the site that the Saimyosho was now looking at. In the mirrors images was two girls. One clad in a green miko garb and the other in a white slayers outfit. Both with ebony black hair, dark brown eyes, and a height similar to one another. It was as though they were twins separated at birth, or like Kikyo and Kagome. The two girls evaded the attack of the hundreds of demons Naraku sent after them.

"Interesting. Where are they going?" Naraku asked his void incarnation. Kanna then slightly moves the mirror to the left side as she concentrates on a new image. The picture was of that of a large field with sacred barriers and sutras all around the walls that surround it. Behind the wall was a large building, apparent to train some kind of occupation. Behind that building was a series of small huts and houses, with rice, vegetable, and fruit fields spread across the land. "A miko academy? She wants to train does she? Well then, I'll give her, her first test." Naraku grinned evilly as his plans unfold.

"Kagura is coming." Kanna stated simply in a small whisper. Naraku looks up at her then at the door to await the arrival of his disobedient wind incarnation. As the door squeaks open, Kagura, the wind witch, steps into the room.

"Kagura, state your business." Naraku said with a little anger from the disruption of his thoughts of his evil little plan.

"Well, let's see… Dark Kagome is in a large greenish ball filled with water, naked and sleeping. The baby has his own room, sleeping. Kanna is being over used. And I'm bored out of my mind. What do you think my business is?!" Kagura yelled at her master. "I'm here to take orders and follow them, considering I'm more under your control than before."

"I told you your orders before. And no need to get feisty, and stating the obvious around my castle." Naraku said while staring at Kagura's red eyes with his red eyes.

"You mean to carry the body back? That's it?" Kagura asked with a little confusion while staring right back into his eyes with more than a little anger.

"Wake Dark Kagome, we will begin shortly and I will tell her my plans."

"Whatever." Kagura said and walked away to Dark Kagome's room to pop the strange green ball filled with liquid she is currently sleeping in. _'Stupid green ball… thing.' _Kagura mused inwardly while staring at the ball. _'This is so gross. She's just a replica. Not even a real incarnation, that's why she needs a stupid little ball filled with a liquid that refuels her energy. Damn this thing. If I pop it, it will spill. It's so gross.' _Kagura thought as she stepped back and flicked her fan open. "Dance of Blades." said Kagura as she swung her fan, dazzled with red on the tips and white as a base color.

Blades of white wind come stirring out of the air and flies towards Dark Kagome and her 'ball'. As the blades slice the green ball open, green liquid spills out and Dark Kagome awakens. She looks at Kagura then steps out of the bubble and onto the spilled liquid.

"Naraku wants to see you." Kagura said simply. Dark Kagome nods her heads, signaling that she understood, then gathered her clothes and started to dress into the white and black miko garb. Though she was no miko, but a dark replica of the girl her master despises so.

Kagura steps out of the room, considering her tasks were done, and walk towards the garden outside the musky castle. A garden, filled with dead brown flowers, stifling air, and a miasmic barrier surrounding the garden, blocking the view of the outside world.

* * *

As the river flows downstream, two buckets are dipped into the blue water, filling them to the top. As Inuyasha and Shippo lift their filled buckets out of the water, Kirara looks on, sensing some sadness in the air.

"Hey, Kirara, can you take this bucket of water for me?" Inuyasha asked the neko-manta youkai. The fire cat cocks her head to the side in confusion, but relents and transforms into her larger, fiercer form. Inuyasha holds up the rings of the bucket handle, while Kirara takes it in her mouth.

"What's up, Inuyasha, something wrong?" Shippo asks while looking at the events forming in front of him.

"Uh. I just want to be alone for a while. I'll be back soon, I promise." Inuyasha said while looking into the clear blue river water and at his own reflection. Shippo watches his movements and follows where he diverted his eyes. Though Shippo doesn't know what exactly is going on, but like Kirara, he can sense a kind of sadness in Inuyasha. He decides to leave the poor hanyou 

alone to his thoughts while he takes the water to his two injured friends, and the miko that has taken care of their wounds. Shippo walks alongside Kirara as they make their way back slowly to Kaede's hut.

Inuyasha stares into the saddened face of the half-demon staring right back at him from the water. He shakes his head a little to clear his mind. Then he kneels down at the water's edge and thoroughly organizes his thoughts about the events of the last few weeks.

'_sigh What is happening to me? Why are my emotions running hey wire even though the new moon pasted a while ago? Kagome usually keeps me in line, as well as everyone else's emotions in check, but without her, I guess we do kind of fall apart.' _Inuyasha mused solemnly.

'_Kind of fall apart? Okay, if you haven't noticed, you have yelled at your own friends/pack members, Miroku's lechery is running wild and his face is going to be a permanent red for getting slapped so much, Sango is a confused mess not having Kagome to talk to and help her out with problems or comforting her, Shippo is so lonely that he now plays with sticks and pretends that they're people, and even Kirara is acting strangely and not herself! Don't you see? Kagome is what links all of you together and keep this whole thing running smoothly. She's also the one that started ALL of this while you turned her down at the beginning. She has provided you with a small family of your OWN when you didn't trust anyone!' _Inuyasha's conscience yelled at him.

'_And what do you suppose I do? She's mad at me, I'm a hanyou, she's probably disgusted by me and it was all an act, and she probably doesn't even want to come back.' _Inuyasha angrily said back.

'_She might be mad, but there has to be a reason. She's not disgusted by you, she never has been. And you'll never know unless you ask her to come back.' _his conscience said back.

'_I don't even know where the hell she is.'_

'_Then look for her.'_

'_And what do you think I should do or say?' _

'_Just say sorry.'_

Inuyasha thought about that last statement for a while, while looking into his reflection in the water. His reflection quickly changed in his eyes to see Kagome smiling her usual smile at him and their friends.

'_You might also want to think about how to help Miroku out with his nicked Wind Tunnel. Don't let it kill him.' _His conscience said as a reminder. Inuyasha's eyes widened.

'_Shit. I knew I forgot something.' _Inuyasha inwardly smacked himself.

'_Gee… You're a _great _friend. Glad I'm not them.' _His conscience said sarcastically.

'_Join the club with Kagome.'_

'_Oh, come on. You know I was just kidding.'_

'_Yeah, yeah... Kagome, be safe.' _As his last thoughts roll by in his head, he quickly turns on his heels and head back to his friends to tell them of his plans for Miroku.

* * *

"Okay, now focus Kagome, you can do this." A man in white said. Kagome focuses her mind as she places her hands out in front of her.

"Okay sensei Hisashi."Kagome replied as she closes her eyes and focuses her energy in her hands. Kagome's hand spark with purifying energy all around her two hands as a small but unstable barrier is formed around her and Master Hisashi. After a while the unstable barrier falls, and Kagome open her eyes and sighs an annoyed sigh.

"It's okay, just keep trying. We'll resume tomorrow, get some rest." Master Hisashi said with a smile placed on his lips. He couldn't say he wasn't impressed with the young Kagome. He couldn't say it because it would be a lie and lying is a sin. Kagome nods her head then bows in respect. Master Hisashi walks away and heads to the little village that resides in the back of the academy.

Kagome heads in the opposite direction to catch up with her new friends, though she couldn't get her other friends out of her mind.

'_I wonder how they're doing.' _Kagome mused to herself while she looks to the sky and sees a cloud in a shape of dog. _'Inuyasha…' _thought Kagome as the dog figure reminded her of the man she loved.

"Kagome!" yelled a voice to the left of her. Kagome stops in her tracks and looks to see who called her name. There to her left was Masumi, a well trained miko in a pink miko garb, with dark blue eyes, and light brown hair that resembles Sango's hair, running towards her.

"Hey Masumi, what's up?" Kagome asked when they were now only two feet away from each other.

"Hey, Akemi and I are going to the forest to do some patrol work, want to come with us?" Masumi asked.

"I don't know Masumi, it's not my shift."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Masumi said while pulling at Kagome's hands with her own.

"Fine." Kagome relented with a happy sigh. As the two walked out of the gates and barriers surrounding the miko academy to meet up with Akemi, they grabbed their bows and arrows, and then went inside the building to get a special arrow that, when shot and infused with spiritual power, shot a warning and help signal to the others still in the lands of the academy.

The two girls walked out of academy grounds and saw Akemi looking towards the line of trees.

"Hey Akemi, What are you looking at?" Kagome said while looking towards where Akemi's eyes were directed.

"Just take a look." Akemi said to the other two girls without averting her eyes from the top of the trees of the surrounding forest.

"A faint miasma. Where is it coming from?" Masumi noticed.

"Naraku?" Kagome asked herself quietly, though not quietly enough considering Akemi and Masumi turned their heads towards her, while having a confused look on their faces.

"Who's that?" Akemi and Masumi asked in unison.

"He's an evil hanyou that kills for his own gain. Not only that, he uses people so that he doesn't sully at his own hands." Kagome said while turning towards them.

"So, we better check this out then." Masumi said while again turning towards the tree line.

"Yeah." said Kagome and Akemi in unison.

The trio ran into the forest while looking in all directions for the threat. As they panted from their long run into the forest, they stopped at the river for a little break.

"I don't sense anything here." Masumi said.

"Yeah, neither can I. But I could've sworn there was something here before." Akemi thought out loud as she puts a finger on her chin.

"Me too, but there doesn't seem to be a threat here anymore, though we should tell the others to be on alert." Kagome said while looking into the water at her reflection. It suddenly changed 

to an image of Inuyasha staring back at her. Kagome backed away slightly in confusion, and then turned her head to find her friends. Akemi and Masumi were looking in opposite directions of each other. She looked back down into the water and it seems as though the image of Inuyasha was winking at her.

"Uh…um… Do you guys sense anything weird? Because I think an image of one of my friends just appeared in the water and winked at me…." Kagome said still slightly confused. Akemi and Masumi look at Kagome in confusion then at each other. They walk towards the river bank and look at their own reflections then at Kagome's.

"Um… Kagome… It's just you." said Masumi with a slight hint of worry in her voice.

"Are you feeling okay?" Akemi asked in a voice that was etched with worry. She took her hand and placed it on Kagome's shoulder with a worried look over riding her features.

"Um, yeah." Kagome said quietly, then turned around. "Let's get going." Once that final sentence left her lips, something jumped from the river and grabbed Kagome from behind.

"Kagome!" screamed the other two priestesses in unison. In a flash, Kagome was dragged into the river. The two remaining priestesses run to the river bank and look at where their friend was dragged in.

Glowing orbs look through the dark forest at the scene that just went on in the river, the person that they belonged to stepped back a step towards the shadows of the forest.

'_Hmph, so this is where Inuyasha's bitch ran off to. Fine.' _thought the mysterious person in the shadows as the person headed towards the two remaining girls.

* * *

Inuyasha enters the hut to find Miroku sleeping off the effects of the herbs Kaede has given him for the poison, and Sango eating some stew.

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked Sango. Sango took her last sip of stew and started to speak.

"Better, I guess. My arm still hurts a little though." Sango's left arm was broken when her Hiraikotsu came at her, though it shouldn't hurt as much since Kaede has placed an ointment on the arm and place a splint on it. Inuyasha nodded showing his joy, sort of.

"And Miroku?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at the sleeping monk.

"Well the poison is almost gone, but there's still the problem with the wind tunnel." Sango said with sadness laced in her voice and sent. Inuyasha looked at her with traces of guilt on his features for bringing it up.

"Don't worry Sango. I know what to do." Inuyasha said as he sat against the wall of the wooden hut.

"Oh, do ye? And what might that be?" Kaede interrupted with slight confusion in her voice because for the first time, he has an idea to help his friends.

"Really? What is it?" Shippo said with joy for his friends well being.

"Mew…" Kirara was also curious.

"We head out to Mushin's Temple to get the wind tunnel stitched up." Inuyasha stated.

Everyone nodded in understandment and agreement.

"Wow, Inuyasha. I'm impressed. You thought of that all by yourself?" Shippo said in a joking manner.

"Why you little runt! Come here!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Shh! Miroku's sleeping!" Sango said, though she had a grin, she was trying to hide, on her face.

"Ye should leave when he wakes." Kaede said while sipping some tea. Everyone nodded their head, then sat to finish their lunch.

* * *

"Naraku, the plan has begun." Kanna said quietly as she walked into the dark room.

"Perfect." Naraku evilly said.

* * *

"Kagome!" Masumi said into the clear blue water. "What do we do?" she asked Akemi.

"Step out of the way." A male voice said behind the two girls. Akemi and Masumi whip their heads back to see who's behind them. What they see is a man in a white kimono clad with armor, with stunning silver hair, and golden eyes.

"A inu youkai." Akemi whispered.

"Yeah," Masumi said, but then she noticed something. "What happened to your arm?" Sesshomaru just growled.

"I said move." The two girls were hesitant to move, but from what Kagome has told them about some youkai's, they relented and move aside. Sesshomaru looked down into the water and saw nothing but his own clear reflection.

Suddenly the water started to spark with some sort of force that looked like electricity.

"Hey! It's Kagome's miko powers!" Akemi yelled. Everyone stepped back. While they waited anxiously for over a minute, they started to worry something went wrong. Then out of nowhere, Kagome's spiritual powers exploded in the water creating a wall of water. As the water receded, Kagome's head came up. She coughed up all the water in her lungs as she slowly swam to the bank to hang on.

Akemi and Masumi run up to their friend and place comforting hands on her back. As Kagome's coughing dies down, she looks up at the man clad in white.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing here?" Kagome asked in a small voice.

"Checking my territory. Why aren't you with my bastard of a brother?" Sesshomaru asked stoically.

"I don't need to explain myself." Kagome said while getting out of the river.

"Very well miko." Then the stoic demon averts his to the nearby trees. "Get ready."

Everyone stood in a fighting stance, ready for anything that came their way. Then, all of a sudden, Kagome falls to the floor with a thud. Everyone turns their bodies and heads towards the sound.

"Kagome!" Akemi and Masumi yelled, and then rushed to their friends' side.

* * *

The mini-pack runs towards Mushin's temple, with Inuyasha on foot, and the rest of the gang in the air on Kirara. They run at lightning speed towards their destination, for every hour that passes, Miroku's life is in jeopardy.

About an hour later, they arrive at the beautiful, large temple, complete with a waterfall, and a large forest-like field.

"Hey, old man! You in here?" Inuyasha yelled clear across the temple grounds. After a few good minutes, the little group hears loud snoring coming from one of the bedrooms. The group stares in the direction of the sound. Once they all decide the direction, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango march to the room while the two smaller demons, Shippo and Kirara, sit on their master's shoulder, well for Shippo that would be Inuyasha.

Miroku slide opens the wooden door to see the old monk drunk and passed out, once again. He then kicks the empty bottle of sake out from under the monks head. Mushin's head fell to the ground with a thud that sounded painful.

"Oh, hiccup Miroku hiccup. What are you doing hiccup here?" Mushin struggled to say through hiccups from the sake.

"You're going to kill yourself if you keep drinking like this you old drunkard. Well, my wind tunnel is nicked pretty badly, can you fix it?" Miroku said while kneeling down next to the old drunkard's head.

"Ah, so you want it stitched up again? Very hiccup well then." Mushin said as he started to get up. "Could you youngsters help clean this place up a bit? It's so stuffy hiccup in here."

"Why would we do that?" Inuyasha said hotly as his anger start to rise.

"Come on Inuyasha, it doesn't hurt to help. Besides, he's doing us a favor as well." Sango said in a whisper.

As Miroku was put into a slight sleep from the herb given to him by Master Mushin, Mushin started to stitch up the sides of the Wind Tunnel carefully. As the stitching was going on, Sango went outside to cut the long grass with a swing of Hiraikotsu, while Inuyasha and Shippo were inside dusting the whole temple as they was sneezing from their sensitive noses, Kirara on the other hand worked on carrying dirty laundry down to the river, then waited till the beings with thumbs came to wash them.

After about an hour, the stitching was complete, and the friends were all in one single room waiting for their friend, or for Sango her fiancé, to wake from the herb. Although Mushin 

already said that he would make a full recovery and his wind tunnel was just a slight bigger, they still worried. Miroku stirred a little then opened his violet eyes.

"Miroku, how are you feeling?" Sango asked the very second he woke up.

"Felt better, but I won't complain." said Miroku quietly while smiling. "How was the cleaning?"

"Oh, it was so fun. First I got to sneeze my nose off by dusting this place, then we did the laundry!" Inuyasha said sarcastically in his small anger.

"Didn't work to hard, now did you?" Miroku said.

"Why you…" now Inuyasha was lifting his hand that was balled up in a tight fist. Suddenly something pulsed. Everybody looked at the source. There, against the wall was the Tetsusaiga, pulsing. "Tetsusaiga?" Inuyasha got up and went to the fang made by his father's fang, and now mixed with his own fang.

"What does it mean, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked cautiously while striding up behind him.

"I don't know." Inuyasha said while he picked up his trust worthy sword and stared at it intently while his friends also stared. Mushin was already passed out once again from the sake he drank right after he finished the stitching up the wind tunnel.

In a flash of red, Inuyasha's eyes turn red, while jagged blue lines appear on his cheeks, as his fangs and claws grew longer. As quickly as it came, it went away. Everyone backed off a little, while being on high alert.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" Shippo asked cautiously. Sango goes around to the front of Inuyasha and looks into his eyes.

"What happened?" She asked after noticing his face was back to normal, but his fangs and claws were slightly longer still.

"I…I don't know…" Inuyasha said a little bit scared.

* * *

Everyone stood in a fighting stance, ready for anything that came their way. Then, all of a sudden, Kagome falls to the floor with a thud. Everyone turns their bodies and heads towards the sound.

"Kagome!" Akemi and Masumi yelled, and then rushed to their friends' side. Sesshomaru stared confusedly.

'_What just…' _Sesshomaru thought but stopped when he smelled something arise from the miko. _'Blood?' _A chained scythe was pinned in the middle of her neck, it wasn't at her pulse point or pressure point, though it did get to her wind pipe, and that is deadly.

"Get a piece of cloth and wrap it around the wound tightly. Someone make sure she's still breathing." Akemi ordered. Masumi then took her wide hair tie out of her hair and took the scythe out of her neck, then quickly tied the white hair tie around her neck.

'_It's that boy.' _Sesshomaru thought inwardly. "Stay with her." Sesshomaru simply put before he jumped with his demon powers to where the scythe was being retracted. There he saw the boy, struggling with the control from Naraku.

"Dark Kagome… Stay away…" Kohaku mumbled. Sesshomaru had no idea who this 'Dark Kagome' was, but all he knew was that Kagome was the name of that miko. Kohaku stepped back a few steps, then so did Sesshomaru as he made his way back.

Once he got back to the three girls, one was still kneeling beside the fallen miko, as the other was fighting against a wind witch holding a baby.

"Let me through." Kagura said as though she were bored out of her mind. She really did not want to do this.

"Like I would do that." Akemi said hotly. She notched an arrow onto her bow. "Get out of here, and I won't shoot." She warned. Kagura scoffed as she took out a black ball and threw it on the ground. As the black ball exploded, smoke came out. The two conscious priestesses were now unconscious on the ground from the sleeping gas that was placed in the mini bomb.

Sesshomaru came into the scene covering his nose with the one hand he had.

"Well Sesshomaru. Surprise, surprise." Kagura said. Sesshomaru took a breath and held it. He lunged at the baby Kagura was holding, but since Kagura was a demon as well she jumped just as quickly as he came. Kagura came down from her jump and landed near the unconscious Kagome. She placed the baby on her back and let him do his job searching her soul to manipulate her. While the baby, with white hair, did his job, Sesshomaru fought Kagura. Kagura didn't even fight back, and Sesshomaru wasn't trying very hard either. Then, Dark Kagome came up from the foliage and went to get Kagome's body away from the fight.

After a while Sesshomaru grew tired of fighting with Kagura, so he tripped her went over to Kagome to take the baby off her motionless body. But before he could reach her, 

Kagome's spiritual powers acted up again. As they shocked her body the baby and Dark Kagome shrieked in pain then, Dark Kagome turned to dust considering she took the brunt of the attack, and the baby went limp over her body. Kagura got up grabbed the baby, then took off on her feather to find Kohaku then tell Naraku that his plan failed.

Akemi and Masumi started to stir from the sleeping gas. They looked towards their friend only to see her in the hand of the inu youkai. Sesshomaru was tending to her neck wound, because without quick help, she would surely die. He put his hand on her neck to untie the now bloody hair tie then put his hand on her bare neck. Sesshomaru lifted her up to about his mouth level then licked the wound.

"Um… What are you doing to her?" Masumi asked with concern.

"Healing a deadly wound." After this statement, he stood up while carrying Kagome in his one arm and took her to her friends. "Take her. I am done here."

The two girls took their friend and thanked the youkai. Then the girls walked off to the miko academy to get Kagome some medical attention.

* * *

'_I have her blood on my claws. Hmph. Pathetic human. Though I got to admit, she is quite strong for one untrained.' _Sesshomaru mused as he walked into a clearing where his companions are.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin, the little girl in an orange kimono and one little pony tail on the side of her head, said cheerfully.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where have you been?" Jaken, the green toad, imp, thing, asked. Sesshomaru just ignored the imp and walked on to find someone.

* * *

"Well, I'm disappointed in you, Kagura. Not only did you let Dark Kagome get killed, but you let the baby get hurt. And on top of that, that little girl is not dead yet." Naraku said evilly yet kind of sadly as he looked at Kanna's mirror, which showed everything from the beginning to the end.

"Well, so-or-ry. I can't control minds now can I? Tell that to the baby." Kagura countered before leaving the room.

**

* * *

**

**THERE YOU GO! Ok, so it wasn't my best chapter, but give me a break, it like literally 4 am right now and my mind isn't working to well. But hope you liked it though. Please review!**


	9. Old Friends and Emotions

**Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Inuyasha so don't sue me. ;)**

_**Just to make the MAIN pairings clear: Inu/Kag and Mir/San**_

Old Friends and Emotions

A month has passed by since the attack on Kagome. Now, she has learned everything needed to be a priestess. She wears a choker necklace that has two small circle amulets that have the symbol for the priestess of the west and demon slayer of the west. The priestess of the west symbol has a sparkling arrow on it in pink and white while having a faded Japanese character for west in the background. While the demon slaying of the west symbol has two swords that cross into an "X", that also has a faded Japanese character for west in the background. With the two amulets attached to the black clothed choker hanging, Kagome is now a fierce warrior with the title of Demon Slaying Miko.

As Kagome packs up her small belongings, Akemi and Masumi watch as she is getting ready to leave.

"You really going to leave us, aren't you?" Masumi asked sadly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I have some tasks that need to be done, and problems that need to be fixed." Kagome said while looking at her two friends. Akemi smiled a sad smile.

"Well, we won't stop you from leaving. You aren't the first to leave, and we both know that." Akemi said while looking at Masumi. "Just, promise to come and visit. Please?" Akemi turned her head and smiled at Kagome. Kagome smiled a brilliant smile at her two miko friends.

"Don't worry. I'll visit as much as I can." Kagome got up from the floor and lifted her belongings up to her shoulders, where they are wrapped in a cloth and tied around her shoulders. "Where those new outfits I made for you guys, okay? They'll be so much easier to battle in than those miko garbs." Kagome said with a wink.

"You can count on it." Masumi said while also winking to her friend.

The three girls and their sensei walk to the end of the barrier surround the miko academy to say good bye. Once there, Kagome bows to her friends and sensei.

"Thank you for everything. If you need anything, please come tell me and I'll help the best I can." Kagome said.

"Yes, and the same goes for you, young one." Sensei Hisashi said while putting a hand on her shoulder. Kagome smiled then wave good bye one last time. Everyone waved back with a sad smile plastered on their lips.

As Kagome turns around to see where she's walking, she takes one last glance before going into the dense forest.

'_Wow. A lot has happened during the last two months. And I've become stronger' _she thought while fingering her new necklace. While her left hand fingers her amulets, her right hand goes up to the newly formed scar from their fight with Naraku's incarnations on her neck. _'I have to thank Sesshomaru for helping and saving me and the others. And for saving my life, kind of oddly, but saving my life none the less.' _Kagome walks for about another fifteen minutes before stopping and looking at her attire. _'I'll give Totosai a little visit. Maybe find Myoga and asking him how the others are. I wonder if they even know that I left.'_

* * *

Inuyasha and the others currently sit in Kaede's hut, while thinking back at what's happened during the last two months.

"Inuyasha, are you sure you shouldn't check with Totosai about that thing that happened when we were at Mushin's?" Sango asked.

"Feh." Inuyasha totally ignored Sango and her worry. "Forget about it. It didn't happen again, so quit worrying will you?" Inuyasha said hotly.

"But, Inuyasha, you really should. Aren't you worried about it? What if you're demon senses and Tetsusaiga were trying to tell you something?" Miroku suggested.

"Like that could happen." Inuyasha said quietly. "Maybe, I'll just go and check with Totosai."

"Good idea. I'll come along too!" Shippo said excitedly. "I really need to get out of here for a while. It's kind of stuffy in here."

"We'll all go. While we'll out we can look for Kagome again." Sango said sadly.

"Yeah, all right." Inuyasha said quietly, and then walked outside. Shippo and Kirara followed behind him to get ready to go, leaving Miroku and Sango alone.

After a few minutes, Miroku's hand was starting to wander about. With a startle shriek from Sango, Miroku was groping her butt, again. Sango grabbed Hiraikotsu and knocked him over the head. Miroku fell onto the wooden floor with a thud.

"HENTAI!" Sango yelled then marched out of the hut. Kaede just walked into her hut to find Miroku unconscious on the floor with a big bump on his head. Kaede shakes her head sadly, then continues with her herbs.

From outside the hut, the other three heard Sango's yell and a very loud crashing noise. Sango came storming out and everyone shook their head. Inuyasha went back inside the hut to retrieve Sango's Hiraikotsu and Miroku's limp body. He came back out and Kirara transformed. Inuyasha threw Miroku onto Kirara and Hiraikotsu on his back.

"Sango! Let's go!" Inuyasha yelled to no direction in particular. Sango came out into the forest and walked to her friends. Then she took Hiraikotsu from Inuyasha and hopped onto Kirara in front of the unconscious Miroku.

As they set out towards Totosai's cave. Humans can't enter the volcanic cave, so the two full demons and the hanyou will go in and leave the two humans to wait outside. During their travels, Inuyasha made a sudden stop.

"What's up Inuyasha?" Shippo asked while sitting on top of Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Damn. That scent." Inuyasha said with a scowl. Kirara herd this, then finally stopped. She turned around to meet up with him. Before she can land, Sango jumped down and went to Inuyasha.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sango asked. Kirara landed, and Miroku jumped off shakily, still a little groggy from the blow on the head.

"That mangy wolf." Inuyasha said in a deadly tone that would the toughest demons. Everyone turned their heads to the direction that Inuyasha is facing.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are we going?" Rin, the little human girl that hangs around Sesshomaru, said innocently.

"Rin! You know better than to ask Lord Sesshoma-" Jaken started before he ran into Sesshomaru's leg. Jaken bows down quickly. "I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru, please forgive me!" Jaken pleaded.

"Quiet Jaken." Sesshomaru said deadly. Jaken started to sweat, a lot. "We're going to see my little half-breed of a brother." After this, everyone was quiet. They were nearing Inuyasha and his friends. _'This scent. The wolf. I'll wait to make my appearance.' _Sesshomaru thought.

* * *

"Totosai! You in here?" Kagome yelled into the seemingly empty cave.

"Yes. Who's there? Kagome? Is that you? That's impossible." Totosai said while walking from the back of his cave to where Kagome stood.

"And how is that impossible?"

"Humans can't enter this place without being burned. How did you-" Totosai stopped mid sentence when he sensed Kagome's unusually strong powers. "Wow, you're one strong miko. And that necklace." Totosai went up to Kagome and inspected the necklace closely. "Miko AND taijia of the west. Wow, you've been busy."

"I guess you can say that." said Kagome quietly.

"Lady Kagome! Lady Kagome! How glad I am to see you!" said a mysterious voice. Kagome looked around and then felt a prick on her neck. She slapped the unneeded pain.

"Myoga?" Kagome said while the little flea floated down to her palm. "I was wondering if you would be here." Myoga popped back to his bigger size, well as big as he is anyways.

"Lady Kagome! I'm so glad that you're safe and sound! I was worried!" Myoga said really quickly. Kagome smiled.

"So, you've been training since you left your little group of friends." Totosai said.

"How did you know… Myoga." Kagome answered her own question. Myoga nervously laughed.

"Well, you see. I tell him everything and-" Myoga started.

"Relax Myoga, I'm not mad."

"Phew. I thought you were going to squish me."

"I'm not like Inuyasha. By the way, how are they?" Kagome asked almost excitedly at hearing how her friends are.

"They are good. Well, as good as it's going to be with them." Myoga said matter of factly.

"I don't know if that's a good thing." Kagome confusedly said.

"Well they miss you terribly."

"I see. So you never talked to them did you Myoga." Kagome figured.

"Well no, just spied. Which brings me to, how did you get in here? Humans can't enter Totosai's cave." Myoga tried to change the subject, and fast.

"Being who I am, I can break down virtually any barrier."

"And how about walking? You can't walk on solid heat." Totosai questioned with fascination.

"I just used my spiritual powers to cover my feet. You see, I can do this thing where I can put spiritual power on my feet then jump as high as any demon. The power would appear as a circle on the ground, then glow pink, then with the power in that circle, it will shoot me as high or far as I please." Kagome explained.

"Interesting. And from those amulets on your neck, you are now known as the Demon Slaying Miko of the West." Myoga said.

"Yes. Yes I am." Kagome said with pride to her position.

"So tell me, Kagome, what brings you to my cave?" Totosai wondered.

"Well I need you to make something for me." Kagome said as she and Totosai sat down on the cave floor.

"And that would be?" Totosai questioned further.

"I need you to make me a battle suit, one with armor. Can you please do this for me?"

"Sure. Sure." Totosai said automatically because of her manners. Then Kagome waited. They sat there for a few minutes.

"Well, Totosai. What's on your mind that's got you quiet all of a sudden?" Myoga asked.

"What were we doing?" Totosai asked while cocking his head to the side. Both Myoga and Kagome sighed and shook their head from side to side.

* * *

A whirlwind was now seen, and was charging right at them. In only a minute or two the wolf demon, Koga, appeared out of it.

"Hey mutt-face! Where's my lady?" Koga asked hotly.

"She ain't here so leave." Inuyasha said calmly.

"What do you me 'she isn't here'?"

"She went off on her own and she's never coming back. So leave us the hell alone." Inuyasha rivaled Sesshomaru himself with his stoic appearance and voice.

"You just LET her leave?! Didn't you even look for her?!" Koga was now screaming.

"We tried! She's impossible to find!" Sango butt in.

"I know you're worried Koga, but we are too. If you helped us, maybe we'll find her." Miroku suggested.

"Don't you even miss her?! Worry at all, you mutt?!" Koga yelled straight into Inuyasha's face. With a speed that rivaled his own, Inuyasha grabbed Koga from the strap in his armor and held him face to face.

"She left us. We didn't leave her! I shouldn't be the one to miss her, it should be the other way around!" Inuyasha was getting ready to blow.

"Actually, your logic is wrong, smart-ass. It should be you guys missing her and she not missing you at all." Koga said smartly.

"Why you mangy wolf." Inuyasha dropped the strap of Koga's armor.

"Just admit it. You miss her." Koga taunted, though he missed her too. Inuyasha shook his fist at his sides.

"Inuyasha's just trying to cover up his feelings, like he always does, by telling a lie, or just being stupid." Someone said at their feet.

"Shippo… Where did you learn that from?" Sango asked confusedly at Shippo's innocent knowledge.

"Just from watching you guys." He said and smiled. Everyone did a double take on little Shippo's smile, then shifted their heads to the real problem at hand.

"Shippo is right, you know." Miroku whispered quietly to Sango. Hakkaku and Ginta finally caught up to their leader.

"pant Hey, everyone. pant" Ginta said while putting his hands on his knees. Hakkaku did the same, then looked up at the group.

"Where's sister pant Kagome?" Hakkaku asked while noticing his adopted den sister wasn't there in scent or appearance.

"SHE'S GONE AND SHE'S NEVER COMING BACK, OKAY?!" Inuyasha yelled loudly. The two wolf demons cowered behind their leader.

"Fine then you mutt, I'll look for her myself." said Koga. Then he ran off into a whirlwind, looking for any signs of his beloved. Hakkaku and Ginta sighed in exhaustion and followed Koga to who knows where.

"That could've gone better." Miroku said.

"Shut it!" Inuyasha was still pretty mad. But inside, he's sad.

* * *

From the dark depths of the bushes, golden eyes watched as the inu hanyou yell back and forth with the wolf youkai.

'_I can smell his sadness and rage permeating the air.' _Sesshomaru thought as his nosed twitched. "Come Rin, Jaken." Sesshomaru said loudly to his followers, then stepped out of the bush to his brother and his friends. Rin, while riding on the two headed dragon, Ah-Un, and Jaken followed obediently.

* * *

With Inuyasha stilled ticked off, the group haven't moved an inch.

"Damn. Why can't these bastards just leave me alone?!" Inuyasha yelled while looking behind his companions. Everyone looked back behind them, only to see darkness.

"Who do you sense, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"My bastard of a brother." Inuyasha said with a growl in his voice.

* * *

"You need a fang?" Kagome asked confusedly.

"Yes. I need a fang to make the equipped swords in your battle suit." Totosai said matter of factly.

"But, I'm a miko. I can't use demonic blades."

"Ah yes, but Totosai can make it so the blade is stronger, but there will be no demonic aura." Myoga said from his position on Kagome's shoulder.

"I see. Who's fang should I retrieve?" Kagome said cautiously.

"Inuyasha's." both the older men said.

"What? Why?"

"He has a pretty strong fang." Totosai said.

"And there's another reason." Myoga said.

"And what would that be?" Kagome asked a little worried as to where this conversation was going.

* * *

"Sesshomaru, I know you're there! Just come out!" Inuyasha yelled into a bush. Just as he yelled, Sesshomaru jumped up and landed behind them. Everyone turned quickly.

"Hello, little brother." Sesshomaru said with a small amount of amusement in his voice because of the event that happened with the wolf demon, Koga.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha said with his hand gripping his sword and ready to pounce at his older brother any second.

"Hmph. Rude arrogance. As usual." Stoically said by Sesshomaru.

"Why the _hell _are you _here_?" Inuyasha was getting even more angry than he already was. He sniffed the air to identify a certain scent that has caught his attention. "Kagome's blood? Why the hell do you have her blood _in _your body?!"

"Yes, that priestesses blood is quite persistent. Hard to get out of ones body."

"WHY THE HELL DO YOU HAVE HER BLOOD?!" Now Inuyasha was at his limits. "Did you hurt her?! If you did I will KILL YOU!"

"Not this Sesshomaru. This Sesshomaru would never hurt your intended, well, maybe that's a lie."

"Then who did?" After a few seconds Inuyasha finally realized what Sesshomaru _actually _said. "Wait. What do you mean 'intended'"

"Naraku. But don't worry, she's not dead. And what this Sesshomaru means, little brother, is that you have put a scent claim on her."

"Naraku, that bastard. And I did not put a scent claim on her."

"Wow, talking about two things at once. Impressive for Inuyasha." Shippo muttered to Miroku and Sango. Sango giggled and Miroku started to get a smug grin on his face. Inuyasha was too busy dealing with Sesshomaru and this new 'scent claim' thing to actually notice what his friends were talking about.

"You did, half-breed. And that claim was protecting her quite often from lower demons whose strength is pathetic. Once she left though, the scent slowly dissipated and now put her life in more danger, with the jewel and all, and the fact that she is much stronger."

'_Kagome.' _Inuyasha thought to himself while looking at the ground below his feet. "Hey, wait. You have her blood in your body. Why?"

"I was simply healing a life threatening wound created by that boy Naraku keeps as his lackey."

"Boy? What boy? The only boy Naraku has as his lackey is that stupid baby and..." Inuyasha thought about it for a moment before looking towards Sango without moving his head.

"Kohaku…" Sango whispered this to the ground. Miroku put a hand on her back in an attempt to sooth her. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"Sango." Shippo said while going to the spot she was staring at.

"Don't be Sango. It's not your fault." Inuyasha said while looking back at his brother. "She's okay now, right?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru stated quickly.

"Why is the scent claim important then?" Inuyasha asked with curiosity of what he did without realizing it.

"You put an unconscious scent claim on the miko, and that kept away some demons, but now that the scent claim has vanished, she is no longer protected by that."

"But, why?"

"I told you, didn't I? This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself."

"No, I meant why did I put a scent claim on her unconsciously?"

"Your heart chose her as your mate, though your mind didn't know that. Or you're just stupid." Sesshomaru said with a rare grin on his face.

"Oh, I see… HEY!" With the conversation over, Sesshomaru went back to the forest to gather his followers.

"Wait! Where is she?!" Inuyasha yelled to his brother to stop him.

"I don't know, it was about a month since the incident. But she was in the west. I suggest you look for her." With that he left without another word.

"That was interesting." Miroku said.

"Mate. I see." Sango said after words with a small smile gracing her lips.

"Told you so." Shippo said next.

"Would you shut up, you runt?!" Inuyasha yelled behind him.

"Well, now we definitely know you love her!" Shippo said while sticking his tongue out and running behind Kirara.

"Mew." Kirara agreed. Inuyasha shook his fist in the air, then jumped behind Kirara to grab Shippo. The chase began.

* * *

"What do you mean 'mate'?" Kagome asked with a little anger that she didn't know about this.

"He put an unconscious claim on you, Lady Kagome." Myoga stated clearly.

"Why, though?"

"His heart chose you, but his mind didn't know it." Totosai finished for them without taking his eyes off of the new design for Kagome's battle suit and under armor.

"Oh. I see." Kagome said. _'I don't know whether I should be happy, sad, or angry. Well happy because I… I… Love him… Sad because of Kikyo. And angry because he didn't tell me, or even ask. Well, I guess he didn't know either, but _he's _the one with a supernatural nose.' _Kagome was changing moods right before their very eyes.

"Um, Lady Kagome?" Myoga asked with concern as to her facial expressions.

"Oh, right. So those two reasons are why I need _his _fang in particular?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. Here take these pliers and get his fang. With force if necessary." Totosai said while handing her a pair of fang pulling pliers.

"Yeah, okay. But wouldn't it hurt?" Kagome asked with a little concern.

"Yes, so run along now girl. I need to work. Myoga will accompany you."

"I will?" Myoga said with a few sweat drops falling from his face.

"Yes. Wait… what were we talking about?" Totosai said, then looked at the design in his hand. "Oh, right."

"Okay, I'll go. But I don't know about this." Kagome said while looking at the pliers.

"You are a strong warrior. You can take Master Inuyasha down in a heartbeat." Myoga said with a wink.

"Yeah, but that's not what I'm worried about. I know I can use my spiritual powers to increase my speed and bind them all together, but I don't want to hurt him."

"Come, come, the fang will grow back in half a day, he probably won't even notice." Totosai said.

"Um, okay. I guess it doesn't hurt to try." Kagome said. She left the cave, with Myoga in tow on her shoulder. _'He's going to hate me for this.' _

**I WOULD LIKE 5 MORE REVIEWS PLEASE AND THANK YOU!**

**WOW OKAY! THAT WAS MY NEXT CHAPTER! NOT MY BEST, BUT I'M OKAY WITH THAT!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! AND TALK TO ME IF YOU WANT! ;)**


	10. Known But Not Known Miko

****

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

A Known But Not Known Miko

"Myoga, you sure I have to do this?" Kagome asked while using her spiritual powers to jump through the tree tops with a quick pace.

"Yes, Lady Kagome, it is important to get his fang. And get Tetsusaiga for Totosai to check on it." Myoga said from her shoulder hanging on for dear life.

"Yeah I can do the sword thing, but I don't want to hurt him."

"Don't worry about that. He'll be mad but he'll get over it. If you have his fang then the blades in your battle suit will be stronger and protect you better."

"I don't know about this."

"Just do it, trust me."

"But don't tell him it's me you got it?"

"Why not, Lady Kagome?"

"Well, for one he'll probably be mad." She said then jumped a long leap from the tree she was perched on to the next. "And two, they're better off without me."

"But, Lady Kagome… They-"

"Shh. We're here." Kagome cut in while jumping down into a near bush to hide. She took out a taijia gas mask and slipped it on below her high pony tail. "Stay here." She said in a muffled voice that can't be recognized. She picked up Myoga and placed him in the bushes roots. She bent down on her knees to chant a spell.

"What are you doing?" Myoga asked while watching her spiritual spark around her.

"I'm covering my scent and masking my presence." Kagome said once she was done.

"Ok. Good luck." Kagome nodded, then looked on to her friends setting up camp for the night.

* * *

Inuyasha and the others were setting up camp for the night, Inuyasha was in charge of getting game for dinner, Shippo, Kirara and Miroku were in charge of gathering the wood for the fire, and Sango was watching over camp while the others were out. In about half an hour, the group was back. Sango prepared the boar that Inuyasha caught while the others talked.

"Man, we would've gotten to Totosai's by now if it wasn't for that flea bag, and that bastard!" Inuyasha yelled in frustration while sitting in the branches of the tree with one leg hanging down.

"Calm down Inuyasha. Since they did come, we have another person looking for Kagome, and we know that she is okay." Miroku said while looking up.

"But that was a whole month ago. Who knows where she is _now_." Inuyasha looked towards the quickly darkening sky or orange and red.

"Yes, that is a good point, but she is capable of taking care of herself. We just need to look a lot more. I'm sure she'll show up. Though, I'm with Inuyasha when it comes to worrying." Sango said while tending to the boar meat over the fire.

"AM I THE ONLY ONE CONCERNED?!" Inuyasha yelled down at them. Then he realized what he just blurted out and blushes a little. Sango giggled a little at his shyness.

"No, of course not! We all care for her; we just know she's capable of taking care of herself. Besides you never acted this way with Kikyo before so you must really not trust Kagome." Shippo said while looking up at the orange and red sky.

"What did you just say?" Inuyasha asked in a deadly tone while jumping down in front of Shippo.  
"EEP!" Shippo shouted then stood and ran behind Miroku.

"We trust her Inuyasha, but do you? If you did, then don't worry yourself over her safety, she is more than capable of protecting herself. Yes we all worry, but killing ourselves over worrying isn't going to get us anywhere. Just relax and we'll question her when we find her." Miroku said while having a slightly worried look on his face.

Inuyasha growled at this. Truth is he trusted her, but was just worrying too much because of what Sesshomaru said about her being his intended.

"Food's done." Sango said while handing a stick, pinned with boar meat, to each of her friends. They took the food, then started eating it down. Today there were no fights as to whom, 

meaning Inuyasha and Shippo, gets more food. Once done they started cleaning up the mess, but stopped because they heard a rustle in the bush.

"Who's there?!" Inuyasha yelled. Everyone got up, grabbed their weapons, then stood in battle stance.

"Can you catch their scent, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha sniffed the air.

"No, it's like they have no scent at all." Everyone was worried about this little piece of information. They readied themselves for anything.

* * *

'_As good as ever aren't you guys?' _Kagome mused _'I had a feeling you guys would react to that sound. Well, time for my little plan.' _

Kagome took out a smoke bomb from her demon slayer pouch and threw it to the middle of the group. Screams of confusion and 'what' were heard. She bounded out of the bush and directly into the cloud of smoke. Though she couldn't see very well either, she remembered where Inuyasha stood. She went behind him and bounded his hands together with a chain, then bent down and did the same to his ankles. Inuyasha grunted at his bindings.

"What the hell? Who are you?" Inuyasha said, still standing. The smoke finally cleared; about twenty feet away from the group stood a person clad in a forest green tight pants that go to her knee (leggings in forest green), with a solid green kimono that is a lighter green that goes about mid thigh and the sleeves were cut at the shoulders, with a sword attached to the obi, and a taijia gas mask on.

Everyone looked at her, then to Inuyasha and his bindings.

"Who are you and why did you do that to my friend?" Shippo asked while running towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha tried to move and cut out of his bindings with his claws, but then spiritual powers shocked him and sparked. "AH! Inuyasha!" yelled Shippo when he tried to get close.

"Don't move and you'll be fine. But I need something from you." Kagome said while her voice was still muffled by the taijia mask.

"She's a priestess! She's going to kill you!" Miroku said because he knows how miko, priests, and monks are trained to despise demons and hate hanyou.

"I might be a miko, but my heart doesn't work that way. I just need a couple of things from him and I'll be on my way." Kagome said while running towards Inuyasha.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled then threw her giant boomerang to block the miko from Inuyasha. Kagome stepped back a stepped then quickly grabbed onto the handles for Hiraikotsu. She then held it in place while the spinning of the weapon stopped. "What?! That's impossible!" Sango yelled while looking at the scene unfolding right in front of her eyes.

"Is it?" Kagome said. She then threw Hiraikotsu to the bush she was hiding behind for some time. "I'll take that."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked. Then a barrier surrounded the bush to ensure the weapon doesn't go anywhere.

"I'll give it back. Don't worry; I'm not one to steal." Then Kagome went to Inuyasha and pushed him down onto his back. With a grunt from Inuyasha he fell like a falling building made of bricks.

"Fox Magic! Smashing top!" Shippo yelled while he threw his spinning top. The top grew into a large whirlwind, though it was only an illusion. Kagome jumped out of the way, then threw a dagger to the bottom of the spinning top to knock it off balance. When the dagger hit its intended, the top fell off balance and shrunk to its original size. She grabbed the toy and threw it to where Hiraikotsu now laid. "Hey!" Shippo yelled.

"Like I said, I'll give it back." Just as she said this, Miroku swung his staff to block the path between her and Inuyasha.

"I don't know who you are, but give us back our weapons and leave." Miroku said while standing in a defense stance.

"Sorry, I can't do that. But I'll take that staff of yours." Kagome said while she took out her sword. Clash after clash was heard between the steel blade of the sword and metal of the staff. The sword was swung about her hand and was blocked by the staff. Though Kagome wasn't trying to hurt Miroku, she was just trying to put enough pressure on the staff for him to let go.

She then swung the sword from underneath them and applied enough pressure for Miroku to let go. Miroku gasped in surprise, as his staff went flying into the air. Kagome jumped to get it then threw it to the other discarded weapons.

"Okay, let's make this quick, shall we?" Kagome said then put her sword away and chanted a word. "Fuzui." Kagome said quietly. (Paralysis is what the word Fuzui means.) Everyone froze.

"What? Why can't I move?" Sango asked while trying to move her arms.

"It's a spell." Miroku said.

"Yes, it is a spell. But I won't make it last long." She jumped over Miroku and landed next to Inuyasha's body laid on the ground. She kneeled next to him and grabbed the pair of pliers Totosai has given to her. She placed it near his mouth and opened his mouth with her free hand. She placed the pliers dangerously near his fang and opened it up. Suddenly she stopped and looked into his eyes.

After a few moments, she pulled the pliers away from his mouth.

"I…I can't do this." She mumbled to herself, though Inuyasha heard it.

"Do it! Come on, what's stopping you?!" Inuyasha said bravely. Kagome choked out a small chuckle.

"As brave as ever aren't you? You don't understand why I can't do it." Kagome said while backing off and sitting on her heels. "But, I'll take this." She said when she grabbed Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha sash.

"Hey! Give that back!" Inuyasha yelled after her as Kagome jumped into the barrier she has created.

"Issai durani shimekiri." Kagome chanted. (All spell end). Once the spell was chanted, everyone stumbled with their new found movement. Then after a second, Inuyasha's chain bindings broke and fell to the floor, then disappeared.

"Why that…" Inuyasha said while he jumped and crashed into the barrier, then landed with a thud when his feet made contact with the ground. A sudden gush of wind blew by and everyone covered their eyes with their arm. The barrier disappeared. "Damn. She's gone."

"Yeah, and are weapons are with her too." Sango said while walking up to Miroku.

"Yeah, but did you see her necklace and the two amulets on it?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, but I didn't see what they said." Sango said.

"What is a necklace and two amulets have to do with anything? We have to find her!" Inuyasha yelled out his irritation.

"Well, the amulets are symbols, they represent your occupation. The one that girl was wearing was of a Taijia of the West, _and _a Miko of the West. The west has the strongest warriors around. And she happens to be both." Miroku said.

"Wow. She must've gotten a hell of a lot of training." Sango said.

"We are missing the point here!" Inuyasha yelled.

"No we're not. People from the west are the most powerful warriors and they are trustworthy. I think we should just see what she's up too and wait." Shippo said.

"Very good Shippo. Where did you learn this?" Sango asked.

"Kaede taught me. For some reason she wanted me to know then tell you guys." Shippo said then shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine. We'll stay here for the night. Then we'll find her tomorrow." Inuyasha grumbled to his friends.

After that was said, the group cleaned up a bit and resumed their sleeping positions. With Sango leaning up against the transformed Kirara with Shippo next to her, Inuyasha up in the tree with his back against the trunk, and Miroku sitting up against the trunk of the same tree as Inuyasha.

* * *

"So, you didn't get his fang, Lady Kagome?" Myoga asked, while he was perched onto Kagome's shoulder. Kagome was holding all the weapons in her possession to have Totosai check on them and improve them a bit. She strapped Hiraikotsu onto her back, while Shippo's spinning top was in her pocket, and Tetsusaiga was strapped to where her sword was located on her obi, and held Miroku's staff in her hand. She jumped through the air with her spiritual powers, but stopped on a tree branch.

"I told you Myoga, I couldn't do it. Even if I tried, I can't hurt him." Kagome said while looking down at the ground.

"I see. You have a good heart, Lady Kagome." Myoga smiled at her. Kagome smiled back.

"Thanks." She then continued on her journey back to Totosai's.

Kagome entered the hot cave with all the weapons and Myoga in tow.

"Totosai! We're back!" Kagome yelled.

"Good, did you get the fang?" Totosai asked as he entered the cave from his bath.

"Well no, I'm sorry. I couldn't do it." Kagome looked down in somewhat shame.

"I see, this proposes a problem." Totosai thought for a while. "Well, I'll just start on it and figure that problem out later. But you, young lady, have a good heart. Better than Inuyasha's anyways." Totosai smiled. Kagome smiled too after being complimented again.

"Thanks. Oh, and Totosai, can you fix up these weapons? And here's," Kagome said while putting down the weapons, then grabbing Tetsusaiga out of her waist band, then handing it to Totosai. "Tetsusaiga, you asked for."

"Thank you Kagome." Totosai grabbed the weapons. "Sure thing. I should be done with these by tonight. But Tetsusaiga needs a little more time."

"I'll deliver them back, all at the same time." Kagome said.

Totosai went to work and talked to Myoga, while Kagome sat outside staring at the now visible stars above.

'_Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara. You guys don't miss me at all do you? You can't even remember my face, even with the taijia mask on. Have you really forgotten? You guys probably are doing better without me there to hold you back all the time.' _Kagome thought to herself while imaging her friends' faces in her mind. _'Even though we're apart, I'll still be your friend.'_

As the night went on, Kagome, Myoga, and Totosai slept soundly.

* * *

The next morning, Inuyasha went out fishing, while Sango was in charge of the fire, Kirara and Shippo went to get more fire wood, while Miroku was unconscious from his early morning groping with Sango's butt. Once together, the fish were put on sticks and was cooking well over the fire.

"We head out to Totosai's today, then we go west to find Kagome." Inuyasha stated.

"That sounds good. But what about our weapons? We can't exactly fight without them." Sango said.

"Yes, but this is teaching us how to not use them for a while. We have to use other techniques and weapons we have." Miroku said.

"True, but I wonder where they are." Shippo said.

"She said she'll give them back. I say we trust her." Sango suggested.

"You can't just trust _everyone _Sango. Not everyone is good." Inuyasha scowled.

"Yes, but Kagome taught all of us how to give a person a chance before judging them." Sango stated sadly. Inuyasha's ears pinned to his head. Truthfully, he never thought about it like that. He knew Kagome taught him how to trust his friends but, never thought about the lesson of giving someone a chance.

"Fine." Inuyasha said quietly.

About afternoon, they decided to head out to Totosai's. The group walked about two hours then stopped at the foot of the tall volcanic mountain.

"Okay, you guys stay here." Inuyasha said while Kirara transformed into her larger size. Suddenly something is spinning from the air above. A sudden crash near them got them all to turn their heads. There, pinned in the ground was Hiraikotsu.

"Hiraikotsu?" Sango questioned. She went up to her weapon and inspected it. "Wow, it's been polished and sharpened."

"Really? Wow, who ever that miko was, she did you a favor." Miroku said while walking up to Sango. Then something jingled and pinned itself into the ground. "My staff." Miroku walked up to it and took it in his hands. "She did the same for this as well."

A soft thud was heard near Shippo.

"Hey! It's my top! Look at it! It's so shiny!" Shippo said with amusement. Suddenly, in front of Inuyasha, landed Tetsusaiga with a note attached to it.

"Tetsusaiga…. And a note." Inuyasha said when he picked up his sword.

"What does it say?" Shippo asked while he jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulders.

"Well, it says," Inuyasha started.

_Hey, guys! _

_Told you I'll give them back! ;) (Winking face)_

_Whether you appreciate them or not, let's say we're friends, kay?_

_See you later!_

"That's interesting." Miroku said.

"Yeah, well, at least we know she's not an enemy." Sango said.

"I still don't like her." Inuyasha grumbled. "I'm going to see Totosai." Everyone sighed as he took off with Kirara.

* * *

'_Totosai's? Why is he going there?' _Kagome thought while she watched them from behind a tree. _'I better not stick around.' _She thought then went on her way to find some jewel shards in the surrounding area while waiting for her new battle suit.

* * *

"Totosai! Hey old man! You in here?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Yeah, yeah." Totosai came out of the back of his cave to meet Inuyasha. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk about something that happened with Tetsusaiga and my youkai blood."

"Ah. And what would that be?"

"Well, we were at Mushin's Temple, when Tetsusaiga pulsed out of nowhere. Then my youkai blood started to surface on my face. What does it mean?"

"Ah, so something did happen." Totosai said while he scratched his chin.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked while cocking his head in confusion.

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	11. Two Miko, One Hanyou, and One Song

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the Song "Fall to pieces" that is presented in this chapter. Those would belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Avril Lavigne. **

_**Credit: I give credit to Inuyashasdaughter15 for introducing me to the song. Thanks!**_

* * *

Two Miko, One Hanyou, and One Song

_Inuyasha keeps walking straight, to the depths of the lush green forest. No sounds are heard, birds don't chirp. A river up ahead runs slowly, though no waves of rushing water are heard._

'Where am I?' _Inuyasha thought as he keeps walking. He looks up into the dark gray sky then down at his feet. His eyes catch a trail of red liquid. He walks over to it to inspect what it is. Inuyasha puts two fingers into the substance then brings it up to his nose. _'Blood. But whose?' _Inuyasha thinks to himself. _'Why can't I tell whose blood it is? It smells familiar. Did I forget whose scent this is?'

_Inuyasha follows the trail to the middle of a clearing with one tree standing in the middle of it. _'It ends.' _Inuyasha is at a lost as of to where to go. He stands right under the lone tree in the clearing, looking for any signs of someone in trouble or dead. Suddenly blood drips down from above and lands on his head then his sleeve. _'What the…' _Inuyasha looks up but see's nothing but the trees leaves. He turns his head to suddenly find glowing eyes staring at him less than five inches away from his face. He falls back on his butt in surprise. _

_He tries to talk but his voice never reaches his ears. _'Why can't I talk?' _Inuyasha was getting worried. The figure in the shadow appears to be drawing a bow back and aiming it straight for his heart. Inuyasha was starting to get worried. _

"_You said you would protect me. You promised me. And I ended up dead." The figure said rather darkly as the bow string was pulled taunt._

"_What do you mean? Who are you?" Inuyasha was surprised when his voice actually worked. The dark sun turned its direction to shine on the mysterious figure. From the curves in the person's body, it was apparent it was a woman. Inuyasha stared intently at the still darkened face and the shining arrow tip. Blood dripped down the body of the young woman and coated her clothes. _

_The girl wore a Japanese school uniform that contained a short green skirt and a white blouse with a red tie in the front. Her eyes blaze with her spiritual powers, and cut through the _

_darkness with bright pink eyes that can kill. Suddenly the eyes went back to the normal brown color. _

"_Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. Blood streamed down her face and across her neck to cover her whole outfit. "What happened?" Inuyasha jumped up and put a hand on her bloody shoulder._

"_Don't touch me you half-breed. You broke your promise and now I'll break your soul." Kagome said just as darkly as Naraku would have and moved away from him. Inuyasha was stunned to hear Kagome, sweet Kagome, say something so dark, and to call him a half-breed._

"_What? Kagome, what do you mean 'break my soul'? I know I didn't protect you, but you left! I had no idea where you were! I was so worried." Inuyasha said while putting a hand over his heart. Kagome lowered the bow and arrow._

"_I hate you. You are worthless to everyone around you! You're pathetic and obviously not worth my time if I already managed to die. And you did NOTHING about it!" Kagome screamed at him. _

"_You weren't here! How the HELL was I suppose to know you were in trouble!" _

"_I was in trouble when I left. Maybe you should've kept a better eye on me. I do attract a hell of a lot a demons and bad men around me because of who I am and what I possess." Kagome brings out the completed jewel._

"_How did-… But that's…" Inuyasha was more confused than ever. Suddenly the jewel just disappeared._

"_You disgust me." Inuyasha then backed up a little though unconsciously towards the single tree that stood._

"_Kagome, who did this to you? I will avenge you if that's what you want!" _

"_You just don't want to get killed. You wouldn't do it if I wasn't here right now. Is that what you were trying to say?" Kagome said as she repositioned the bow and arrow, that was now coated with the blood that was running down her body, at his heart once again._

"_No! I would've done it without you having to tell me! I would do anything for you!" _

"_You lied to me once. Even twice. Maybe more. I don't see how that can't be a lie also." _

"_I swear I'm not lying to you!" Inuyasha was getting mad at Kagome for not trusting him._

"_Right. Like I'm suppose to believe a half-breed like you. Now die." Kagome said then aimed the arrow once more before she shot. _

_Inuyasha saw the fast approaching light of a spiritually charged arrow going straight towards his heart. He was struck be the tip of the arrow and thrown back against the tree. The arrow impaled him and pinned him in the tree._

"_Pathetic." Kagome muttered, then started to fade away._

"_Kagome, I still… lo….lov-" Inuyasha muttered his last words before he started the slow, and painful dying process. _

_Out of nowhere, he was suddenly falling from a cliff with the arrow still impaled into his chest. He was looking up at the cliff he fell off of. There on the edge, with blood dripping from her face, stood Kagome smirking evilly. Everything around them and the little cliff was pitch black._

END

Inuyasha jerked awake, and landed with a thud to the ground. He grunted then looked up at the branch he now vacated. _'It was a dream. No, more like a nightmare.' _Inuyasha thought while he lied on his back looking up at his recently open sleeping spot.

"Wow, Inuyasha, we were trying to get you awake for like ten minutes, but then you fell to the ground. I've never seen you do that before." Shippo said while he stood over Inuyasha's face. "Usually Kagome would put you in a similar position with her 'sit' command."

"Are you okay? You were mumbling in your sleep, and kind of restless." Sango asked then came over to check on him with Miroku right behind her.

Inuyasha sat up and ignored the hand that was offered to him by Miroku. He got up on his two feet and started to growl.

"Fine." Inuyasha mumbled. Miroku put his hands up in the air to signal that he didn't want to fight.

"Okay, whatever you say. But you were the one falling from the tree." Miroku sort of mocked. Inuyasha growled then went left to go into the forest.

"Miroku! What'd you do that for?!" Sango yelled at him then looked into the direction where Inuyasha left.

"Just let him be. He was mumbling in his sleep and he sounded kind of scared. Then right before he fell off the tree, he mumbled Kagome's name. Just leave him to his thoughts for now and we'll question him later." Shippo said while looking at Sango.

"Well, Shippo does have reliable sense of hearing, better than us anyways. Maybe we should just let him be." Miroku suggested. Sango nodded, but still looked worried. She promised Kagome she would look after him, if she was gone.

_Flashback_

_Kagome and Sango were soaking in the hot springs as the steam rises into the air._

"_Ah, this feels nice." Kagome sighed as she sunk further into the water._

"_Yeah." Sango said while leaning back into the boulder behind her. After a while, Sango got tired of the silence. "Hey, how are you and Inuyasha doing?" Kagome's eyes widened as she blushed and she sat up straighter._

"_Wh-what are you talking about, Sango? And why group us together?" Kagome said nervously._

"_Come on. _Everyone _knows that you love him, well except for him, but still. Anything change?" Sango said while elbowing her arm slightly._

"_N-no why would they? I mean come on! He's hung over Kikyo." Kagome stuttered. She gulped down the lump in her throat that recently formed._

"_I'll look after him when you're if you want." Sango said._

"_And keep him in line for me?" _

"_Sure, you got it." Sango winked at her friend. "If you do the same with Miroku when he goes overboard." _

"_Promise." The girls giggled then went back to relaxing in the hot springs._

Flashback End

Sango sighed to herself as she went back to Kirara and sat down. _'Hope he's okay.' _Sango thought then lied back down to get a couple more hours of sleep. Miroku lied down near Sango, but didn't go to sleep. He decided to wait up for the return of his friend. And Shippo…. He's sleeping like a baby.

* * *

Inuyasha washed his face in the river and shook the water off his face, and then wiped it off with his sleeve. _'Ever since Totosai told me why my youkai blood acted up all of a sudden, over a month ago, I can't stop from having those nightmares. Does Kagome really not trust me anymore? Did she die, and now she's haunting me? What's going on?' _Inuyasha thought while he looked into the reflecting water. He looked at himself with disgust written all over his face. _'That dream was right. I did fail her. I promised I'd protect her, and Sesshomaru ended up doing it. But after the incident, Sesshomaru said she was okay. Did she get herself in trouble again?'_

Flashback

"_Totosai! Hey old man! You in here?" Inuyasha yelled. _

"_Yeah, yeah." Totosai came out of the back of his cave to meet Inuyasha. "What do you want?" _

"_I want to talk about something that happened with Tetsusaiga and my youkai blood." _

"_Ah. And what would that be?" _

"_Well, we were at Mushin's Temple, when Tetsusaiga pulsed out of nowhere. Then my youkai blood started to surface on my face. What does it mean?"_

"_Ah, so something did happen." Totosai said while he scratched his chin._

"_What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked while cocking his head in confusion._

"_Well, first off, are you aware that you put an unconscious scent claim on Lady Kagome?" Myoga jumped in, then up to Inuyasha's shoulder._

"_Yeah, Sesshomaru told me." Inuyasha looked down in shame._

"_Tetsusaiga recognizes that she, meaning Kagome, is your chosen mate. Therefore it pulses when she is in danger and near death when she is not in your scent or hearing range." Totosai said while intently looking at Inuyasha's fang._

"_Yes, and when Tetsusaiga pulses, it is actually letting free your demonic blood to protect your chosen one." Myoga added._

"_She isn't dead right!? She can't be!" Inuyasha yelled._

"_No, no. She's alive." Totosai said while looking for where he put his pliers. Inuyasha sighed in relief._

"_She's okay right?" Inuyasha grumbled. _

"_Yes, stronger than ever." Myoga expanded the truth. _

"_Okay, so what do you mean '_letting free my demonic blood_'?" Inuyasha asked._

"_Well to protect her at all cost, you must be faster to be able to get to her, and be ready for anything." Totosai said._

"_Though in this state, you have control over it, because your heart, mind, and demonic blood will all agree to save your mates life." Myoga said. Inuyasha nodded in understandment. _

"_So, I shouldn't be worried about this, right?" Inuyasha asked quietly._

"_No need to fear your blood or the control. But if her life is in grave danger, if I were you, I would worry." Totosai said after finally locating his pliers. _

"_Okay. Well, I'm done here." Inuyasha started to get up._

"_Wait, come here." Totosai said. Inuyasha moved a little bit. "Closer." Now Inuyasha was squatting in front of Totosai. "Now open your mouth." _

"_Oh no! HELL no! You did that to me before! You are NOT, I repeat NOT, going to take another fang from me you old man!" Inuyasha yelled while jumping to his feet._

"_Come, come Master Inuyasha. We need the fang." Myoga pleaded._

"_For what?" Inuyasha asked angrily. The old men were at a lost. They promised Kagome they wouldn't tell Inuyasha she was there. _

"_Kagome." Totosai said, probably forgetting it was a secret. Myoga had sweat pouring out of his little body in loads. He thought quickly to cover up the fluke, but nothing came to mind._

"_Kagome? She was here? Where is she!? You better tell me you old man!" Inuyasha yelled while picking Totosai up by the collar of his shirt._

"_No, she wasn't here. I just want to make her a protecting fang." Totosai said while sweat dropped from his face._

"_Protecting fang? What's that?" Inuyasha set Totosai down._

"_It will help keep her out of trouble. And you would know when she was in it." Totosai stated._

"_Oh, well… if it's for her own good. Then I guess it wouldn't hurt." Inuyasha said then squatted next to Totosai and waited for the pain._

"_That's the spirit Master Inuyasha!" Myoga cheered. _

_After a few minutes a scream was heard at the bottom of the mountain._

"_Uh, what was that?" Sango asked._

"_Sounded like Inuyasha." Miroku stated._

"_Isn't he at Totosai's?" Shippo said._

"_Probably got another one of his teeth pulled to fix Tetsusaiga, or something." Sango said. Everyone nodded in agreement._

_After his fang was pulled out, Inuyasha sulked out of the cave while mumbling something about old men and women with their painful ways of torturing him._

"_Okay, Totosai, explain. There is NO such thing as a protecting fang." Myoga said while looking darkly into Totosai's eyes._

"_Yeah, well, we got the fang didn't we? And besides, it is protecting Kagome, just in sword form… in a battle suit… with armor." Totosai said while looking at his newly acquired fang._

"_Sneaky." Myoga bobbed his head up and down while thinking of how Totosai could've come up with that little lie. _

"_Did you get your fang pulled out again?" Shippo asked once Inuyasha was in front of them._

"_Shut up." Inuyasha hotly said._

"_He did." Sango and Miroku said in unison._

Flashback End

'_No, she couldn't have gotten herself in trouble again. Or else my youkai blood and Tetsusaiga would act up again.' _Inuyasha thought as the sun was rising. He decided to catch some fish for breakfast before they headed west again, to the last place Kagome was seen.

* * *

It was late afternoon, and Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara were making their way through the forest of the west.

"Where are we going?" Shippo asked annoyed. "We haven't eaten anything since breakfast this morning and I'm starving!"

"Tough! Kagome has been here for a while so we might find someone that can tell us where she went or is." Inuyasha said hotly. Suddenly Miroku, Sango, and Kirara stopped as the other two argued.

"Shh! Something's coming." Sango whispered to the two members that apparently didn't sense the demonic aura that was surrounding them.

A rustle from the nearby foliage alerted them to the oncoming attack. Everyone got in their battle stance as Kirara transformed. A tremendous roar was heard, just as the culprit came into view.

"A crocodile demon!" Shippo yelled.

"This could be trouble guys. Weapons can't pierce a crocodile demons outer skin that easily. Spiritual power is the only easy way to discard such a youkai." Sango said.

"Great." Inuyasha mumble as he drew out his sword.

"Hey! I heard that!" Miroku said as he was standing right beside Inuyasha. "Wait, why can't I just suck it into my wind tunnel?" Miroku asked Sango.

"Because," Sango said, as she jumped out of the way of the crocodile demons tail. "Their claws and rough skin will injure the sides of the wind tunnel again."

"We're doomed." Inuyasha said.

"Hey, I have spiritual powers." Miroku stated.

"Yeah, but not much." Inuyasha said as he jumped and swung Tetsusaiga at the oncoming tail. "Damn. Not even a scratch." Inuyasha said as he landed on the other side of the demon. Miroku jumped away.

The battle raged on, with neither side winning. If the group gave up their only jewel shard they acquired, then they have a small chance at getting away, though the demon would probably eat them afterwards. If they run, then the demon would just follow with its amazing speed. If they stayed and fight, then they might live and they might die. Every option has death written all over it.

"Damn! This is never going to end!" Sango yelled as she once again threw her Hiraikotsu. All the bone boomerang did was to bounce off the demons body and come back to her hand.

A rustle from the bush behind the crocodile demon was formed. Though, Inuyasha and the others didn't notice the sound due to their attention on the crocodile youkai attacking them from all sides. Suddenly a pink light was seen, shooting straight through the crocodile demon, diminishing it.

"Wow." Shippo said in astonishment.

"Hey! You guys okay!?" a voice was heard from the bush the arrow was shot out of. Everyone turned their heads to see a girl, apparently a miko, clad in a forest green tight pants that go to 

her knee (leggings in forest green), with a solid green kimono that is a lighter green that goes about mid thigh and the sleeves were cut at the shoulders, and a quiver attached to her back while her bow was in her hand. "You guys were in quite a fight."

"Who are you?" Shippo asked. Suddenly something sparked in Inuyasha's mind.

"Hey! You're that bitch that tied me down the other day!" Inuyasha said furiously.

"What? I've never seen you before." The girl said then closely inspected the hanyou. "Hm. Hanyou, inu youkai. Are you, by any chance, the one they call Inuyasha?"

"You were the one that tied me down and paralyzed us! You bitch! What did you want?!" Inuyasha said then lunged forward to attack her.

"Stop Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled. "It isn't the same person."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"That necklace." Miroku pointed at the choker necklace with the one amulet on it. "This person's only a miko. The one that we encountered was a taijia _and _a miko."

"Oh." Inuyasha said as he stopped.

"Anyways, hi, I'm Akemi." The girl said cheerfully.

"Hi, I'm-" Miroku started.

"Wait, wait! Let me guess. You're Miroku, the Taijia is Sango, the little kitsune is Shippo, the neko-manta demon is Kirara, and as I said you're Inuyasha?" Akemi said while pointing to each person.

"Um… yes… how did you know that?" Sango asked curiously.

"Well, let's just say I knew a person." Akemi said with a wink.

"Wait, why aren't you killing me, or Shippo, or Kirara? We're demons, and you're a miko. Weren't you trained to kill us?" Inuyasha asked while getting a battle stance. Akemi looked at his new stance.

"Whoa there buddy, relax will you? I'm not going to kill you, none of you. And correction," Akemi said then pointed with both her index fingers on both hands at Inuyasha. "You're a hanyou. And yes I'm a miko, but we're trained differently now at the miko academy I attend, thanks to one single person. We learn to give some youkai's and hanyou a chance, before we kill them." Then Akemi winked.

"Wait, so you know our names and one single person taught you to give youkai's and hanyou's a chance. Just like Kagome taught us." Miroku stated as Akemi nodded her head. "Do you know Kagome."

"Yup, she use to train at this academy." Akemi smiled.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha said while holding the collar of Akemi's kimono.

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled at him.

"I don't know where she is. She left, but I'm sure she's fine! She's stronger than all of the other priestesses in the whole academy!" Akemi tried to reassure him.

"Fine." Inuyasha said then dropped her.

"Sheesh." Akemi said while turning around and fixing her wrinkled kimono. "Nice meeting you guys! See ya later!" Akemi said then started back on her patrol duty.

"Well, that was interesting." Shippo said.

"Yes, now we know Kagome was here." Sango added.

"Where do we go now, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku.

"Let's go back home. Maybe she went to her world." Inuyasha suggested. The group started off towards their home village.

* * *

A few days later, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara arrive back at Kaede's village. They shared their tales of travel with the old and wise miko.

"Ah, so Kagome has trained as a very powerful priestess, has she?" Kaede said.

"Yes, but we still have no idea where she is." Miroku said as he sipped his tea. Abruptly, Inuyasha's ear twitched.

"What is it Inuyasha?" Sango asked. Without another word Inuyasha left the hut. "Okay, don't answer my question."

"Someone's playing some kind of music. And singing." Shippo said quietly. Everyone looked confused, then got up and walked outside.

"Where'd he go?" Miroku asked.

"Goshinboku." Shippo said. They slowly crept towards where Inuyasha went.

* * *

'_Someone's singing, and playing music. Who is it?' _Inuyasha asked himself as he walked towards the tree he was pinned to for fifty years. He heard a type of instrument play. It was an odd musical instrument to him, an hourglass shape attached to some kind of stick, with strings strongly attached from the middle of the hourglass shape, where a hole was located, to the end of the long stick (Guitar. Not electric). _'A girl. And she's on a branch of the tree.' _Inuyasha thought as he listened to her song.

The girl sang a beautiful song:

I looked away

Then I looked back at you

You try to say

Things that you can't undo

If I had my way

I'd never get over you

Today's the day

I pray that we make it through

Make it through the fall

Make it through it all

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just want to sit and stare at you

I don't want to talk about it

And I don't want a conversation

I just want to cry in front of you

I don't want to talk about it

Cuz I'm in love with you

You're the only one,

I'd be with till the end

When I come undone

You bring me back again

Back under the stars

Back into your arms

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just want to sit and stare at you

I don't want to talk about it

And I don't want a conversation

I just want to cry in front of you

I don't want to talk about it

Cuz I'm in love with you

Wanna know who you are

Wanna know where to start

I wanna know what this means

Wanna know how you feel

Wanna know what is real

I wanna know everything, everything

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just want to sit and stare at you

I don't want to talk about it

And I don't want a conversation

I just want to cry in front of you

I don't want to talk about it

And I don't wanna fall to pieces

I just want to sit and stare at you

I don't want to talk about it

And I don't want a conversation

I just want to cry in front of you

I don't want to talk about it

Cuz I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

Cuz I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

I'm in love with you

(_Fall to pieces _by Avril Lavigne) (If you actually listen to the song, it would be better)

* * *

Just then Inuyasha stepped on a twig and it snapped making a cracking noise. The girl on the branch gasped and threw a smoke bomb to the ground.

"Wait!" Inuyasha yelled after her, but she was gone. Inuyasha walked under the branch where the girl previously occupied, and accidently stepped on something hard and round. "What's this?" Inuyasha picked it up and inspected it. "It's her."

"That was a pretty song, don't you think Inuyasha?" Shippo asked as he rushed up to Inuyasha's shoulder. "What's that?" He said once he noticed the item in Inuyasha's hand. Inuyasha turned around to have the others look at it.

"Isn't that-" Sango started.

"There are not many that are like her." Miroku said.

* * *

**OKAY! THAT WOULD BE MY NEXT CHAPTER! CHEER **

**THANKS FOR REVIEWING AND TALKING AND WHAT NOT! **

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	12. Missing A Friend

**Disclaimer: I, meerkatluvr789, do not own Inuyasha.**

Missing A Friend

'_I'm so stupid. Why did I run? It's not like they going to kill me." _Kagome thought as she fingered the spot where her necklaces use to be. _'Great. Now I have to get my identification necklace back. Maybe I should just ask for it back. No, then they would ask me too many questions, and Inuyasha would get mad at me for the attack thing. But that has to come sometime or another.' _Kagome sighed in frustration.

"I can get the necklace back for you, Lady Kagome." A bird form that was glowing a solid pink said.

"Thanks Avion. But I don't know. Would you mind?" Kagome asked when she looked towards her shoulder, where the bird was perched. Avion was a spiritual bird created by a large force of spiritual power by the owner. Then the person can choose which animal will be its original form, but these creatures can shape shift. After the creation of the spiritual animal, he or she would be the servant for the owner.

"No problem after all I am your servant." Avion said while jumping up then flying in the air.

"No Avion, how many times do I have to tell you? You're not my servant, you're my friend." Kagome said with a wink.

"Thank you." Avion said with a cheerful facial expression.

"Would you like Keiko to accompany you?" Kagome asked. Keiko was a female inu-manta demon (two tail dog demon, like Kirara but in dog form), with a short sandy color fur, one ear was pointed like Inuyasha's ears, and the other ear was folded downwards upon its head, and had a medium sized tail, with light purple eyes. She was given to Kagome by an old lady in a village.

Flashback

_Kagome jumped out of the way of an eagle youkai as it dove towards her previous location in trying to kill her. The eagle demon squawked its bird cry as it dove into the hard dirt _

_and missed its target. Kagome notched an arrow on her bow and released it towards the demon. The arrow hit the eagle demons heart and it floated away in the wind as dust. Two sparkling jewel shards dropped to the ground. Kagome went over to the sparkling jewels and picked them up._

"_Well, two more, millions to go." Kagome sighed. Avion was sent to spy on Inuyasha and the others, to see what's going on. _

_Kagome turned around and was greeted with a good portion of a village. Kagome had nothing to say for their sudden appearance._

"_Thank you! Thank you, Taijia Miko! That troublesome youkai has been bothering our village for weeks. Come, we will provide you with food and shelter for the night!" The headman of the village said with over enjoyment. Kagome had one sweat drop dripping down the side of her head, and was stunned by their open hearts and 'quick to give' personality._

"_Um, thank you, sir." Kagome said the bowed a little. "You are most kind." _

"_Now come, we will prepare your room and a fine meal." The headman said as he led Kagome to their village. As they walked something caught Kagome's eyes._

'What's going on there?' _Kagome thought. "Um, excuse me." She said as she put a hand on the headman's shoulder. He turned around to acknowledge her. "What's going on there?" Kagome pointed to the hut that was surrounded by a few people._

"_Ah, it's the old lady that lives there. Her time in this world must be about to end." He said solemnly. _

"_May I go see her to her eternal rest?" Kagome asked._

"_That would be wonderful. Thank you again." He said with a small smile. Kagome smiled back and went to the hut._

"_Okay people, please make way, I will see her to her rest." Kagome said as she tried to budge through the crowd. Kagome made it in the hut and found an old lady lying on a futon in the corner of the hut with a two tail dog demon watching her intently. The demon caught sight of Kagome and started to growl and stand in a protective stance near her owner._

_Kagome put her hands up on both sides of her head to show submission. _

"_I'm sorry. But I'm here to see the person that lives in this hut. Um, may I?" She said to the dog, feeling kind of weird for doing it, but animals can understand humans, sometimes. _

"_Its okay, Keiko. She has a good heart. She has no ill intentions." The old woman weakly said. The two tail dog demon backed down, though was still on alert._

"_How are you feeling?" Kagome said as she kneeled next to the old woman. _

"_I know I'm not going to be in this world for much longer, no need to avoid the question. But can you do me two favors?" The woman said. Kagome smiled sadly at the first sentence._

"_Yes, what do you need me to do?" Kagome asked._

"_Well, first, can you give my soul a prayer, for a good afterlife?" The old woman said._

"_Of course." Kagome said with a small smile gracing her lips._

"_And, can you please take care of Keiko, the inu-manta youkai for me? I know she's a demon but you have a good heart." The old woman said with sadness. _

"_Of course I can, I have nothing against demons. But are you sure you should entrust me with her?" Kagome asked just to be sure. The old woman smiled._

"_Yes. Like I have said, you have a pure heart. Untainted. It would make me so happy to know that she is well taken care of and loved." _

"_I will do my best." Kagome said with tears welling up in the corner of her eyes._

"_Thank you. Now I can go in peace, knowing she is taken care of. Keiko, go with her." Keiko walked up to Kagome and sat in front of her looking at her former owner with sadness. With everything said and done, the old woman closed her eyes and took a final breath. Keiko howled her sadness then nuzzled the dead woman's hand one last time. Kagome closed her eyes and prayed for her._

_Now Kagome had tears down her face on both sides. She finished her prayer and petted Keiko's head to console her. Keiko looked up and pushed back against her hand and softly growled in approval. Kagome wiped her tears away as she picked up her new pet, and friend, and walked outside._

"_Okay, villagers, the woman that lives here has passed away. Please give her a proper burial." Kagome announced. Some people around her started to cry. Kagome went around and tried to soothe them all. Some men left to make a burial site for the old lady._

_Later that day, after the burial, Kagome sat in one of the room in the headman's house with Keiko by her side, staring sadly at her food. _

"_Keiko, I know that you are sad, but I promise to do all I can for you. But if you want to leave and stay in the village, I can't stop you. If you choose to leave, you can always come back to me and know that you'll be taken care of, kay?." Kagome said with a smile while she petted Keiko on the head. Keiko whimpered a little and walked over to Kagome's lap and lied down. Keiko has made her decision, she's staying with Kagome._

_A few days later, Kagome was travelling again with her new recruit. Avion flew by and landed on Kagome's shoulder._

"_Hey, Avion." Kagome said._

"_Hello Lady Kagome. Who is this?" Avion asked as she looked to the ground at the two-tailed dog demon. _

"_Oh, this is our new recruit, Keiko." Kagome said as she gave Avion her memories. Avion, being Kagome's spiritual animal, can obtain all of Kagome's memories and knowledge._

"_Nice to meet you." Avion said while she looked down. Keiko barked a small bark. "Anyways, Lady Kagome, Inuyasha and the others went to the west looking for you." _

"_They're looking for me? Wow, I figured they forget about me by now." Kagome said as she looked down at her feet._

"_They miss you terribly. But they went towards the miko academy on accident and met up with your friend Akemi." _

"_Akemi. Wow, how did that go?" Kagome asked with a bit of amusement._

"_Well at first they thought it was the taijia miko that attacked them before, but then Miroku noticed the identification necklace of the west. I would say that they're kind of friends." _

"_I see. Well, let's head home shall we?" Kagome said as they went to Kaede's village._

Flashback End

"Would you like Keiko to accompany you?" Kagome asked. Keiko was a female inu-manta demon (two tail dog demon, like Kirara but in dog form), with a short sandy color fur, one ear was pointed like Inuyasha's ears, and the other ear was folded downwards upon its head, and had a medium sized tail, with light purple eyes. She was given to Kagome by an old lady in a village. Keiko barked a little in agreement.

"Sure. C'mon Keiko. Let's go find them." Avion said as she flew off. Keiko ran after her. The inu-manta demon wasn't one of flying and body enlargement. Keiko had the power to use fire in any way she liked and her fangs and claws can grow, but her body does not. But since she is a demon, she can run rather fast.

Kagome was left alone to her own devises. She sighed. _'I wonder what they're doing." _She thought as she went to the next village.

* * *

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede sat in Kaede's hut looking at the necklace that was found.

"I think ye should give it back. Those necklaces are important to people who train in the west." Kaede suggested.

"Keh, if she wants it then she has to come get it. I ain't going to give it back until I get answers from her." Inuyasha scowled.

"That's a little harsh, don't you think?" Miroku asked.

"It's not like she's out to kill us. Just give it back." Sango said.

"Feh." Inuyasha said as he dropped the necklace, with the two amulets that symbolize a miko and a taijia, on the floor.

"Let's go outside. It's stifling in here." Sango suggested.

Everyone got up and went to the wooden fence except for Kaede. She went to her herb garden to gather some. Inuyasha hopped on the fence and sat down while Sango leaned on it and Miroku stood. Kirara and Shippo were playing tag on the ground.

"Have you seen that taijia miko?" a man's voice said in the distance.

"Yes, she is the nicest person. Hey, wasn't she here a few days ago helping out the villagers and playing with the children?" The other man said.

"Oh, yes, how can I forget?" The first man said.

"Hey, Hiroaki, do you think she'll be in to me?" The second man said.

"Katashi! What's wrong with you?" Hiroaki asked while slapping Katashi on his arm.

"Just wondering." Katashi said smugly.

Inuyasha listened intently on them. _'So, she came into the village when we were gone.' _Inuyasha thought to himself.

"What do you suppose we do with the necklace?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha was brought back from his own thoughts.

"Keh. Let her come and get it." Inuyasha scowled.

"Where is it?" Sango asked.

"In my kimono." (You know the pocket that's in front of his chest.) Inuyasha said. "If she wants it back, she has to go through me first."

"That's one way to put a barrier between the person and what they want back." Miroku said. Sango shook her head.

"Hey, did you know that taijia miko girl went into this village. And they claim that she is nice." Inuyasha scowled.

"Yes, I heard that. She seems like a good hearted person." Miroku said.

"Good hearted? Nice? What are you talking about Miroku? She _attacked _us!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Yeah, but she didn't hurt us, or steal." Sango said.

"She put spells on us and tried to take my tooth!" Inuyasha was furious.

"Yeah. But she didn't, and she took the spells off." Shippo said innocently.

"Feh! You guys trust other people way to easily!" Inuyasha scowled.

"Well, Kagome taught us to give people a chance, and don't judge them by how they look or what they are." Miroku said.

"Yeah, and if she didn't teach us that, we truly wouldn't be your friend because of how we were trained and raised." Sango continued.

"If Kagome were here, she wouldn't be happy about your behavior." Shippo finished.

"Besides, that taijia miko is really strong. She would be a very good ally." Miroku said. Everyone, except Inuyasha, nodded in agreement. Inuyasha growled low in his throat.

"Why is _everybody _blaming me?! Who cares if she's a 'strong ally'?" Inuyasha yelled. "And DON'T bring Kagome into this." Everything went silent. _'God, why did I say that?' _Inuyasha thought. Everyone put their hands on each side of their head in a show of submission.

After that, a few minutes of silence was brought upon them.

"Hey, guys, look up there." Sango said as she watched something fly by.

"What is it, Sango?" Miroku asked. Sango took her hand and placed it above her head as she pointed to a pink glowing ball.

"What the hell is that?" Inuyasha said as he got off the wooden fence and looked up, hand placed on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked into a forest that he was scenting. The forest was not the lush green it usually is, but a moldy green and a thick purple fog was surrounding it.

'_Naraku. He has inhabited this forest.' _Sesshomaru thought. _'Or maybe just visiting. Is he luring me in?' _Sesshomaru jumped into the forest without another thought.

* * *

Kagome walked out of the village she was previously heading towards. There, Kagome found information of a strange purple fog that surrounded the use to be lush green forest just north of the small and subtle village. She headed towards the forest to look for a cause.

'_I wonder if its Naraku's doing. He's usually the one that has purple fog like miasma running around this country.' _Kagome thought as the forest was now in sight. _'Well, here goes nothing.' _She ran into the forest while she grabbed her taijia poison shield mask and pulled it on. Suddenly a gush of wind was surrounding the oncoming area. Kagome stopped dead in her tracks and covered her eyes.

"Well, well, well. Look at what I found." A woman's voice said quietly yet smugly. Kagome opened her eyes to see a blurry picture of a woman in a pink kimono, and a white kimono 

underneath. The pink kimono was half draped down to the woman's waist. Her hair was in a loose bun on top of her head, while something triangular was in her hand and opened in front of her mouth and chin. The dust from the dry ground, still churning from the gust in the air, wildly whip around as the two get ready to fight.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked as her voice was muffled by the mask.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked deeper into the forest without actually knowing where he was going, though he'd never admit that to anyone. The imp, the human girl, and the two headed dragon he kept around were safe in a small clearing over a mile away from the miasmic filled forest.

He accidently stumbled upon a dust cloud that led out of the forest. What met his eyes didn't astound him. To him, this was regular basis when trying to track Naraku. Kagura stood with her fan in her hand, holding it in front of her mouth, as Kagome, who was about twenty feet away, had her taijia mask on and an arrow notched to the bow. Though the only new article about Kagome was that she was dressed in a forest green tight pants that go to her knee (leggings in forest green), with a solid green kimono that is a lighter green that goes about mid thigh and the sleeves were cut at the shoulders, with a sword attached to the obi, and a taijia gas mask on.

"Kagura, is Naraku hiding in this forest?" Kagome asked. The cloud of dust that hung over them still didn't disappear, but cleared enough to see.

"Hm, yes Naraku is here in this forest. But he's far from hiding." Kagura said with a smug look.

"Then move." Kagome said menacingly. "I know you want him dead, Kagura. So do I."

"Yes, I do. But I'm under his control more than ever now. Why you though? It's not like he did anything that bad to _you. _Maybe to your friends, Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku. But what's your purpose?" Kagura said smartly. Kagome looked down to think of an answer.

'_What is my purpose? To collect the jewel, but what about Inuyasha and the others? It's not like… it's my fault. But it is, isn't it. I was helping them then, and I'm going to help them now!' _Kagome thought. "My purpose it to get the jewel, and get revenge for what he did to all of them." Kagome said with a glint of determination in her eyes.

"That's very sweet of you, but my purpose here was to kill you. So, say goodbye to the jewel and your revenge!" Kagura seethed as she swung her fan around. Blades of wind came towards Kagome, though they were slower than usual and didn't hold too much power.

Kagome put up a front barrier to block the oncoming attack. She barely had to use any strength or power to hold them off until they disappeared.

'_What's going on? Those wind blades held no strength.' _Kagome then looked up as she heard a buzzing noise in the sky. _'She's being watched. So, she was just faking.' _Kagome mused.

"As you wish, Kagura." Kagome said, secretly telling her that she caught on to her little act. Kagura smiled at Kagome's meaning.

'_Good.' _Kagura thought as she swung her fan again. "Dance of Blades!" Kagura yelled. Then, Kagome used her spiritual powers to jump up and over Kagura. She kicked Kagura down, though only slightly, and jumped once again into the forest. Kagura secretly smiled.

Kagome ran into the airless forest. She caught a glimpse of white in her rush. Kagome skidded to a stop and looked at the direction she saw it from.

"Is somebody there?" Kagome yelled into the dark depths of the forest.

* * *

"Hey, guys, look up there." Sango said as she watched something fly by.

"What is it, Sango?" Miroku asked. Sango took her hand and placed it above her head as she pointed to a pink glowing ball.

"What the hell is that?" Inuyasha said as he got off the wooden fence and looked up, hand placed on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

The object of their interest flew down towards them in a non-threatening manner. Inuyasha slightly pulled out his sword just in case.

"Inuyasha stop! It means no harm." Miroku said as he put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"How do you know?" Inuyasha scowled.

"Those creatures are incapable of wrong doing or evil." Miroku said as he watched intently on the pink bird that was floating down towards them.

"Okay, but what is it?" Sango asked.

"It's a spiritual animal, or in this case, a spiritual bird." Miroku started. The bird landed on Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow.

"And it does what, exactly?" Inuyasha asked as the bird turned its head from side to side on his shoulder.

"Aw, it likes you." Sango said with a sarcastic smile.

"Though I don't know why." Shippo said quietly.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled.

"A spiritual animal is created with a great force of spiritual power by the owner. Then the person can choose which animal will be its original form, but these creatures can shape shift. After the creation of the spiritual animal, he or she would be the servant for the owner. These creatures can also be helpful in battle." Miroku finished.

"Oh. I've never heard of them." Sango said.

"They are extremely rare. The force of spiritual power has to be so great that almost nobody can do it. Plus the person has to have a heart that is pure and not filled with hatred of something specific. Though hating a person for doing something wrong is different." Miroku answered.

"Well, how many times has one been created?" Shippo asked.

"Only one other spiritual animal was documented. It was created by Monk Zen over five centuries ago. Not even Midoriko could make these creatures. We are truly blessed to see one such as this." Miroku said.

"Blessed? Keh. Why is it even here for?" Inuyasha asked as he observed the creature on his shoulder.

"I don't know. It's usually not here unless it has a purpose." Miroku said.

"Can it talk?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Yes they can." Miroku said. "Hi. Who is your master?" Miroku said very slowly, it was as though he was speaking to someone that didn't speak the same language.

"I'm a spiritual bird. Not an idiot!" Avion couldn't help but say as she pecks at Miroku's head.

"OW!" Miroku yelled. Everyone laughed.

"I like her." Inuyasha laughed. After a while, everyone stopped laughing. Except for Miroku of course, he never started. "So, why are you here?"

* * *

"Whoever you are, you better come out here and face me unless you want me to blast you with a ball of purification!" Kagome yelled to nowhere in particular as she put her hands in front of her, getting ready to attack.

"Relax, miko. It is I, Sesshomaru." A voice was said stoically from the right of her.

"Oh, Sesshomaru. It's just you." Kagome said as she let down her hands. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you, I was lured by this miasma and thought it to be Naraku." Sesshomaru said as he walked up to her.

"Alright then." Kagome said. "Let's keep going shall we?" Sesshomaru nodded.

* * *

"Ah, two birds with one stone. Perfect." Naraku said evilly as he watched Kanna's mirror. "Now, all I need is Inuyasha." Naraku chuckled evilly as Kanna watched her mirror.

* * *

**THAT'S THE NEXT CHAPTER! Sorry if it isn't that great. I've been busy for the first time this summer! WOOHOO. Okay it's sad I know. :P**

**PLEASE KEEP READING AND REVIEW PLEASE! (5 Please) (Complaints are valid)**

**THANKS FOR READING! BYE! :D**


	13. Ironic, Isn't It

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Inuyasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

Ironic, Isn't It

"Well, I'm here to pick up something." Avion said from Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Miroku asked. Avion then flashed a bright pick right in front of the group's eyes. Suddenly Avion shrunk from her bird sized form to a smaller form of a mouse. Everyone had a questioning look on their face.

"Um, what are you-" Inuyasha started to say but stopped because the mouse form of Avion went into the front pocket of his kimono. "HEY! Get out of there! Ow!" Inuyasha said as Avion's mouse claws scratched his chest. Everyone quirked an eyes brow as they watched.

After a few minutes of searching and questioning looks, Avion's mouse head came up and out of Inuyasha's fire rat kimono with something caught in her mouth. Avion then climbed back to Inuyasha's shoulder then transformed back into her original form.

"Hey! The necklace!" Inuyasha said as he tried to grab it back. Avion was quicker, and flew off into the sky. The group started to follow, but stopped when they heard a loud growl in front of them. They looked down to see an inu-manta demon with a sandy colored fur, one of her ears were pointed while the others were down, and light purple eyes with black pupils in them.

"An Inu-manta demon!" Sango said.

"What is it doing?" Inuyasha said as his fury rose.

"It seems like its protecting that bird." Miroku suggested. Kirara transformed into her larger sized and roared. Keiko didn't seem fazed by Kirara's size, and grew her fangs and claws.

"What does it do?" Shippo asked as he watched the inu-manta demon transform her fangs and claws.

"I don't know. Every manta demon is different. It's rare to see a manta demon have the same powers as another, though it isn't impossible." Sango said. Keiko growled and bared her fangs.

"Move! I'm not going to fight something so tiny." Inuyasha scoffed. Keiko got mad at this remark and sent fire towards him. "Hey!" Inuyasha yelled as he shielded himself from the blazing fire. "Ha! It doesn't hurt! I have fire rat fur!" Inuyasha bragged. Keiko launched herself at the hanyou and bit him at his abdomen. "Ow! Damn dog!"

"You're one to talk." Shippo said quietly as he ran over to Inuyasha and tried to pry the inu-manta demon off of him. Keiko saw Shippo coming and let go of Inuyasha. Keiko backed away a little and was confronted with Kirara. Kirara swiped at Keiko with her claws, but Keiko jumped out of the way and blew fire at Kirara. Though luckily for Kirara, she was also a fire manta demon, and wasn't affected by the fire. Miroku then tried to knock Keiko unconscious with his staff but instead got clawed by the demon. Miroku grunted in pain and staggered backwards.

Sango didn't have her weapons with her but tried to get the demon away from her friends with her hidden weapon in her right forearm. Keiko then ran out into the edge of the forest then blew fire from her mouth to form a circle around they group so they didn't follow, then ran off.

"I wonder what those two were all about." Shippo said as the fire around them reduce to nothing.

"They came to take the necklace back to their master." Inuyasha scowled as he tried to catch the scent of the inu-manta demon. Unfortunately for him, the fire burned out the scent, and left a strong scent of smoke.

"So, they belong to the taijia miko. She's more powerful than we originally thought." Miroku said.

"If she chose to kill us, we'd be in a lot of trouble, even if it is six against one." Sango continued.

"Well, she does have those helper servants of hers, so it's six against three." Inuyasha said as he turned to face them.

"Okay, anyways, I really hope she doesn't hate us." Shippo said with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"Keh, I can take her." Inuyasha scowled.

"Maybe, but she can turn you into a human. Permanently." Miroku matter of factly said. Inuyasha formed a low growl in his chest.

"What do we do?" Sango asked. Everyone was silent.

"Let's just go and look for Naraku." Inuyasha said.

"And Kagome?" Sango pushed on.

"Forget her. If she doesn't want to come back then fine." Inuyasha said as he turned his body away from his friends and directed it into the forest.

'_You're lying.' _Inuyasha's conscience said, but of course, the comment fell to deaf ears. Suddenly his golden eyes saw something flying in the air. "Saimyosho!" Inuyasha yelled to his friends as he ran towards it.

Sango ran into the hut to grab her weapon, while Shippo and Miroku mounted Kirara, getting ready to take off. Sango came out in her battle suit and Hiraikotsu in hand. She jumped on Kirara, and with a roar, they took off following Inuyasha.

* * *

Kagome and Sesshomaru ran towards the middle of the miasmic filled forest, though Kagome had to use her spiritual power speed to keep up with him.

"Welcome to my forest." A voice was heard. The two stopped in their tracks. "Are you enjoying it here?"

"Shut up Naraku, I know it's you!" Kagome yelled.

"Very smart, Kagome. I'll see you soon." Naraku's voice faded out.

"What? Afraid to come out?" Sesshomaru said.

"Let's keep going." Kagome nudged on. Sesshomaru nodded.

Unexpectedly a hole was formed below Kagome. She yelped in surprise and fell through. Sesshomaru tried to grab her hand, but it slipped away. Now all that was heard was Kagome's small scream from falling. Abruptly the hole closed and Sesshomaru was left standing alone.

'_Pathetic Human.' _He thought as he ran towards the middle of the forest where Naraku was most likely hiding.

* * *

Kagome was falling for about five minutes until she hit solid ground with a small thud.

'_Ow. Where am I?' _Kagome thought as she looked at the dark room. She coughed as she tried to breath in the thick air. _'What is that? I'm kind of dizzy.' _After a few minutes of observing and trying to breath, Kagome passed out.

* * *

"Naraku, she has passed out." Kanna said in a small voice.

"Good, the poisonous air that enters the skin worked. Have my Saimyosho fetched Inuyasha?" Naraku said. Kanna nodded, then concentrated on the image in her mirror. It now showed Inuyasha running after the Saimyosho, with his friends close behind. "Good."

* * *

'_Is it leading me?' _Inuyasha thought as he followed the giant bee like demon. _'What's that?' _Inuyasha thought as he saw a forest covered in miasma.

"Hey, Miroku, look." Sango said quietly as she pointed in front of them at the forest.

"Yeah." Miroku said as he looked on.

"Are we going in there?" Shippo said nervously. Both the others nodded. "Oh." Kirara roared as she followed Inuyasha into the forest.

The group headed straight towards the middle of the forest to where they believe Naraku was at.

"Nice to see you again, Inuyasha." A voice was heard around the forest.

"Come out Naraku! I know it's you!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Ironic how Kagome said the same thing before she _fell _into my trap." Naraku said trying to get under Inuyasha's skin.

"What?! Where is she! You better not hurt her!" Inuyasha yelled out his anger.

"She's in my dungeon. Will you be joining her?" Naraku said.

"I'll be getting her back, is what I'll be doing!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Oh will you? Then how come I've been able to capture her, over and over and over again?" Naraku said sinisterly.

"Why you…!" Inuyasha yelled. "Why don't you come here and say that to my face!" Before Inuyasha could even get the words out, Naraku was gone.

"Let's go, Inuyasha! We can't waste time!" Sango yelled as she flew up next to him on Kirara.

"Yeah." Inuyasha said as he raced off. _'Kagome, please be okay. Stay safe till I can get to you.' _Inuyasha was thinking repeatedly in his head. Then, all of a sudden, a hole was formed under Inuyasha's feet. "What the…?!" He said as he fell into the hole. Then the gap in the earth closed up right in front of the others eyes.

"Inuyasha!" They all yelled in unison, except for Kirara of course.

"What do we do now?" Sango asked urgently. Everyone looked at each other trying to find an answer.

"Well, Naraku said that Kagome fell into his trap and was now in the dungeon, right?" Miroku said, as everyone nodded their head. "So, when Inuyasha fell into his trap, wouldn't he also be in the dungeon somewhere?"

"Maybe, but-" Shippo started.

"The best choice we have now is to find Naraku, get past him, and into the dungeon." Sango said. Everyone nodded, then climbed on Kirara, and flew off to find Naraku.

* * *

'_Where the hell is this thing taking me?' _Inuyasha asked himself as he fell through the never ending darkness of the hole he fell into. Just as the thought passed him, Inuyasha was crashed into the ground. Inuyasha grunted his pain as he hit the solid earth beneath him. "Where am I?" Inuyasha said, hoping to get an answer, as he sniffed the air. He coughed as it went to his lungs. Inuyasha covered his nose with his fire rat sleeve. _'What is this stuff?' _

Inuyasha stood up and staggered a bit from the dizziness that was brought upon him from the poison in the air that enters the body through the eyes of the victim. After a few minutes of looking around, not even Inuyasha can keep from becoming unconscious.

Inuyasha stirred from his unconscious state, only to find that his wrists were cuffed and bind to the wall behind him. He was kneeling on the floor of a completely dark room, so dark, not even demonic eyes were able to pierce or see through it.

"Great. Now where am I?" Inuyasha thought out loud.

"Awake, are you?" A female voice was heard to his right side.

"Who the hell are you? Why'd you capture me like this?" Inuyasha yelled to the direction he thought the girl was.

"Me?I'm another one of Narkau's prisoners. I wouldn't have capture you if I was capture too, now would I?" The girl said matter of factly. Inuyasha started to struggle against the steel cuffs that clung to his wrists and the wall. "Struggle all you want. These binding were made especially for the two of us. Can't get out."

"That's what you think; I'm not as weak as humans." Inuyasha scoffed.

"That sounds like something one of my friends would say. Once I think about it, you sound exactly like him."

"Keh." Inuyasha turned his head to the other direction. Apparently that one word triggered a memory for the girl.

"Inuyasha?"

"How do you know my name?" Inuyasha said confusedly. The girl laughed a little though it wasn't big.

"You're funny. You don't know who I am?" The girl said with slight amusement.

"No, I don't. I would smell your scent but my nose doesn't work because of the poison or something from earlier."

"You've really forgotten me, haven't you?"

"I don't know! How do you know my name!?" Inuyasha was getting angrier by the minute.

"Relax, Inuyasha. I'm not going to hurt you or anything. It's just a name."

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha was seething now.

"Doesn't my voice sound familiar to you?" Inuyasha listened intently.

"Kagome?"

"Nice to see you too." Kagome said with a small sad smile.

"It can't be." Inuyasha was beginning to go speechless.

* * *

"Over there!" Sango yelled as a castle was seen in the horizon.

"Let's hurry." Miroku said. Sango urged Kirara to go faster.

"Wait, who's that?" Shippo asked as he pointed towards where they were heading.

"I don't know." Miroku said with considerate concern. The group was still a distance away from the castle and only saw a person wearing a white kimono and some armor. They watched the person fight with a large demon like creature that also wore white, and had some sort of tentacles coming from the bottom of the creature and shooting at the person standing in front of them.

"By the hair color and length of the person in white that is considerably smaller than the one he's fighting, I would say it was Inuyasha, but he's being held captive." Sango said.

"Could it be…" Shippo started, then thought for a moment longer.

"'Could it be' who, Shippo?" Sango asked.

"Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru." Shippo said as he looked up to see Sango's face.

"That's actually a good point." Sango said then turned to Miroku.

"And a possibility." Miroku said.

A few minutes passed by while Kirara flew towards the castle and the fight between a man in a white kimono and armor with silver hair, and a larger creature in white with tentacles coming from the bottom. Kirara roared as they approached the battle field, startling her passengers out of their reverie. By this time, they noticed that the man in white was indeed Sesshomaru fighting with a demon puppet Naraku. Sesshomaru looked their way to identify who was coming.

'_Inuyasha's friends, but no Inuyasha.' _Sesshomaru thought as he fought the demon puppet.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango's battle cry was heard as the massive bone boomerang flew through the air and straight into the demon puppet. Though the puppet was far from dead, the fighters weren't giving up, as it stood high and proud in front of them. The boomerang came back to its owner's hands as she got off of Kirara.

"Sacred Sutras!" Miroku yelled as he threw magic paper at the puppet. The papers hit its intended target as it shocked the fake Naraku with spiritual energy. But it still stood. "Why is this one tougher than the rests?"

"I don't know." Sango said across the battle field as she launched Hiraikotsu again.

"Naraku used the energy left by that 'Dark Kagome' incarnation." Sesshomaru said stoically as he sliced a tentacle coming towards him with his sword, Tokijin.

"Wait, 'left by'? What do you mean, Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked.

"That replica is dead." Sesshomaru said somewhat darkly.

"Who killed it then?" Sango asked as she caught Hiraikotsu for the second time.

"That miko, Kagome." Sesshomaru answered simply. Everyone stopped in their place as they looked at Sesshomaru.

"You saw her? Where is she then?" Shippo asked from on top of Kirara.

"Yes, this Sesshomaru has seen her. Where she is now, I do not know, for she fell in a hole." Sesshomaru said without turning to look at them.

"Kagome is really captured then, just like Inuyasha." Sango said.

"Yeah." Miroku replied as he used his staff to penetrate another limb flew at him.

The group of five consisting of Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Sesshomaru, and Kirara, fought their hardest to defeat the enhanced puppet to get inside the musty castle to find Naraku himself and their friends. Well friends of Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara of course, to Sesshomaru they were just his half-breed brother and his half-breed brother's priestess.

* * *

"Hey! Naraku! Is this some kind of sick joke!?" Inuyasha yelled out towards where he thought the door was, which was significantly hard to find, considering darkness covered the room.

"Inuyasha, what are you talking about?" Kagome asked as she winced at Inuyasha's voice level.

"I know who you are! You're Dark Kagome, and Naraku's just trying to make me trust you _again _and kill me. Well it's NOT going to happen this time pal!" Inuyasha screamed at where Kagome was.

"What!? Are you going crazy!? It's me!" Kagome yelled back at him.

"No you're not! Naraku's just trying to get under my skin and kill me!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"Well it is true that Naraku is trying to get under your skin and trying to kill you, but I'm not Dark Kagome!"

"Yes you are! You're just doing as Naraku told you to do you, you bitch!"

"No I'm not! It's impossible for Dark Kagome to even be here!"

"And why is that!?"

"Dark Kagome is dead!" Kagome said matter of factly in a loud tone.

"What? Who killed her then?" Inuyasha softened his tone.

"I did." Kagome said, as she also cooled down.

"How do I know it's really you?" Inuyasha became suspicious again.

"Ask me something, anything that only I, Kagome, know." Inuyasha thought for a minute.

"Say sit." Inuyasha said.

"What? You're chained to a wall, I can't sit you."

"Then I was right. You aren't Kagome."

"Fine. Osawari." Kagome said as the beads glowed, though Inuyasha didn't hit the ground, he was held up by the steel cuffs around his wrists that were connected to the wall. "Happy?"

"Yes." Inuyasha said with a small smile as the spell wore off a little. Kagome sighed.

"So, how've you and the others been?" Kagome asked after a while of silence.

"We've been better." Inuyasha said.

"What happened?"

"Well, Naraku tricked us, we've been looking absolutely everywhere for you, we met up with the two bastards, Koga and Sesshomaru, we saw one of your friends, Akemi, and this taijia miko sent some kind of bird and an inu-manta demon, to retrieve her identification necklace or something." Kagome stopped and hesitated at that last statement. Avion hasn't come back yet, so Kagome didn't have the necklace on her.

"Oh, well it sounds like regular life to me. It doesn't sound like you need me at all."

"Kagome, that isn't true! We need you to look for shards!"

"Is that all? Then go have someone revive Kikyo again and have her do your dirty work. I'm not going back just to be used." Kagome said in anger then rethought that last sentence. _'Okay, that sounded weird, but too bad.' _

"Kagome, that's not what I meant!" Inuyasha tried to recover from his fluke. Kagome just turned her head. _'Why did I say that? She's not a jewel detector.' _

'_If that's what he thinks then fine, he can get a new person to play that role.' _Kagome thought angrily.

* * *

"Hey, Keiko, do you have any idea where to find her? Did you catch her scent or anything?" Avion asked as she searched the skies for any sign of their master, Kagome. Keiko whimpered sadly as she continued sniffing the air. Avion sighed as they continued on in their search.

After a few minutes Keiko barked. Avion looked down to see what it was.

"What is it, Keiko? Smell something?" Avion asked with urgency. Keiko sniffed the air a few times then lifted a paw and pointed it towards the left of them. "Over there?" Keiko nodded her head she lead the way.

A few more minutes passed the finally came upon a forest filled with miasma. Keiko coughed a little as she ran into the forest. Avion followed in after her. Keiko ran until she found a spot where Kagome's scent just vanishes. Avion understood her meaning as she twirled in a circle looking for the scent again.

"Lady Kagome's scent is gone, huh? Can you find anyone else's? Someone we can trust?" Avion asked. Keiko started looking for another scent then quickly pick up one and followed it. _'Why __can't I find Lady Kagome? Being her spiritual animal, I should be able to track her down anywhere. Is it this miasma that's blocking our connection? Maybe I can use telepathy.' _Avion thought as she used telepathy to contact Kagome. (For those who don't know, telepathy is talking to a person through their minds.) _'Nope, didn't work.' _Avion sighed as she flew above Keiko.

Soon, the duo caught up with Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Sesshomaru. Avion landed on Miroku's shoulder as Keiko ran up to Kirara.

"Hey, it's you." Miroku said as he noticed the bird on his shoulder. Avion nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Sango asked as she came up beside them.

"Just hanging around." Avion answered trying not to give away who the taijia miko was. "My master said to come help you." Avion lied, though Kagome would want her to help them.

"Okay, glad to hear it" Miroku said as he cut another limb that came towards him.

Avion flew up in the air and started attacking with spears of spiritual power given to her by Kagome. Keiko grew her fangs and claws and spewed fire at the demon puppet in front of them. Together their killed the demon puppet.

"That was easy. Why couldn't you guys do you it?" Avion asked as she landed back on Miroku's shoulder. Keiko barked a little in agreement to Avion. Everyone made a small growling noise. Keiko whimpered a little as she cocked her head to the side.

Suddenly the front wall of the castle exploded into pieces as five massive other demon puppets came rushing out.

"What's happening?" Sango asked as the five puppets attacked them.

"Naraku has another thing up his sleeves to keep us occupied." Sesshomaru said. Avion and Keiko attacked together again, but this time the attacks didn't even wound the puppets. Everyone was stunned at this resistance.

"Now what?" Sango yelled from the other side of the battle field.

"We fight." Miroku said simply. Everyone stood in a battle stance, readying their weapons or magic.

* * *

The silence blew around the small dark room the prisoners were being held. All that was heard was the steady breathing of both the fuming inhabitants.

'_This is entirely your fault. Idiot. We_ just_ find the person we're looking for, for over two months, and you just HAD to get her angry! Why couldn't you just welcome her back?' _Inuyasha's conscience screamed at him.

'_I know, just leave me alone. I'll fix it alright?' _Inuyasha said.

'_Like you fix every other problem? Fighting is _not _the answer to anything. Especially now!' _his conscience warned him.

'_I know that. I just-' _Inuyasha started.

'"_Just" what?' _

'_I don't want to lose her again.' _Inuyasha thought sadly.

'_Then stop pushing her away.' _His conscience suggested.

'_What if she betrays me, like Kikyo?' _

'_Right now it's pretty obvious you don't trust her.'_

'_Maybe I don't. But how can I? Through everything my pathetic life has thrown at me, it's my first instinct to not trust people.'_

'_You're right. It was tough in our life. But you got to let go of the past. Each person is different. Give them a chance. Give _her _a chance. Though Kagome is her reincarnation, she's nothing like Kikyo.' _His conscience finished. Inuyasha thought about that for a minute.

'_Nothing like Kikyo, huh? Then why'd she leave me?' _

'_Because you're a self-center idiot.' _His conscience answered.

'_Shut up. I don't need you right now.' _Inuyasha scowled in his mind.

'_Alright.' _

"Um… Kagome?" Inuyasha said.

"What? Don't you mean Kikyo? Jewel detector? Bitch?" Kagome answered hotly.

"Kagome-" Inuyasha started, but stopped as a bright light exploded in the middle of the room. Inuyasha and Kagome squinted their eyes as they were blinded by the light. "What the hell?" Inuyasha said as it finally subsided.

"Hello, youngsters." A woman's voice was heard from the bright light.

"Who are you?" Kagome asked.

"I'm the spirit that lives in this forest, before that dark hanyou took over my home." The woman said.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Kagome said sympathetically.

"Don't be sorry, young miko. You two are the ones chained to the wall, while I roam free." Kagome and Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"What are you doing here then?" Inuyasha asked.

"I can grant two wishes, though only pure hearted humans can wish on my magic." The spirit said.

"Okay, what's the catch?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"Smart, miko. The first wish can only be used for one person. No us, ands, or multiple names. Only one. And the second wish is an object wish. Only to be wished for objects. And you, miko, are the only one that in this room, that can wish on my wishes."

"I know it's only used for humans but why? You said that you protect both humans and demons. Is it because I'm a half demon?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, no, young hanyou. I do not despise any creatures, except for the dark hearted ones. Only humans can wish upon this is because they are spiritual creatures, and the ones that have a pure heart obviously pray to the gods. Demons don't generally do that, considering they have supernatural powers that protect them. That is why, hanyou, only pure hearted humans can wish on my magic." The woman explained. "So, what is your wish, miko?"

"Um." Kagome started as she looked at Inuyasha. _'Only one person, huh?' _Kagome gulped in nervousness. "I-"

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING READERS! **

**PLEASE REVIEW! (20 Please!) (Just Kidding, 5 is good.:D)**

**SORRY ABOUT THE CLIFFY! (again)**


	14. The Wish and the Big Bang

**Disclaimer: Don't sue, because I don't own Inuyasha. **

* * *

The Wish and the Big Bang

"Damn! Why won't they die?" Sango yelled as she threw Hiraikotsu at one of the demon puppets of Naraku, which seemed like the hundredth time that day. Avion shrieked a bird sound as the sound waves rumbled the battle field. Everyone stumbled a bit and covered their ears. Keiko blew fire into the battle field to literally make it a heated battle.

"Do you think it's a good idea to suck them into my wind tunnel?" Miroku asked Sango in a desperate attempt to finish the battle and get to their friend.

"No, but do you think Kagome's really trapped with Inuyasha? You know like, together?" Sango asked Miroku.

"I don't know. But if they are, I wonder how things are going." Miroku said his thoughts.

"Oh man." Shippo said. Everyone nodded in agreement. "I _really _hope they didn't get into a fight again." Everyone sighed.

"Okay, let's focus here. You are going to get killed if you don't fight back." Sesshomaru said stoically.

"What do you mean us? What about you?" Miroku asked.

"I do not die so easily as you humans, monk." Sesshomaru said in a deadly tone.

"Hey! I'm not a human!" Shippo yelled at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru didn't give a glance towards Shippo as he continued fighting. Shippo mumbled incoherently as his anger towards the damned inu youkai grew.

The group continued to fight, with no success on either side of the battle field. The warriors were tired, and bloody from their fights with the five massive sized demon puppets. Blood and miasma was drenched in the ground as it cracked under the pressure of the puppets and constant pressure of the fighting. The small group attacked left and right, only able to cut of limb after limb. Unlucky for them, the limbs grew back and attack them again.

* * *

"I can grant two wishes, though only pure hearted humans can wish on my magic." The spirit said.

"Okay, what's the catch?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"Smart, miko. The first wish can only be used for one person. No us, ands, or multiple names. Only one. And the second wish is an object wish. Only to be wished for objects. And you, miko, are the only one that in this room, that can wish on my wishes."

"I know it's only used for humans but why? You said that you protect both humans and demons. Is it because I'm a half demon?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, no, young hanyou. I do not despise any creatures, except for the dark hearted ones. Only humans can wish upon this is because they are spiritual creatures, and the ones that have a pure heart obviously pray to the gods. Demons don't generally do that, considering they have supernatural powers that protect them. That is why, hanyou, only pure hearted humans can wish on my magic." The woman explained. "So, what is your wish, miko?"

"Um." Kagome started as she looked at Inuyasha. _'Only one person, huh?' _Kagome gulped in nervousness. "I-"

"Give some thought into it. Though don't take too long, your friends need help and quick." said the spirit.

"What did you say!?" Inuyasha nearly yelled.

"They're in trouble?" Kagome had wide eyes. _'This isn't a hard choice. I know what I want to do, but, do I have _enough _strength to do it? Am I strong enough? What happens when I'm done? I wonder if I'll die.' _Kagome thought sadly as her expression changed. Inuyasha noticed her facial change because now they could see from the light radiating from the spirit who stands in the middle of the room.

"Kagome, use the wish and get out of here! Don't be stupid!" Inuyasha yelled at her. "Forget about me!"

"I'm not stupid!" Kagome yelled then lowered her head. "I can never forget about you." She said quietly.

"Kagome, use it and get out." Inuyasha said in a deadly tone. "I'm just a lowly half breed! I'm not worth anything."

"Stop it, Inuyasha! You and I both know that you _are _worth something!" Kagome scolded him.

"You're lying." Simply said Inuyasha. "Do me a favor and GO!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome stuttered a bit at his tone.

"You know, I will do you a favor." Kagome said.

"Good, then leave." Inuyasha said.

"No. I'm good-bye this time. Good bye, Inuyasha. Say that to the others for me too, okay?" Kagome said.

"Wait, what?" Inuyasha was confused. Kagome gulped.

"Spirit, I wish that Inuyasha was outside with the others!" Kagome said loudly as she closed her eyes. Inuyasha started to glow with the magic of the spirit.

"K-Kagome! What did you do?! No! KAGOME!" Inuyasha yelled as the cuffs broke off his hands and he started to disappear. Tears streamed down Kagome's face as she looked down. Tear drops fell to the ground as Inuyasha watched her sadly. "Kagome." Now Inuyasha disappeared completely.

"You are unselfish, young taijia miko." The spirit said.

"Yeah, I guess. Wait, you knew I was a taijia miko?" Kagome was surprised considering the spirit only called her miko.

"Yes, but I sensed that you didn't want the hanyou to know. Why is that?"

"I… He'll just be mad at me… again." Kagome said with a sad smile.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I did some stuff, I'm not absolutely proud of."

"He'll forgive you."

"How do you know?" Kagome said as she looked up to see the spirits face.

"He loves you enough to be mad, yes, but in due he'll forgive you. He misses you terribly now." The spirit said sadly but encouragingly.

"He doesn't _love _me; I'm only a nuisance to him. He loves this girl name Kikyo." Kagome said as she looked down.

"No, from what I sensed in him, he loves _you._" The spirit smiled.

"I really don't-" Kagome started to say.

"No, no. He loves you. This argument is over." The spirit said as she put a finger in the air signifying that Kagome was to be quiet. Kagome sighed.

'_She's wrong. I'm sure of it. He doesn't…' _Kagome thought.

"What about the next wish? The one that cannot be used on people." The spirit asked.

"Um…" Kagome thought about it for a minute. "I wish…"

* * *

A sudden glow enveloped the battle field. Everyone stopped their movements to look to the west corner of the battle field as a strange figure clad in red appeared in the middle of the glow.

"What's that?" Sango asked.

"I don't know." Miroku said as he covered his eyes with his arm and sleeve.

"Kagome!" A voice was heard from the light.

"Inuyasha? Is that you?" Shippo asked. The light finally dispersed as Inuyasha was seen frantically looking around him, finally stopping to look at his friends.

"Why were you yelling Kagome's name?" Sango asked as Inuyasha calmed down.

"Were you with her?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome, that idiot! There was this spirit thing that gave her one wish to be used on only one person, and another to be used on objects or something! She used that stupid wish to get me out of that stupid cellar!" Inuyasha seethed.

"She's still trapped?" Sango asked shocked.

"Stupid cuffs were specifically made for us." Inuyasha said as he turned his head to look at the scene unfolding before his eyes. "Having fun fighting, Sesshomaru? Why are you here anyways, you bastard?" Sesshomaru glared at his half brother.

"You are mistaken, you are the bastard in this field." Sesshomaru said as he cut off another tentacle that shot at him.

"Oh, right. The fight." Miroku said as he got reminded

"You think?" Sango said as she threw Hiraikotsu again.

"Oh, shit!" Inuyasha said as he noticed the five demon puppets. "Why didn't you guys kill these things? They're not that hard to kill!" Inuyasha said as he drew out Tetsusaiga.

"They're made of something different! These are impossible to kill!" Miroku yelled to Inuyasha.

"Nothing's impossible if you try hard enough! _That _is what Kagome taught us." Inuyasha said. _'I promise to get you out of that cellar. Just hang tight!' _Inuyasha thought as he prepared to do the Wind Scar. "Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha yelled as yellow flames came from the sword and towards two of the five demon puppets of Naraku. The flames disappeared and everyone watched intently, even Sesshomaru, the two puppets that were struck were still standing tall and proud. "WHAT?!" Inuyasha yelled in surprise.

"Told you!" Miroku yelled cockily.

"Not the time!" Sango scolded as she elbowed him in the stomach. Miroku coughed a little at the pressure in his gut.

"Alright." Miroku said weakly. Shippo shook his head slowly at the immaturity of their little group as he sat on Kirara as they soared through the air. All of a sudden blue flames came from the ground and attacked the two puppets that were previously hit by the Wind Scar.

"What was that?" Shippo asked to Kirara. Kirara growled in confusion, not knowing the answer herself.

"Sesshomaru, what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked.

"Getting past these stupid guards to kill Naraku, what else half breed?" Sesshomaru said deadly. As the blue flames of the Dragon Strike attack from Sesshomaru's sword Tokijin dissipated, the two demon puppets were still standing.

"What the HELL is wrong with these things?" Inuyasha yelled clear across the open field.

"You like my new creation, Inuyasha?" said a voice that came from nowhere but yet everywhere all at once.

"Sounds like Naraku." Sango whispered to Miroku. Miroku nodded in agreement. Kirara landed near her master as Shippo jumped off and onto Miroku's left shoulder.

"What's up with these STUPID creations, Naraku!?" Inuyasha yelled towards the castle.

"These demon puppets are made of the energy I took from you and Kagome." Naraku said evilly.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked confused.

"Those cuffs you had on your wrists were slowly draining your power as you sat there unnoticing it." Naraku said matter of factly.

"Why you…!" Inuyasha scowled.

"That's why your Wind Scar was weaker than usual. And now, so is Kagome." Naraku said in a deadly tone.

"I did notice that." Miroku said to Sango.

"Yeah, it was." Shippo agreed to the Wind Scar being weaker. Inuyasha heard this but chose to ignore it, for now.

"Now I have transferred that energy into my faithful puppets. Enjoy." Naraku said as he chuckled and his voice faded.

"Why that little bastard." Inuyasha scowled.

* * *

"What about the next wish? The one that cannot be used on people." The spirit asked.

"Um…" Kagome thought about it for a minute. "I wish…" Kagome stopped to think of the right words. "I wish that there was a barrier around all of my friends. Even Sesshomaru."

"Very well. I will make it so." The spirit said. She focused her energy for a bit then closed her eyes. After a minute or so, the spirit opened her eyes and nodded her head. "The wish is complete. May I ask what you plan to do?"

"As long as you promise me to tell me one thing." Kagome said mischievously.

"Mm. I guess that can be arranged." The spirit said with a grin on her face.

* * *

"What the-? What's happening?!" Sango yelled to Miroku as she and the others glowed with a pink light.

"I don't know!" Miroku said shocked.

"Damn light!" Inuyasha yelled. Something flashed in Miroku's head.

"Wait, Inuyasha! Is this the same light that you were enveloped in when you teleported here?" Miroku asked.

"Come to think of it, I think you're right Miroku." Inuyasha said after he thought about it for a while.

"So it isn't bad?" Sango asked as she stopped trying to attack the light.

"No, I don't believe so. Inuyasha?" Miroku said.

"It's just magic. I think… I think Kagome made her second wish." Inuyasha said quietly. Everyone wondered what the wish was.

"Hey guys, look! Sesshomaru's glowing too." Shippo said.

"Kagome just has to use the magic on him too, huh?" Inuyasha said hotly.

"She's not selfish Inuyasha. Whatever it is, it has to be important if she's protecting everyone." Sango said as the barrier finally stabilized around each person, except Naraku.

"I wonder what she's doing." Miroku asked.

"I hope she's not doing something stupid again." Inuyasha said.

"She is quite stupid if she saved you from that dungeon." Sesshomaru said stoically.

"Why you…" Inuyasha said as he raised his right fist looking as though he wanted to murder his brother. "You're lucky she is saving your ass too."

"I don't need the help of a human girl." Sesshomaru said. Suddenly Keiko growled at the demon puppets that no one seemed to notice anymore. Keiko charged up to the demon and burnt it with her flames, though it still stood. Avion shot more spiritual spears at the five demons trying to keep them at bay with Keiko until the others would stop arguing. Barriers were around those two attackers as well, so the demon puppets didn't get a chance to hurt them in return.

"Do you guys want to, oh I don't know, HELP!?" Avion screamed at the fighting group as she landed on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Oh, sorry." Miroku and Sango said in unison as Inuyasha and Sesshomaru let out an annoyed sound and turned their head.

* * *

"Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to do if you tell me your name." Kagome said as she smiled. "It seems to me you don't usually give that little piece of information out to people." The spirit smiled.

"My name is Suzume. And yes, you are right; I don't give out that piece of information out that often." The spirit, Suzume, said.

"Why don't you? It's a beautiful name." Kagome said.

"No one really encounters me here in this forest." Suzume said. "Now, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to blow up this whole forest with spiritual power." Kagome said as her body sparked with spiritual power.

"You are strong, yes, but isn't this a little extreme?" Suzume asked.

"It's the only way to get Naraku, without him knowing. Please run away or put a barrier around yourself. I don't want you to get caught in the blast." Kagome said pleadingly.

"I am a spirit, I can't be hurt by anything of this world." Suzume said.

"You sure?" Kagome asked to make sure before she let the blast blow.

"Positive." Suzume said as she disappeared a little. "I'll be back. Don't worry." Kagome nodded. Now her spiritual powers were being unleashed on their wildest terms with no control over them. A big flash glowed from Kagome's body as everything in its way got destroyed and turned to ruble.

In a flash the whole dungeon was nothing but a hole and a lot of rocks as Kagome let loose the rest of her powers. Another wave of pink light burst out as it covered the forest ground along with every person in the vicinity.

* * *

"What the-?!" Inuyasha yelled as he saw the impending light that ran through the forest in lightning speed.

"What incredible spiritual powers!" Miroku observed.

"Spiritual power?" Inuyasha asked himself quietly. "Kagome!" Inuyasha realized.

"If it is Kagome, then where did ALL of this power come from?!" Sango asked frantically as the light enveloped their group of herself, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara, Avion, Keiko, and Sesshomaru.

"She always had it in her! It was just never uncovered! Inuyasha, are you sure that this doing is Kagome's?" Miroku asked.

"I… I don't know. But she's the only one with spiritual power around here." Inuyasha said quietly, though the group still heard it.

"Yeah. Hey! Wait a minute!" Miroku yelled. "_I _have spiritual power!"

"Not much." Inuyasha said.

"Okay, as much as I _love _watching you guys fight, we have a bigger problem!" Sango yelled at the two men. "First, why is there a barrier around everyone? And second, what the hell is that?!" Sango said as she pointed around her at the spiritual power.

"Kagome must have used her second wish to place barriers around us to protect us." Inuyasha said.

"And this is spiritual power. By the looks of it, it's covering the whole forest. But, it's in a neutral state right now." Miroku answered next.

"But why is it in a neutral state?" Shippo asked innocently.

"I don't know." Miroku said. Shippo pouted a little.

"But by the looks of it, something is going to blow." Sesshomaru said. Avion landed on Inuyasha's right shoulder as Keiko ran up and sat on Inuyasha's left shoulder.

"You're loved, Inuyasha." Sango teased.

"Shut up." Inuyasha said. Keiko whimpered a bit and the unloved movement. Everyone made a face that resembles cuteness as the inu-manta demon rubbed her head against Inuyasha's neck.

Suddenly the air that was filled with spiritual power started to spark. A bright white light blinded everyone as everything went black behind their eyes. A scream was heard from inside of the castle as a cloud of miasma floated away with Saimyosho followed while it still sparked with the incredible amount of spiritual power.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke as he got up and supported himself on his forearms, still too weak to stand. _'What the hell happened?' _He mused. Then looked around. _'The others.' _Inuyasha saw all his friends unconscious, except Sesshomaru. He was gone. _'Where'd that bastard go?' _Miroku started to stir. "Miroku, you okay?" Inuyasha asked as Miroku groaned.

"Yeah, just feel exhausted." Miroku said. "We should get out of here."

"Maybe." Inuyasha said as he tried to get up, but struggled. "Hey, where's the inu-manta demon and that spiritual bird?" Miroku looked around.

"I don't know."

"So they just left us, huh?" Inuyasha thought out loud.

* * *

Sesshomaru struggled to walk out of the forest, when four figures caught his eye. He snuck up on them and spied from behind a tree, then started to eavesdrop.

"Poor girl. Tired herself out so much she fainted, just like everyone else. Though her friends the barrier protected were not harmed, just drained of energy. I can't help you now, but I'll look after you until you wake." Suzume said as she looked down at Kagome's limp body of unconsciousness.

Keiko weakly walked up to Kagome's unconscious body as Avion flew behind her, staggering in her flight. Avion flopped down hard to earth as she arrived. Since Avion is Kagome's spiritual animal, she is tapped into Kagome's spiritual power, which Avion is made of. When the power is used up, Avion loses her life source, though does not completely die until her master dies. Avion's power must be regenerated every once in a while to keep Avion to her fullest. But if Kagome used all her power, and extra power, both of them are out of commission until all of Kagome's power is restored, which can take a few days, and Avion is regenerated after her master is healed.

Sesshomaru walked in a bee line to the spirit and Kagome with her helpers. The spirit looked intently into Sesshomaru's icy cold stare as Sesshomaru stared back. After a few minutes of staring intently at each other the spirit nodded.

"You are cold, but mean no harm to this miko." Suzume said. Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow then nodded. It seemed as thought Suzume was looking into Sesshomaru's very own heart.

"It's time to meet your place, taijia miko." Sesshomaru said as he picked Kagome up bridal style. Keiko jumped onto his shoulder as Avion slumped on the other shoulder. Sesshomaru then bowed ever so slightly at the spirit as Suzume did the same then disappeared. Sesshomaru then took off into his energy ball and flew west, though he was still slightly weak from the blast from earlier. Kagome groaned slightly as the weariness caught up with her.

* * *

DON'T WORRY IT **ISN'T **A SESS/KAGOME FAN FIC. AND IN THE NEXT CHAPTER YOU'LL SEE WHAT HE'S DOING!

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! **

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**


	15. A Present For and From Me

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sad isn't it?**

**IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT: Please take my new poll!!**

A Present For Me and From Me

Inuyasha awoke as he got up and supported himself on his forearms, still too weak to stand. _'What the hell happened?' _He mused. Then looked around. _'The others.' _Inuyasha saw all his friends unconscious, except Sesshomaru. He was gone. _'Where'd that bastard go?' _Miroku started to stir. "Miroku, you okay?" Inuyasha asked as Miroku groaned.

"Yeah, just feel exhausted." Miroku said. "We should get out of here."

"Maybe." Inuyasha said as he tried to get up, but struggled. "Hey, where's the inu-manta demon and that spiritual bird?" Miroku looked around.

"I don't know."

"So they just left us, huh?" Inuyasha thought out loud.

* * *

Sesshomaru struggled to walk out of the forest, when four figures caught his eye. He snuck up on them and spied from behind a tree, then started to eavesdrop.

"Poor girl. Tired herself out so much she fainted, just like everyone else. Though her friends the barrier protected were not harmed, just drained of energy. I can't help you now, but I'll look after you until you wake." Suzume said as she looked down at Kagome's limp body of unconsciousness.

Keiko weakly walked up to Kagome's unconscious body as Avion flew behind her, staggering in her flight. Avion flopped down hard to earth as she arrived. Since Avion is Kagome's spiritual animal, she is tapped into Kagome's spiritual power, which Avion is made of. When the power is used up, Avion loses her life source, though does not completely die until her master dies. Avion's power must be regenerated every once in a while to keep Avion to her 

fullest. But if Kagome used all her power, and extra power, both of them are out of commission until all of Kagome's power is restored, which can take a few days, and Avion is regenerated after her master is healed.

Sesshomaru walked in a bee line to the spirit and Kagome with her helpers. The spirit looked intently into Sesshomaru's icy cold stare as Sesshomaru stared back. After a few minutes of staring intently at each other the spirit nodded.

"You are cold, but mean no harm to this miko." Suzume said. Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow then nodded. It seemed as thought Suzume was looking into Sesshomaru's very own heart.

"It's time to meet your place, taijia miko." Sesshomaru said as he picked Kagome up bridal style. Keiko jumped onto his shoulder as Avion slumped on the other shoulder. Sesshomaru then bowed ever so slightly at the spirit as Suzume did the same then disappeared. Sesshomaru then took off into his energy ball and flew west, though he was still slightly weak from the blast from earlier. Kagome groaned slightly as the weariness caught up with her.

* * *

Inuyasha help his friends sit up after the big blast of spiritual energy that drained everyone's energy. Now, not only was Naraku gone and out of commission for a while, the forest was as pure as Kagome's heart.

"Inuyasha… Are we going to look for her?" Sango asked quietly.

"Who?" Inuyasha asked as he stared off into the deep green forest.

"Don't play. Kagome." Miroku answered as he sat down roughly next to Sango. Inuyasha stayed quiet.

"Come on, we ALL know that you want to. Why not swallow your pride and look for her. You're not the only one that wants her back. But lucky for you, you actually got to talk to her." Shippo said as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Feh." Inuyasha said quieter than usual.

"What's up with you? You've been sad." Sango noticed.

"She's not going to come back." Inuyasha said dejectedly.

"Why not?" Miroku asked.

"We... She's mad at me." Inuyasha said as he looks down.

"You get ONE chance to talk to her and you get her mad? What's your problem?!" Shippo yelled as his tears fell slowly down his face.

"Shut up." Inuyasha scowled. Sango struggled to get up on her two feet as Miroku did the same. The couple leaned heavily on each other. Kirara was in Sango's arms as she struggled to stay awake. "Where are you guys going?" Inuyasha noticed.

"We are going to look for OUR friend, Kagome." Sango said as she started walking off. Inuyasha stared at his friends.

'_Come on, admit it. You miss her. And if you find her, one, you'll have her back. Two, you can say you're sorry. And three, you can tell her_ _how you feel.' _Inuyasha's conscience said.

'_I DON'T miss her, I DON'T want her back, and I DON'T feel anything towards her!' _Inuyasha screamed in his mind.

'_You're lying. I'm your mind.' _His conscience reminded him. Inuyasha growled audibly.

"Uh… Inuyasha? What are you doing? You seriously can't be mad at Miroku and Sango for leaving and trying to find Kagome!" Shippo said as he walked up to the hanyou.

"Uh…" Inuyasha thought for a minute. "Let's follow them." Inuyasha quickly covered as he walked up to Miroku and Sango. Shippo followed.

After a few minutes of looking through the immense forest, the group grew more tired from their constant walking.

"Inuyasha, can you sniff out her scent?" Sango asked. Inuyasha sniffed.

"Her scent is everywhere. It's a little hard." Inuyasha said.

"That's true considering it was her spiritual power that was used to blast everything." Miroku said. Inuyasha suddenly stopped then sniffed the air.

"What do you smell?" Sango asked as she turned to look at him. Shippo sniffed along with him.

"Kagome's scent is stronger." Shippo answered. Inuyasha just walked off towards the west of them. The others followed obediently into a small clearing.

"What's that?" Miroku asked as he pointed towards the small red scarf lying on the ground. Inuyasha went over to it and picked it up.

"It has her scent." Inuyasha said as he stared at it.

"Hey, wait, isn't that…" Sango started. Everyone nodded in their agreement. Sango looked at Inuyasha's face, and saw sadness as he looked around and kept sniffing the air. _'sigh What do we do? Where should we look? Poor Inuyasha. Though we all miss her so much.'_

* * *

Kagome slowly woke up from her long slumber after using all her energy. She felt around and found herself on a soft bed with her head cradled in a supple pillow. Kagome groaned and finally opened her brown eyes. She squinted as light flooded through the window and blinded her. She sat up and looked around to see that she was on a bed with white sheets covering it and her. She turned her head to the left and found Keiko sleeping by her side and Avion slumped against another pillow.

'_Where am I?' _Kagome thought as she petted both Keiko and Avion. Keiko awoke and started to growl in contentment. Keiko whimpered a bit as she looked at Avion's slumped figure. Kagome smiled sadly. "I promise I'll regenerate her." Keiko brightened up a little. Kagome then tested her powers with her hands as she tried to make an energy ball in the palm of her hands. But all she got was sparks of energy, and then it disappeared. "Oh boy. Still no good. I'm sorry." Kagome said as she petted Avion. Avion slightly looked up and smiled a little. "I wonder where we are." Kagome stood up and looked around the large room.

The room was extravagant filled with precious tapestries, large rugs, and a wardrobe. Kagome walked to the window at the side of the room and looked out. What she saw amazed her to no end. Outside there was a large field filled with flowers and trees as the crisp air flows through. Kagome turns to look at the wardrobe. She walks towards it and opens its doors. Kagome looked in awe as she saw a beautiful light pink kimono with Sakura flowers on it. She stared at it for some time before she got snapped out of her stupor by Keiko rubbing her head at Kagome's ankle.

"Oh, Keiko," Kagome kneeled down to the inu-manta's demon level. "Do you know who lives here?" Keiko barked a little as she ran towards the door. Kagome got the message that Keiko wanted her to follow. Kagome picked up Avion in her arms as she went to Keiko and opened the door.

She was faced with a long corridor that led to a staircase going both up and down. Keiko ran towards the staircase and went down. Kagome followed. As she stepped onto the ground 

floor, she was hit with the sweet smell of food. Kagome's stomach grumbled a little as she looked around nervously, hoping no one heard it. Keiko went up to a room with two doors that was concealing it. Kagome nervously pushed the doors open slightly and peered inside, though Keiko was more hyperactive than she was and ran inside. Kagome sighed and finally opened the door and stepped in.

"I'm sorry, she's a little…um… Wait… Sesshomaru? Is that you?" Kagome said as she looked at the man sitting in the room, which looked to be the dining room.

"Yes, miko." Sesshomaru said simply. "Maiko, she is finally awake." Sesshomaru said to one of the servants in his castle. Maiko, a rabbit demon, bowed to Sesshomaru and went to fetch some food for their guest.

"Um, who's she?" Kagome asked as she walked over to him.

"The person who I, Sesshomaru, put in charge of watching over you while you slept and while you are in my castle. She is a rabbit demon." Sesshomaru said.

"Your castle, huh? That's where I am?" Kagome asked and Sesshomaru nodded. Just then Maiko came out from what seemed to be the door that leads to the kitchen. Maiko placed food down in front of Kagome and bowed. "Thank you." Kagome said to Maiko and smiled. Maiko smiled back and left. "So… How long have I been out?" Kagome asked as she place Avion down on the chair next to her and Keiko went to a bowl that was placed on the ground.

"A few days, three, maybe four." Sesshomaru said, as he ate what was on his plate in front of him.

"Oh. I see." Kagome said. "Well, thank you, for bringing me here." Sesshomaru just nodded. Kagome ate her food, which consisted of rice and some pork with some stew made of vegetables and broth.

After lunch, Kagome walked around the castle hoping to find something to do while she recovers a little more. Kagome walked into the field she saw earlier through her window and encountered Jaken, Ah-Un, and Rin.

"Lady Kagome!" Rin screamed as she ran over to the miko.

"Rin. It's nice to see you again. How have you been?" Kagome said as she kneeled down to be eye level with the girl.

"Nice to see you too, Lady Kagome! I've been great! How about you?" Rin said as she picked up Keiko and hugged the inu-manta demon.

"I've been good." Kagome smiled, then heard Jaken grumble. "How you holding up, Jaken?" After hearing this, Jaken grumbled a little louder.

"Come, I will show you the garden." Rin said excitedly as she grabbed Kagome's hand and ran towards the field of flowers.

A few hours later Kagome left to go inside. She walked down a corridor, with Avion in her arms and Keiko upon her shoulder. The smell of food assaulted her human nose once again, and she figured it was about dinner time.

"Excuse me, Lady Kagome, it is time for dinner." Maiko said as she came behind Kagome then bowed.

"Thank you, Maiko." Kagome said then bowed as well. Kagome proceeded to the dining room where she was met by Rin, Jaken, and Sesshomaru. "For such a big dining room, there's not that many people." Kagome said with a smile. Jaken scowled, as Rin giggled a little, though Sesshomaru seemed unfazed. Dinner contained healthy vegetable freshly picked from the garden, with pork on rice, and stew made of other types of vegetable.

The small group ate in silence. Eventually Rin and Jaken excused themselves from the table after they finished their meal. Kagome finished the meal and was about to take her dishes to what she thought was the kitchen, but was stopped by Maiko.

"Oh, don't worry about it, I can take it." Kagome said.

"Oh no, dear. Let me." Maiko said. "Besides, we servants, tend to everything that the royal family needs."

"Thank you." Kagome said as she absentmindedly registered what Maiko said. "But wait…" But Kagome was too late, Maiko was gone. "I'm not part of the royal family." Kagome said quietly. Sesshomaru heard this.

"Yes you are." Sesshomaru said.

"What do you mean? I'm not a dog demon, nor do I have royal blood in my system." Kagome said.

"You are Inuyasha's miko. And he is part of this family. Unfortunately."

"And yet, you tried to kill both of us."

"That's because I hated you."

"Then, why did you help me?" Kagome asked confusedly.

"Because that's what I do for strong allies." Sesshomaru said matter of factly.

"Strong allies, huh?" Kagome said. "Is that the only reason?"

"Probably." Sesshomaru said as he got up from his chair. "Stay here; I have a gift for you."

"What?" Kagome asked confusedly, but Sesshomaru already left the room. "Fine, I'll stay here." Kagome frowned.

A few minutes later, Sesshomaru came back into the room with a something like a red kimono top draped across his arm.

"What's that?" Kagome asked in awe as she looked at the fabric in his hands.

"This is another fire rat kimono top, though it is for a woman. It was to be given to Inuyasha's mate." Sesshomaru said as he gave Kagome the red kimono top with his one arm and hand. Kagome spread it out with her two hands in mid air. On the shoulders were swirls of black that go down to the end of the sleeve, which reached to a little longer than where her wrists end. The sleeve flares out like Inuyasha's, but was a little slimmer. The couture of the red and black kimono was with black outlines that reached to about mid thigh. This affect is what made it look like a dress. At the bottom right corner, was a symbol of a dogs paw.

"Wow." Kagome said as she stared in awe at the beauty of the gown. "Thank you, Sesshomaru. But… I'm not exactly… Inuyasha's 'mate'" Kagome said as she looked up.

"His scent claim is all over you. Though without contact to him, right now it stands at a low. But his heart already chose you, even if he denies it." Sesshomaru said. "Besides, it was my duty left by my father to give that to Inuyasha's woman."

"I see." Kagome said as a breathy laugh escaped her lips. "So, it was your duty? Well, since you went to the trouble, though small, I should give you a little present." Kagome said a little mischievously.

"What do you have in mind, miko?" Sesshomaru said as his stoic façade came back. Kagome put the kimono on the table as she made her way towards Sesshomaru.

* * *

"So, Inuyasha. Ye have seen her?" Kaede asked as she put stew in a few bowls.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't say she's coming back anytime soon." Inuyasha said sadly.

"The idiot had to get into a fight with her while they were chained to a wall." Shippo accused. Everyone shook the head in disappointment.

"Well, ye should work on that mouth of yours, Inuyasha." Kaede suggested as she gave each member of their group stew. Inuyasha declined it as he left the hut.

"That's weird." Sango said as she started to get up but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't, he needs time to think." Miroku said as Kirara mewed in agreement.

"I hope he doesn't hurt himself." Shippo said.

"Stop it, Shippo. We all know it's his fault, but don't. He feels bad enough." Sango said.

"Okay, I know. I just… Miss her." Shippo said sadly.

"I know, so do I." Sango replied.

* * *

Inuyasha sat in a limb of the Goshinboku. He reached in his kimono pocket and brought out a red cloth.

'_Kagome's scarf from her clothes. But, she doesn't where that uniform of hers anymore, so why does she need this?' _Inuyasha mused. _'God, I hope she's okay. We've searched for three days with no sign of her. Please be safe.' _Inuyasha opened his palm to find a gold necklace tangled in the scarf. _'This is the necklace Kagome gave me before she was captured by Kaguya.' _Inuyasha thought sadly. He opened the heart shaped locket and saw the pictures of him and Kagome in the midst of another argument. Inuyasha smiled a little and let out a breathy laugh. _'I shouldn't have fought with her so much. It's not that she makes me mad, it's just...' _Inuyasha didn't finish his thoughts.

'_It's because you are pushing her away before she hurts you like Kikyo did.' _Inuyasha conscience finished for him.

'_Who are you to know what I think?'_ Inuyasha scowled in his mind.

'_Do I have to remind you _again _that I am your mind?' _Inuyasha's conscience said with a little annoyance traced in the voice.

'_Okay, fine. It's true.'_

'_But don't think like that. She's different from Kikyo.' _

'_Yeah, I know.'_

'_So, stop fighting.'_ His conscience finished. Inuyasha thought about this for a while.

'_Yeah, I'll try.'_

* * *

"Okay Sesshomaru. You ready?" Kagome asked as she stirred a pot with mixed herbs in it. Sesshomaru nodded non-emotionally. "Okay, so, rub this on that… um… stub thing that use to be your arm." Kagome said as she stopped stirring the mixed herbs and handing the bowl to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru gave her a dirty look. "Don't give me that look. I don't have to do this." Kagome said as she rubbed some waterfall water on her hands. It is said that the water from a waterfall is the purest water you can find. Sesshomaru rubbed the mixed herbs on himself from his left shoulder to the bottom of what was left of his left arm.

Kagome closed her eyes as she started chanting. After a few minutes of chanting the herbs on Sesshomaru's shoulder and arm and the water on Kagome's hands started to glow. Kagome lifted her hands up to about the middle of her chest and pointed her middle and index finger, on both her hands, up to the sky. Kagome then crossed her arms to make an 'X'. Kagome suddenly opened her eyes. After a second, her eyes glowed a solid bright pink color, along with her hands and Sesshomaru's shoulder and stub. After a minute of glowing, the colors faded and went back to the normal sunlight.

Kagome, all of a sudden, staggered a bit in her stance on the ground and took a step back with her right foot to balance herself. She shook herself out of it, then stood back of a little straighter, then smiled.

"Congratulations, you have your arm back." Kagome said as she looked at the new limb. "Take time to get used to that. I'm going to go rest in my room." Kagome then left to go inside the castle of the West and up to her room.

A few days later, Avion was regenerated, everyone was well rested, and Sesshomaru learned how to work his new arm. Kagome packed her belongings and wore her new kimono.

"Well, Sesshomaru. This is good-bye. For now anyways." Kagome said with a wink. "Thank you, for everything." Kagome said sincerely as she started walking away with Avion flying above and Keiko walking near her feet. Sesshomaru nodded his head.

"Bye Lady Kagome! Come visit soon!" Rin yelled to Kagome. Kagome turned back and waved.

"Don't worry, I will!" Kagome replied then waved good bye.

A two day journey, Kagome, Avion, and Keiko finally made it to the Bone Eaters Well. Kagome looked down the well, then bent down to pick up Keiko, while Avion flew directly over the well's hole.

"Well, ready to go home?" Kagome asked. Everyone nodded their head then Kagome jumped in with Keiko in her arms and Avion spearing into the depths of the well. For some reason Keiko was able to pass through, while Avion, who is literally a part of Kagome, can pass through too. The sparkling blue light flooded the cramped space, then as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

Kagome climbed up the ladder her grandfather placed for her. Once above the well's edge, she was face to face with a few feminine voices.

"So, Kagome is sick." One of the voices said.

"Yes. Very sick, and she might be contagious, so it would be better for your health if you leave and go to wherever you youngsters go." A male voice, that happen to be Kagome's grandfather, said.

"All right. Could you please tell her we came by?" The second feminine voice said.

"Sure, sure. I'll tell her when she gets back. Er… I mean… When she gets better." Kagome's grandfather corrected himself quickly.

"Right. Okay, tell her to get better soon." The third female voice said.

"Bye!" All the girls voices said in unison. Kagome poked her head to see who they were.

'_Eri? Yuka? Ayumi? Wonder what they're doing here. DUH! There here to drag ME somewhere. Geez.' _Kagome thought as she shook her head from side to side as she closed her eyes. Once Kagome saw everyone left, she opened the wooden door and greeted her grandfather.

"Kagome, your friends-" Kagome's grandfather said before he was cut off by Kagome.

"I know. I was watching." Kagome smiled then hugged him. "Need help around here?"

"No, you should go greet your mother and brother. I'm not the only one that misses you." He said with a smile then let the hug go. Kagome smiled then jogged off towards the house door.

When fully inside, Kagome walked down the hallway and looked into the living room, to find Souta staring at his video game. Kagome quietly walks in and steps behind Souta and ruffles his hair.

"Hey!" Souta yelled then turned around to find his sister. "Kagome!" Souta jumped up then hugged his sister.

"Hey you." Kagome said while hugging him back.

"Yes! Now I can _finally _do my photography project!" Souta screamed with excitement.

"Is that all you need me for?" Kagome asked suspiciously. "Wait, what project?"

"Well, my teacher assigned us to take photographs of our family individually. And they're supposed to pose like the people in this magazine." Souta handed a magazine to Kagome that was conveniently placed on the table next to them. "Then the assignment is over and we get the pictures back."

"That's it? That's easy to do." Kagome said. "Why couldn't you do mom, or gramps?"

"Because they didn't want to pose like the people in this magazine." Souta frowned.

"And how do you know I will?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, come on! Please sis?" Souta pleaded. Kagome thought for a minute. "I'll fail if I don't!"

"But why this magazine?"

"Because it will show how people's personality is considering their facial expression, and if they will do it or not."

"And if they don't?"

"Well, it doesn't have to be in the family. Just someone you know. Some kids did other kids in class."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because… Because I thought you were better for it." Souta said in a small voice.

"Aw, thanks. Fine, I'll help you out." Kagome relented.

"Great! Thank you sis! Oh and by the way, can you wear what they are wearing in this picture?" Souta asked.

"Why?"

"Because it will add to the effect, and I'll get a better grade if you do!" Souta pleaded again.

"Fine, just let me find something." Kagome said then grabbed the magazine. "I'm going to tell mom I'm back, then I'll help you out, kay?" Kagome said while looking into the direction of the kitchen.

"Alright!" Souta said as he jumped off to his room to get a camera.

Kagome smiled and shook her head as her brother ran upstairs. She then proceeded down the hall into the kitchen. There, she found her mother making dinner.

"Hey mom!" Kagome said while walking up and hugging her mother.

"Kagome! Honey! Welcome back!" Kagome's mother said while hugging her daughter. "You've been gone for almost three weeks! Glad you're alright."

"Yes mom." Kagome said while smiling. "Well, see you in a second, I have to help Souta with his photography assignment."

"Sure dear." Kagome's mom said while letting go of Kagome. "Have fun."

"We'll see." Kagome called back from outskirts of the kitchen.

Kagome went upstairs to her room and ravaged her closet. She looked at the magazine and saw that the girl wore a flaring blue skirt that ended a little over mid-thigh and a yellow tank top. Kagome decided to where a black flaring skirt that ended at mid-thigh and a red tank top. _'This'll do.' _Kagome mused as she look at the mirror. Kagome combed her hair and applied a little pink lip gloss.

"Souta!" Kagome called as she walked out of her room.

"Coming!" Souta said as he ran to her with the camera. "Let's go outside. It has better light." The two siblings went outside and Kagome leaned against the wall with her right leg bent and her foot was flat on the wall. Kagome placed her hands to her sides and looked at Souta who was on her left side with the camera.

"Okay, is this good?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, now smile, and let me take the picture." Souta said as he positioned the camera. Kagome turned her head and leaned it against the wall then smiled. The camera flashed and the picture was taken. "Perfect! Thanks Kagome!" Souta said happily.

"Sure, no problem." Kagome said as she pushed herself off the wall.

"Kids! Dinner!" Kagome and Souta's mother yelled out the door.

"Coming!" The two said in unison then ran inside. They sat in the chairs that surrounded the dining table. For dinner they had some miso soup, soba, yakizakana, sushi, and rice in a bowl.

"Yum, this looks so delicious!" Kagome exclaimed. The family then ate their dinner with a pleasant conversation here and there.

* * *

A rustle was heard from inside Kaede's hut while Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede were picking herbs in the garden, and Inuyasha was sulking in the tree. Sango and Miroku were the only ones not outside, though no one was sure where the two were.

"Shippo, can ye go into the hut and get that bucket for me to put herbs in?" Kaede asked the young fox demon.

"Sure Kaede." Shippo said gleefully and bounded over to the hut. Shippo opened the door flap and just watched. "EW!" Shippo screamed. Sango and Miroku quickly got up from their position on the floor while they were making out. Sango blushed furiously while Miroku grinned. Everyone came up to see what the commotion was about and looked questioningly at Sango and Miroku.

"What were you guys doing?" Inuyasha asked.

"Kissi-" Miroku started but was hit in the head. "Ow." Miroku groaned.

"Idiot." Inuyasha scowled then walked away. Everyone else just shook their head, then went back to the previous task. Shippo quickly got the bucket and jumped outside back to Kaede.

"Well, now that they're all gone," Miroku said once everyone was out of sight. "Where were we?" Sango hit him in the head with her Hiraikotsu.

"Pervert." Sango said as she went through the door.

"You're the one who responded!" Miroku called after her then smiled lecherously.

* * *

!?

Soup that is made by dissolving miso paste in hot water and adding additional ingredients such as wakame seaweed and small pieces of tofu.

Soba noodles are native Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour or a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour. Soba are about as thick as spaghetti. They can be served cold or hot and with various toppings.

Yakizakana means grilled fish. Many varieties of fish are enjoyed in this way.

* * *

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	16. Scattered Glass

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* * *

Scattered Glass

_BRING! BRING! BRING! BRING! BRING!_

Kagome groaned as she slowly opened her eyes to see and clearly hear her alarm clock ringing like mad.

'_6:45 am… oh god! I absolutely hate school!' _Kagome thought. She slowly got her left hand out to shut the damned thing up while still laying on her right side on her pink bed. Kagome sat up slowly and looked around the room. _'I have got to redo this room.' _Kagome thought absently.

"Kagome! Time to get up!" Kagome's mom yelled from the hall outside.

"I'm up!" Kagome yelled back. She then proceeded to toss the covers off of her body and jumped out of bed. Kagome walked towards the bathroom and took a quick shower. She wrapped a bright red towel around her body and went into her room with her pajama's hung around her arm. Kagome threw the pajamas into the hamper in her room and went to her closet to get a new school uniform.

Kagome dressed in her green and white uniform and went down the stairs. She was greeted with the smell of rice, with a fresh omelet, pickled vegetables, and a grilled fish. Kagome went into the kitchen and sat in her regular chair.

"Mmm, this smells delicious mom." Kagome commented as she dug into her bowl of rice.

"Thank you dear." Kagome's mom said absently as she put down an omelet for Souta. "Souta! Breakfast!" After a few minutes Kagome's mom looked up the stairs to see Souta running down and jumping into his chair.

"Mmm. This smells great!" Souta said as he munched down everything in front of him.

"Where's Jii-chan?" Kagome asked.

"He is outside sweeping up the shrine grounds." Kagome's mom said.

"Oh, okay." Kagome said as she kept eating then looked at the clock. _'7:30 am.' _Kagome mused. "Hey, Souta, how is the photography thing going?" Kagome asked her little brother.

"Great! Because of your photo I got an A on the project. I get the picture back today, so get a picture frame or something." Souta answered happily.

"Why do I need a picture frame?" Kagome asked.

"It was a pretty picture. Put it in your room or something." Kagome's mother answered.

"All right." Kagome answered. She glanced at the clock again and decided she better get going. "I should go. Coming Souta?" Kagome said as she put her plates in the sink.

"Yeah." Souta answered as he did the same. "Bye mom!" Souta said as he ran out the door.

"Bye mom." Kagome said as she kissed her mother on the cheek and petted Buyo, her pet cat, on the head while doing the same to Avion and Keiko who were playing on the floor with Buyo. Kagome fed both Buyo and Keiko. Avion didn't eat food, she just needed to be regenerated every once in a while with spiritual power. Kagome then rushed out the door and down the shrine stairs.

Kagome walked on the side walk towards her school with a blue back pack in tow. After walking a few more yards, she saw three familiar figures.

"Kagome!" The three feminine voices called out. They started running towards the girl in matching uniform.

"Oh, hey Ayumi, Eri, Yuka. What's up?" Kagome said as they approached her.

"Kagome, how are you? How's that Pellagra disease you have?" Eri asked her. (Yes, it is an actual disease)

"And your Zoonoses disease?" Yuka asked next. (Still a real disease)

"Wait, I thought she had Gangrene disease." Ayumi stated next.

"Uh…" Kagome was speechless. _'Excuse me? Pellagra? Zoonoses? Gangrene? What is my grandfather drinking? Are those diseases even real?' _Kagome mused in her mind. "I'm okay." Kagome replied. "Never better." Kagome laughed nervously hoping that her friends bought that statement.

"Oh, that's great! Then you're up for Wacdonalds today?" Eri asked hopefully.

"Sure, I guess." Kagome said. Ayumi looked at her watch.

"Oh my god! Guys! We're going to be late for school!" Ayumi yelled at her friends. The group of four started sprinting towards school.

The day went by slower than usual for Kagome Higurashi. The final bell finally rang, and Kagome quickly left class. Kagome was on her way to her almost unused and untouched locker to put away a couple books and get a couple of books, only to be stopped by the sound of her last name being called.

"Higurashi!" A male voice called. Kagome turned around to look at who called her name.

"Hi." Kagome simply said as she looked at the boy standing in front of her.

* * *

"You know, if you miss her so much, why don't you just go to her time and sniff her out?" Miroku said as he watched Inuyasha pace around in a circle in front of Kaede's hut.

"And would you quit doing that? It's quite irritating." Sango added as she watched him make a circle in the poor grass. Inuyasha just growled.

"Who said I missed her? You know what, I _love _that she's NOT here! She isn't a bother anymore!" Inuyasha yelled his frustration. Everyone just rolled their eyes. Everyone knew that he was _obviously _lying.

"Yeah. You keep saying that to yourself." Shippo said quietly as he continued playing with Kirara.

"What did you say, runt?" Inuyasha seethed as her pointed a fist in Shippo's direction.

"If you keep emotions locked up inside of you, one day, you're going to explode." Sango said quietly as she looked in the other direction. Bother her and Miroku were leaning against the huts outside walls on opposite sides of the door, while Shippo and Kirara were off to the right.

"Who said I'm going to _explode_?" Inuyasha yelled then rethought Sango's last comment. "And who said that I'm keeping emotions locked inside of me?"

"It takes a million physical events to faze a man, but one emotional event to have the man crumble to the ground." Miroku stated wisely.

"Says who?" Inuyasha seethed while he continued his constant pacing in a circle.

"Miroku is correct, child." Kaede said as she walked out of her relatively small hut. "You can look, and you can run. But remember, Kagome can do the same." Kaede said.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Inuyasha asked while looking more confused than ever.

"What she means is, you can run away from your emotions, or face them. But remember that Kagome has to do the same things as well." Miroku answered. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

"You people are crazy. I don't care what she does or doesn't do. She can go… go mate with Koga for all I care!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Then why are you jealous?" Shippo asked.

"I am NOT JEALOUS!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Then why do you fight?" Sango asked next.

"Because he will hurt her!" Inuyasha answered.

"I thought ye didn't care." Kaede stated next.

"I don't." Inuyasha said as he turned his back towards his friends while his upper cheeks tinged pink.

"Then why do you care if she gets hurt?" Miroku asked.

"Because…!" Inuyasha started then immediately stopped himself. "Keh!" Everyone shook their head from side to side, knowing the real answer.

'_You are such an idiot.' _Inuyasha's conscience mocked him.

'_Keh!' _Inuyasha thought.

'_You said that already.' _His conscience reminded him.Inuyasha started to growl after this last statement. Everyone around him looked at him, then each other as they heard his involuntary growl.

* * *

A boy about six feet tall came up to Kagome. He had dark brown hair, with dark blue eyes. He wore the boys uniform, dark blue dress pants with dark blue shirt.

"Hi, Kagome, I'm glad you're well enough for school." The boy said.

"Uh, ya. It's an on and off thing." Kagome stated. _'Come on people, do I _look _sick to you?' _Kagome thought to herself while keeping a small smile plastered on her face.

"I've been wondering, since my father is a police officer, if you would like to go to the police and crime convention with me. My father is making me go, and I would like you to be my date." The boy stated.

"Oh, um… That's nice of you to ask me, Izanagi, but why me? There are tons of other girls. Not that I'm not flattered or anything." Kagome said.

"Well, because you're cute, smart, fun, you're easy to talk to. With all of your diseases it's becoming hard to invite you places." Izanagi stated simply.

"Oh that's nice of you." Kagome said with a smile on her face. "Sure, I guess I can go with you."

"That's great. It's tomorrow at 1pm. I'll come and pick you up, okay?" Izanagi said.

"Sounds great." Kagome said then wave good bye to the boy.

"Wow! You are going on a date with the captain of the soccer. (football…? Um… so… it's not the American football, it's the one that you kick a ball around only using you feet.) And it's your first day back to school." Eri said behind her. Kagome jumped a bit and turned around quickly.

"Yeah, I… I guess." Kagome stuttered.

"He is so cute." Yuka said.

"Yeah." Ayumi agreed.

"Good thing it's Friday." Eri commented.

"Anyways, I thought we were going to Wacdonalds." Kagome quickly cut in. The others looked at her.

"Yeah, okay. Let's go!" Eri said excitedly. Yuka and Eri grabbed both of Kagome's hands and ran forwards towards the door, while Ayumi pushed against her back.

"Hey! You don't have to drag me there you know." Kagome said as she struggled out of their grip, though if she were in the Feudal Era, she would've gotten out of their grip a long time ago.

"Yes, but every time we go there, you always seem to have to go somewhere with that two-timing, violent, jealous boyfriend of yours." Eri stated.

"Which, by the way, are you still going out, because you just accepted a date with Izanagi for tomorrow at one?" Yuka said next.

"We… um…" Kagome thought for a minute. "Broke up."

"That's good, now you're moving on to a better guy." Yuka said.

"Uh, yeah… I guess." Kagome said unsurely.

"Don't tell me you're still hung over him!" Eri battered. Kagome thought for a minute.

"No… Yes… I don't know." Kagome said as quietly as she could.

"Don't worry Kagome; he's an idiot if he let someone like you go." Ayumi comforted.

"Thanks." Kagome said as they continued walking towards Wacdonalds.

Once the girls arrived to Wacdonalds, they each ordered a hamburger and fries with a drink. They talked random chit chat until their meals were done and down in their digestive system.

* * *

Miroku and Sango sat inside the small hut that belonged to Kaede, making dinner while Inuyasha, Shippo, and Kirara worked on the attachment to the hut, considering that they visited so often. The attachment was a new room, behind the hut itself, which is connected with a door frame and a covering. Miroku scooted towards Sango and put an arm around her shoulder pulling her close.

"Uh… Miroku, what are you doing?" Sango asked. Miroku shrugged his shoulders.

"To do this." He said as he leaned towards Sango and placed a tender kiss on her lips. They parted briefly for air, but just as quick as they separated, they were roughly kissing each other. A war inside their mouths erupt, as each tongue fights for dominance.

After a few minutes, the sun went down and the stew for dinner was boiling rapidly without the couple knowing. The smell of food wafted through the air and apparently went outside the openings of the huts and through the noses of everyone within twenty feet.

"Mmm, smells delicious. What's cooki…" Shippo started as he entered the hut then abruptly stopped his sentence as he watched the couple make out inside the hut. Next that came in was Inuyasha who was out of words at the moment. Then, as he recovered from his stupor, he shook his head. Kirara decided to come in at that moment and saw that her master, Sango, and her betrothed were lying on the floor kissing. Kirara looked towards Shippo and saw that he was watching intently. Kirara used one of her two tails to cover his eyes, considering they were about the same height.

"At it again aren't you, monk?" Inuyasha said while watching the couple get startled out of their wits and jumped apart.

"Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara, when did you get here?" Miroku asked calmly as Sango blushed almost ten different shades of red.

"I'm here to get dinner, which apparently burned in the pot, while you two were… making out." Inuyasha said.

"Well my friend, we never know what comes tomorrow, just live the day to its fullest with the one you love." Miroku stated. Inuyasha looked down towards the wooden ground of the small hut that was under construction. Inuyasha's bangs were covering his eyes with a dark shadow.

"Right." Inuyasha said quietly. "I'm not that hungry." Inuyasha said as he walked out of the hut. _'Live life to the fullest… with the one you love… Too late now… for either of them.' _Inuyasha thought dejectedly as he walked towards the Goshinboku.

'_Now he tells you, huh?' _Inuyasha's conscience said quietly. Inuyasha decided not to answer and dug around in his kimono pocket. There he found the red scarf and the golden necklace with a heart on it with two pictures inside. He sniffed the scarf and rubbed it against his cheek.

'_Her scent is gone. It went away. Just like her.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked down on the locket. Inuyasha sighed. _'Maybe she's at her time.' _Inuyasha thought hopefully. _'But then again… she'll be really mad if she finds me there. Not to mention her mother. I promised her I'd find Kagome and bring her back safe and sound. But… the only time I got to talk to her… we argued.' _

Inuyasha looked at the dark sky of the night, with unshed tears welling in his eyes. He raised his right arm and rubbed furiously against his eyes.

'_Why am I crying?! I don't care what that bitch does! Why should I? It's her life!' _Inuyasha though angrily. _'KEH! I'm not crying!'_

* * *

"Miroku! Look what you did! Now you made him sad and he's thinking about Kagome!" Sango yelled at her fiancé.

"I didn't mean to, it just… slipped out." Miroku defended. Sango sighed audibly.

"Fix it." Sango growled.

"No, just give him time. He'll think of something." Shippo said.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Shippo's right. Somehow." Miroku said.

"Fine." Sango said unhappily. "But if this doesn't blow over soon, then I'm talking to him." Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

* * *

Kagome stirred from her deep sleep and woke up to the sun shining into the pink room through the window. Kagome groaned and lifted her head to look at the clock next to her.

'_Ten in the morning.' _Kagome mused as she dropped her head abruptly into the soft pillow below. _'Great.' _Kagome got up and out of bed slowly and threw the covers off of her body. She planted her feet on the ground, and sat up while stretching her arms above her head. She then proceeded to walk out of her pink room and out to the bathroom. She takes off her pajamas and takes a quick shower, afterwards brushed her teeth and proceeded to her room. Kagome was wrapped in a blue towel while her hair was wrapped in a white towel.

Kagome went to her closet to pick out an outfit. From her drawers, she chose all the items that were presented to her on her birthday, the same day that she fell through the well and into the feudal era.

Her top was a black deep V-neck, with a wide shirred bottom hem, and batwing cap sleeves from American Eagle Outfitters, that her aunt, Mari from her mother's side, got her. 

Her bottoms were white short shorts that were low rise and had chop pockets from Hollister Co., which her uncle, Takao who married her aunt Mari, got her. Kagome then went into her purses, and got a Coach purse that had the signature jacquard fabric with leather trim and fabric lining, with a 6 ¼" strap that she got from her mother.

Kagome then went to the hallway closet to gather her shoes and choose. She decided on a pair of flats from American Eagle that had argyle knit upper, a pretty vamp bow and comfortable rounded toe, that she has received from her brother, Souta. She then went into her jewelry box and got a black choker with a white flower hanging in the middle with a jewel in the middle that she got from her grandfather. On top of her head she decided to wear Tiffany & Co. sunglasses with white frames and blue tinted lenses, she got the sunglasses from her male cousin, Eiji, who is the first son of Mari and Takao. She went to her night stand and grabbed an Abercrombie and Fitch perfume that smelled like citrus and green apple. She received that gift from her other cousin Amaya, who is the second child of Mari and Takao.

Surprisingly, all the gifts she received make a perfect outfit. It's almost as though they planned this. Kagome put on her clothes and accessories and checked the mirror one more time before heading down stairs. She grabbed her new cell phone that she recently got from her friends, Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka. They got her the phone, but her mother had to pay the bills from AT&T. Her phone was a Samsung Blackjack II that had a white front and a pink back cover with bubbles on it. The phone had both a camera and a full keypad.

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Kagome went down the stairs and saw her mother in the kitchen.

"Hey, honey. Want some breakfast before you go on your date?" Mrs. Higurashi said after turning back to the stove that held hash browns. She then turned off the stove and turned around to see her daughter. "Sporting the new items from your birthday a while back?"

"Yeah. By the way, did you guys plan this or something, because everything matches." Kagome said suspiciously.

"Maybe." Kagome's mom said with a mischievous smile. "Okay we did. We thought it would be fun."

"Thank you." Kagome replied. Mrs. Higurashi placed a plate of hash browns in front of Kagome.

"Sorry it isn't much." Mrs. Higurashi apologized to her daughter as she sat down in a chair across from Kagome.

"No problem mom thanks anyways." Kagome replied happily. She then stuffed her fork into the golden brown, shredded potatoes.

"When's your date with Izanagi, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Um," Kagome said when she looked up at the clock. "About three hours."

"Why are you ready so soon?"

"For fun?" Kagome said then looked at her mother's disbelieving face. "Okay, okay. I kind of want to go."

"Glad that you're excited." Mrs. Higurashi said with a smile. "You sure you like this guy? You're not leading him on are you?"

"I don't know if I like him in _that _way. But I'm giving him a chance." After a moments silence, Mrs. Higurashi was the one to break the silence.

"And what about Inuyasha?" Kagome paused in her eating and set down her fork.

"I don't think he cares." Kagome said quietly.

"I think he does. Consider going back to him, okay?" Mrs. Higurashi said as she got up out of the chair and began washing the dishes in the sink.

"Sure. I'll think about it." Kagome said as she picked up her fork and slowly ate the rest of her hash browns.

Once Kagome finished her brunch-like meal, she washed her own dish with dish soap and a sponge. Kagome finished a few minutes later and went into the kitchen to find Souta sitting in front of the television playing another violent game that he really shouldn't have. On the screen was a red robot fighting a blue robot. Kagome sat on the couch and watched her brother.

"Hey, having fun?" Kagome asked as she watched her brother move his body the exact way he was moving his player on the screen, which happens to be the red robot.

"Yeah." He said quickly. Kagome shook her head from side to side and crossed her arms and legs while sitting back on the couch. A few minutes past by, as Kagome watched her brother play his video game, before she grew bored and tired. Kagome got up off the couch and walked outside the house for some air.

As she walked outside, she found her grandfather sweeping the grounds. Looking at the phone in her front pocket, the time was about 12:30 PM. Kagome walked up to her grandfather.

"Hey Jii-chan. Need any help?" Kagome asked.

"Ah, Kagome, already ready for that date of yours?" Jii-chan asked.

"Why does everyone know about that?"

"Your mother told me."

"I see." Kagome said with a nervous smile gracing her lips.

"Actually, can you finished sweeping up the leaves from the Sacred Tree? I need a break."

"Sure thing, gramps." Kagome said sweetly as she grabbed the broom from her grandfather's hands gently. Kagome began sweeping up the fallen dead leaves as her grandfather went inside the house.

Kagome finished up quickly and put the leaves in a pile, then into a garbage bag. Kagome put the broom back inside the storage room and went inside. Kagome walked into the living room to find that Souta and their grandfather were watching the news. Kagome kneeled down to the ground and petted Buyo, then Keiko. Kagome stood up and petted Avion, who was flying.

Kagome stood at the door frame and watched the news from behind the couch. Suddenly a ring tone version of _Every Hearts (Minnano Kimochi)_ by Boa was heard. Kagome took her phone from her pocket and answered the phone while walking back outside.

"Hello?" Kagome said.

"Hey Kagome, this is Izanagi. Are you ready to go?" Izanagi asked from the phone.

"Yeah. Where are you by the way?"

"Bottom steps of the shrine. I'll be up in a minute to come get you."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll just meet you half way there." Kagome said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it is where I live after all." Kagome said with a smile.

"Alright, meet you half way then." Izanagi said.

"Alright. See you in a second."

"Of course." After that they hung up and Kagome ran into the living room and grabbed her purse and stuff her phone, and some money in there.

"Bye, mom." Kagome said as she passed her mother.

"Bye dear, have fun." Mrs. Higurashi said. With that Kagome rushed out the door and down the steps. Half way down, the couple met up.

"Hey you." Izanagi said as he waited for the girl.

"Hey." Kagome replied as she got to his level. Both of them smiled at each other as the descended the stairs. Izanagi put a hand on the top of Kagome's back. Once they reached the bottom steps, they saw a car parked in front. The car was a mixture between black and a silver color and was a Nissan Rogue. "Nice car." Kagome said.

(Car: static./gif/first-look-2008-nissan-rogue-4.jpg )

"Yeah, my father got it for me for my sixteenth birthday. But I still had to pay for half of it. But I'm okay with that." Izanagi said as he opened the front passenger seat door for Kagome.

"That's cool. Thanks." Kagome said as she stepped inside and sat down. Izanagi closed the door and went around to the driver seat. Once situated and buckled up in their seatbelts, they pulled out and drove down the road. "Where's the cop convention at?"

"In the police station. Don't worry, you won't get hurt or anything."

"Hope not." Kagome said. "Is your father a good cop?"

"Yes, if I say so myself." Izanagi said with a smile. They sat in comfortable silence until they got to the police station. Izanagi shut off the engine and got out of his door and went over towards Kagome's door.

"Thanks." Kagome said as she stepped out of the car. Izanagi locked the car and place his hand on the top of Kagome's back again. The couple stepped inside and saw a lot of cops. Some police officers were from place over a hundred miles away. "Wow, there's a lot of people here." Kagome said.

"Yeah." Izanagi said. "Hey, do you want to meet my father?"

"Sure." Kagome said with a sweet smile.

Izanagi and Kagome walked through crowds and crowds of people until they came up to a booth that was located outside of the main building, though it was in the back. A large tent was set up behind the booth for an activity that the booth supplied.

"Hey, dad." Izanagi said. "This is Kagome." Izanagi said to a man that was kind of chubby, with a dark brown mustache and his dark brown hair was disappearing from the middle of his head. He seemed about the same height as Izanagi.

"Hi sir." Kagome said politely.

"Hi young lady. Would you like to try this?" Izanagi's father said.

"What is it?" Kagome asked.

"Well, you go into that large tent and people come and pretend to attack you. The goal is to reach the finish line without getting 'hurt'. When you get 'hurt' the people inside of you put a colored sticker dot on you where they have touched/attacked you. Each person has a different color and or design." Izanagi's father said.

"Come on, it'll be fun. And you won't get hurt while you're with me. I've had lots of training." Izanagi said with a cocky smile.

"Sure, sounds exciting." Kagome said cheerfully as they walked inside the tent. _'You have _no _idea what training I've been through.' _Kagome mused.

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the grass leaning against the wall of the Bone Eaters Well. He's been there since dawn, and still no sign of Kagome coming or going.

'_Maybe I should go and seek her out in her time. Certainly not having luck in mine.' _Inuyasha mused. _'Okay, fine. I'm going.' _Inuyasha thought as he stood up and jumped down the well.

On the other side, Inuyasha appeared from the ground after the blue light has faded. He jumped out of the well and carefully opened the door, as to not let anyone know he was here. Inuyasha looked left and right. Once the coast was clear, he jumped quickly towards Kagome's bedroom window and opened it. What Inuyasha didn't know was that a corner of a picture frame was caught on his sleeve and knocked down. The glass broke and the remnants and pieces scattered.

'_Uh oh.' _Inuyasha mused as he kneeled down and picked up the picture fame. A piece of paper came out of the cracked glass. Inuyasha picked it up and looked at it. The picture was of Kagome leaning against a wall with her right leg bent and her foot was flat on the wall. Kagome was placing her hands to her sides and looked towards where the picture would have been taken. _'Wow.' _Inuyasha thought as he stared at the picture.

Suddenly his sensitive ears picked up the sound of small footsteps coming towards the door. Inuyasha quickly leapt out the window, with the picture still in hand. He closed the window quickly and leapt towards the well house.

* * *

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	17. Attacked Again

**Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha and gang. Just my own made up characters. **

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* * *

Attacked Again

Suddenly Inuyasha's sensitive ears picked up the sound of small footsteps coming towards the door. He quickly leapt out the window, with the picture still in hand. He closed the window quickly and leapt towards the well house.

Souta walked up to Kagome's door and opened it slowly. Souta came running up to Kagome's room when he heard a crashing noise against the floor, or ceiling considering he was downstairs in the living room. When Souta knew that no one was in the room, he opened the door all the way and found a broken picture frame on the floor with glass shattered in a radius of one foot. He proceeded to pick up the frame of the picture frame and found that the picture that occupied it was missing and nowhere in sight. Souta smiled to himself as he set the frame back on the floor.

'_Perfect. Inuyasha took the picture of my sister. So he does miss her.' _Souta mused. _'Mom's idea of taking a picture of Kagome and placing it in her room in plain sight for anyone to come through the window to notice was a brilliant idea. Inuyasha took the picture and now he will probably come and talk to Kagome and they'll get back together. I can't believe that she actually bought the idea as a school photography class. Such a gullible sister. ' _He thought with a huge smile. _'I'll just let Kagome find the mess and clean it up.' _Souta thought mischievously then left the room.

* * *

"Well, you go into that large tent and people come and pretend to attack you. The goal is to reach the finish line without getting 'hurt'. When you get 'hurt' the people inside of you put a colored sticker dot on you where they have touched/attacked you. Each person has a different color and or design." Izanagi's father said.

"Come on, it'll be fun. And you won't get hurt while you're with me. I've had lots of training." Izanagi said with a cocky smile.

"Sure, sounds exciting." Kagome said cheerfully as they walked inside the tent. _'You have _no _idea what training I've been through.' _Kagome mused.

The couple stepped inside the tent and found that it was pitch black. Kagome and Izanagi stayed close to each other as they found their way around the small maze like structure and out the exit door. Suddenly a man came up in front of Kagome and pointed a fake plastic gun in front of her face. Kagome seemed shocked at first but then was quickly unfazed considering she deals with things like this all the time except with swords.

Kagome then quickly grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it so the gun was facing towards the sky. Kagome then turned around, while still holding his wrist, and flung him over her back, to have him land on his harshly on the ground. Izanagi proceeded to take the fake gun away from the man lying on the ground and slipped it in his pocket.

"Wow, Kagome, you're good at this. Have you done any fighting before?" Izanagi asked.

"Well, I've done a little. Not much." Kagome lied.

"Impressive."

"Thanks." Kagome smiled then went ahead towards the exit.

After a few minutes, the couple arrived at the exit and got congratulated by Izanagi's father. Kagome came out untouched while Izanagi had a few stickers on his body.

"Wow, not even a scratch Kagome. I'm impressed." Izanagi's father said.

"Me too." Izanagi said.

"Well, thank you." Kagome said with a smile.

"If your mother would let you and you would agree, the force would probably not mind you help us catch criminals." Izanagi's father said. "But it is quite dangerous. I wouldn't do it if I were in your position. At least not until you get a little older."

"Well, my mother would probably think it's too dangerous also. And it is quite fearful if it were with real guns and other weapons. My mom would disapprove." Kagome said, though it was a lie. _'Oh yeah, my mom is _really _going to say no to this. She lets me frolic around the _feudal era _to fight demons and other men all alone. And with this, I have people to back me up. My life is never easy.' _Kagome thought.

After a few more hours of looking around the convention and having snacks and drinks every now and again, Izanagi finally looked at his watch and saw that it was around 6 PM.

"I should probably get you home so you can have dinner with your family." Izanagi said. Kagome took out her white and pink Samsung Blackjack II cell phone and looked at the time.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea." Kagome replied. Izanagi took her hand and led her to his Nissan Rogue car. They entered the car and drove to the shrine, where Kagome lives.

Once there the couple took a minute to sit in the car and look at each other.

"Thanks for the wonderful night, Izanagi. I had fun." Kagome said with a smile gracing her lips.

"You are welcome. Thanks for being my date. I'm glad you had fun." Izanagi said as he got out of the car and opened the door for Kagome. Kagome stepped out and turned towards Izanagi.

"Thanks again." Kagome said then leaned in and gave a kiss to Izanagi on his cheek. "I'll see you around." Kagome smiled then skipped up the steps. Izanagi smiled and waited until she was at the top of the steps before he stepped into his car and drove off. Kagome walked up to her front door and stopped. _'Why do I feel like I'm cheating on myself when I went out with him? Is it because I'm still in love with Inuyasha? God, I miss him. I miss them all, but… can I go back?' _Kagome thought while opening the door. "I'm back!" Kagome yelled across the house.

"Hey sis." Souta said as he walked out of the living room and into the kitchen. Kagome smiled at her brother and followed him into the kitchen.

"Hey mom, what's for dinner?" Kagome asked as she sniffed the air. "Smells great."

"Grilled fish, with rice, miso soup, salad, and udon." Mrs. Higurashi listed.

"Yum, I'll go get ready." Kagome said while leaving the kitchen and going up to her room.

* * *

Inuyasha sat against the back wall of Kaede's hut, while monitoring the stew they were having for dinner. He took out the picture he acquired while he was in Kagome's time and stared at it.

'_If this is the only thing I have to remember her by, then so be it. She has finally realized that I'm not good enough for her and finally realized I'm not worth her time.' _Inuyasha thought sadly.

'_Don't be stupid. Though that's your personality. But anyways, she didn't realize anything.' _Inuyasha conscience said.

'_Yeah, she didn't realize anything _yet._' _Inuyasha thought bitterly.

'_Wait, no… That didn't come out right. I meant that she doesn't care what you are. You just pushed her too far with your cocky attitude.' _Inuyasha's conscience corrected.

'_I don't believe you.' _Inuyasha thought as he heard footsteps coming towards the hut. Inuyasha quickly put the picture into his kimono pocket and sat quietly, looking at the boiling stew.

"Yum! The food smells delicious!" Shippo said enthusiastically as he bounded over to the boiling pot.

"Careful, don't burn yourself, Shippo." Sango said as she came in with Kirara on her shoulder. Then Miroku and finally Kaede got inside. Miroku sat near the pot and served the soup to everyone present in the hut. Once everyone was finished, they started to set up for the night. The group then proceeded to sleep soundly.

* * *

Kagome walked up to her bedroom door and opened it. What she found was not what she was expecting. On the floor was glass and the picture frame that held the photo that Souta took for his "school project". Kagome kneeled down next to the glass and picked up the frame. She looked around her room and found that the picture that was in the frame was missing.

'_What happened here?' _Kagome thought as she picked up the pieces of glass and put them gently into the plastic pink garbage bin located in her room. Kagome then took the empty frame downstairs along with the trash bin and went into the kitchen. "Hey, mom, do you know how this happened? And do you know where the picture is?" Kagome asked. Her mother was the only one in the kitchen, setting up a traditional Japanese dinner. Mrs. Higurashi looked up from the dinner table and at her daughter.

"Kagome, what happened?" Mrs. Higurashi asked worriedly.

"I just found it broken, with no picture." Kagome replied.

'_So Inuyasha came. Good.' _Kagome's mom thought mischievously. "Here, just put that trash bin here. Dinners ready by the way, you can take a seat."

"Alright then. Dinner's ready already? I didn't have a chance to shower." Kagome whined.

"You can take one after dear." Mrs. Higurashi replied. "Now wash your hands."

"Okay." Kagome then went over to the sink and washed her hands with soap and water.

"Souta! Jii-chan! Dinner!" Mrs. Higurashi yelled clear across the house.

A few minutes later, the two males entered the kitchen and sat down at the table. Today they had more miso soup, rice, and grilled fish. They also had sushi and traditional ramen, not the one in the box or packages. A few minutes of pointless chatter, the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Kagome said as she got up and went over to the white phone. "Hello?"

"Kagome!" A female voice screamed so loud that Kagome had to move the phone away from her ear.

"Eri, hi." Kagome said almost non-enthusiastically. "What's up?"

"Want to go out for a late night movie?" Eri asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm kind of in the middle of dinner."

"Sorry about that. How about in half an hour of something?" Eri asked.

'_I am going back to the feudal era tomorrow. I guess one night with my friends isn't such a bad idea.' _Kagome mused. "Um… Sure. I'll meet you at the movie theater then?" Kagome relented.

"Great! Yes, the movie theater. The usual, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay see you then."

"Bye." Kagome said then hung up the phone and went back into the kitchen. "Mom, it's okay that I go out with Eri and the others right?"

"Sure dear. Just don't be out too late." Kagome's mom said.

"I won't, I promise." Kagome sat down in her chair and continued eating. After dinner, the thirty minutes passed by quickly. She looked at the clock from the couch she currently sat on. "I got to get going. The girls are probably waiting." Kagome got up and looked at herself in a nearby mirror. "Aw, I didn't get to take a shower. I'll just do it when I get back then." Kagome thought out loud, and then grabbed her purse and cell phone. "Bye! I'll be back later!" Kagome yelled then went out the door.

Kagome ran down the shrine steps and found herself face to face with the busy Tokyo streets. Kagome looked left and right then crossed carefully to the other side where the movie 

theater was located. Kagome went down the sidewalk and found her friends looking at the movie showings.

"Hey guys." Kagome said.

"Kagome!" The three girls yelled in unison.

"Wow, you look great." Yuka said while eyeing her outfit.

"Thanks. These are my birthday presents." Kagome said. "So what are we watching?" The other three girls smiled mischievously at Kagome after that comment. "What? Did I do something?"

"Come on!" The three yelled as Eri and Yuka took Kagome's two arms while Ayumi was pushing her from the back.

"Hey! Where are we going? What are you doing?" Kagome asked frantically.

"To a club." Yuka answered.

"No alcohol or anything of course." Ayumi added.

"Yeah, but tons of cute boys." Eri added next.

"Um… Okay… But why exactly did you lie to me?" Kagome asked.

"Because we knew you wouldn't go." Eri said. Kagome sighed.

"Fine." Kagome relented then started walking on her own accord.

A few minutes of walking towards the club, Kagome found herself staring a large bouncer that held a list. The three other girls walked up to the large man and told him their names. The bouncer opened the door for the four of them, then closed it after. The music was playing loudly as the smell of sweat and other people were in the air.

"Come on! Let's dance!" Eri said as she grabbed her friends by the wrist and dragged them to the middle of the dance floor.

After a few hours of dancing and relaxing, the girls got out of the club and headed home after their goodbyes. Kagome was half way up the shrine steps when she thought of something.

'_Inuyasha and the others are probably at the village and I promised Kaede that I'll get her medical supplies for emergencies. Inuyasha probably will pick up my scent.' _Kagome sighed. _'Might as well take a quick shower and head back to the feudal era tomorrow.' _Kagome walked into her house and went to her room to put her belongings away and headed towards the bathroom. After a quick shower, Kagome put on her pajamas and jumped into bed, almost instantly falling asleep.

* * *

The sun shone through the holes in the wall that served as a window for the small hut in renovation. Inuyasha woke to find everyone else sleeping. He stretched out while still propped up on the wall with Tetsusaiga in his lap. He proceeded to stand without waking the others and walked outside. Inuyasha walked to a nearby stream and washed his face in it. Once he sat back up and air dried his face, he was staring into the beady black eyes of a skunk demon. The demon snarled as Inuyasha quickly got up and took out Tetsusaiga.

The skunk demon growled before turning around to have its butt facing Inuyasha.

'_What the fuck?' _Inuyasha thought when suddenly green smoke covered the area. "Hell! cough cough cough" The skunk demon turned around and slashed at Inuyasha. "Damn you." Inuyasha said while wheezing. Inuyasha stumbled a bit, but quickly got his balance and leaped into the air with Tetsusaiga drawn and in full force. Inuyasha slashed down on the demon, but missed terribly. The youkai leapt behind Inuyasha and turned his ass back towards Inuyasha. It sprayed its toxic stench once again. _'Damn it all. This stuff is dulling _all _my senses!' _Inuyasha thought angrily.

Inuyasha squinted through his watery eyes as he tried to locate the youkai. Inuyasha saw a flash of black and white. He started running ahead of the blur and struck.

"Wind scar!" Inuyasha yelled as he attacked and pounded Tetsusaiga into the ground. As quickly as it started, the battle ended with a dead demon and a smelly and senseless hanyou.

'_I can't smell anything! Let alone see much but a blur. I should get back to the others before something else happens.' _Inuyasha thought as he carefully made it back with blurry vision.

Once Inuyasha stepped into the small hut, everyone else was awake and finishing breakfast.

"Ew, what's that smell?" Shippo asked while pinching his nose. "Inuyasha?"

"What?" Inuyasha scowled.

"Where did you go?" Sango asked.

"And what happened?" Miroku added.

"Some skunk demon attacked and dulled all my senses." Inuyasha said simply.

"Ye should take a bath." Kaede suggested.

"Whatever old hag." Inuyasha said as he walked out.

"Miroku, you and Shippo, should take one too. You guys haven't taken one in days." Sango said while scrunching up her face.

"But my dear Sango I can't stand being apart from you." Miroku said while creeping his hand behind Sango.

"Eep! Get out!" Sango yelled as she slapped Miroku and threw him out.

"I'll go make sure Inuyasha and Miroku don't kill each other." Shippo suggested while scampering out of the hut and away from Sango's rage.

"I am going to pick the herbs in the garden." Kaede said. "Care to join me?"

"Sure." Sango said as she got up and followed the old miko.

* * *

Kagome quickly took a shower when she woke, and wore her fire rat kimono over her miko outfit. She was now in her room gathering her supplies into a new bag she has obtained. It was a Nike that had 4 strings that made two straps for the shoulders and was also connected to how the bag was closed at the top. Kagome got out another bag and filled it with medical supplies.

'_I hope Kaede likes these supplies.' _Kagome thought as she finished up. She proceeded to walk down the stairs with both bags in hand. She placed the bags on the floor near the front door and walked into the kitchen. "Hey mom." Kagome said as she sat down at the table.

"Are you hungry dear? You should eat before you go." Mrs. Higurashi said.

"Sure, I'll eat." Kagome said happily. Mrs. Higurashi set down a plate of scrambled eggs with grilled fish and hash browns on the side. "Yum. This looks delicious. Thanks mom."

"You're welcome dear." Kagome's mom answered. "Got all your stuff packed?"

"Yes mom. Are you eager for me to leave?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"No of course not. Just wondering if you were ready." Mrs. Higurashi said.

Once done with breakfast, Kagome went to the hall and grabbed her two bags. She walked out the front door and into the Well House while her family was following her to say their goodbyes.

"Well bye guys, I'll be back soon! I promise!" Kagome said as she hugged each member of the family and petted Buyo.

"Be safe, dear. I love you." Mrs. Higurashi said while hugging her daughter again and petting Keiko and Avion.

"I will. Love you too." Kagome said. She turned to her brother and messed with his hair. "Be good, okay?"

"Sure sis. See ya later." Souta said as he hugged his sister again.

"And gramps, take it easy, okay?" Kagome said as she also hugged him.

"Yes yes." Jii-chan replied. Kagome sat on the edge of the well and look down into the darkness then back up.

"See you later!" Kagome said as she picked up Keiko and jumped into the well with Avion following. "Love you!"

"Love you!" The whole family replied in unison.

* * *

"Come on Inuyasha! Why don't you go to her time and find her!" Shippo complained… again.

"Because I'm not going to drag a pointless bitch back here and follow us around. If she wants to leave then let her. We don't need her." Inuyasha scowled.

"Just apologize to her." Sango suggested as the group continued walking towards the clearing that hosted the Bones Eater Well.

"The hell I will." Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"Just admit you miss her just as much as we do. We shouldn't take her for granted, like we ha-." Miroku started but abruptly stopped when a large hand covered his mouth.

"Shh! Someone's there." Inuyasha whispered as everyone ducked under a bush.

"Who is it?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know. My senses have been dulled, remember?" Inuyasha scowled.

* * *

'_I wonder if I should go back and get more supplies. I got Ramen for the others and Kaede's medicine in the bag I'm giving to them, but I have a feeling I'm missing something.' _Kagome thought as she stood over the well with her right foot on one side of the well's wall and her left foot on the other side. Her legs were spread and her hands were on her hips while she was thinking. Kagome stood there for a few minutes in her new fire rat kimono with her miko outfit under it, though the only thing you can see from the outfit were the dark green leggings.

"Hey! Who gave you permission to be there?!" An angry voice said from behind Kagome.

"I don't need your permission!" Kagome said as she jumped up and did a 180° while swiping her right hand diagonally and cutting through the air. Spiritual blades shot out at her attacker before her mind even registered who it was.

"Blades of Blood!" a gruff voice yelled.

Red blades were seen coming towards Kagome at a fast pace while pink blades were approaching the stranger. Finally the person who attacked registered in her mind. _'Inuyasha!?' _Kagome frantically thought.

"What?!" Kagome said as she saw Inuyasha's shocked face. "Andoxu Raishuu!" (Undo Attack). The spiritual blades fell apart and the spiritual power that was in it was being absorbed into Kagome's finger tips in a bee line. But Kagome was too late to make a barrier against the Blades of Blood attack and got hit full on. The blades cut Kagome up on both legs and almost severed her right arm, while a few scratches were seen on her face. Kagome landed on the ground, shakily, twenty feet back from where she was previously standing. Kagome stumbled forward with blood dripping down in puddles creating a large puddle itself.

"Ka…Kagome." Inuyasha stuttered. "Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as it echoed through the forest. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha with blood covering her face and almost her whole body.

"Avion." Kagome whispered. Avion flew from the sky and in circles around Kagome in lightning speed. A barrier and a gust was created around Kagome. Keiko came up from behind the well and blew fire around the others, creating another circle. Suddenly the wind disappeared and so did Kagome, Avion, and Keiko.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled again. The fire died down and Inuyasha rushed to the spot with a blotch of blood stained on the ground. He kneeled down and looked at the blood.

"Oh Kagome." Sango whispered as she stared in horror at the blood puddle. Shippo's eyes welled up with tears while others were already falling.

"Mew." Kirara said sadly. Miroku walked up to Inuyasha and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She withdrew her attack and didn't have time to block mine." Inuyasha whispered as he put two fingers into the blood. "I shouldn't have attacked so suddenly." Inuyasha said dejectedly as he lifted his two blood filled fingers up to his face. "So much blood."

"You didn't know. It wasn't your fault. And by the effects it had, Kagome didn't know it was you either." Miroku tried to assure his friend.

"No, Kagome drew back her attack, and now I know she doesn't want to hurt us. But my attack still hit, she probably thinks that I hate her and want her dead." Inuyasha said while getting back up to a standing position while Miroku followed.

"I doubt that, Kagome see's the good in people. She knows that you didn't mean to." Sango said while walking up to the guys.

"Besides, you were only protecting the well so our worlds are still connected." Shippo said from Sango's shoulder.

"She's hurt and I don't know where she is or how she's holding up, how I am supposed to be able to live with myself for hurting her!" Inuyasha yelled angrily, though hurt was etched in his eyes. Inuyasha growled dangerously then leapt off into the forest.

"Miroku, I'm worried. That is a lot of blood." Sango said worriedly taking the act of acting brave for Inuyasha off.

"Me too." Miroku said as he looked at the blood puddle once again.

"Sango, is she going to be okay?" Shippo asked innocently while his eyes welled up with tears again.

"I hope so, Shippo." Sango said.

* * *

'_Damn it all! Why her? Why does everything I do affect Kagome so much?!' _Inuyasha thought angrily as he bounded from tree to tree.

'_Because she actually gives a damn about you,' _Inuyasha's conscience said. _'A pathetic half-breed.'_

'_You're right. She does care. I guess I've never had anyone care so much about me. Damn it!' _Inuyasha screamed in his head as he punched the trunk of the tree he was currently perched in. _'Kagome…Please be okay. I'm so sorry.' _Inuyasha said as repeatedly punched the trunk of the tree.

'_Go find her.' _His conscience said simply.

'_She probably hates me by now. I can't.' _Inuyasha mused.

'_Then why don't you go back to the others. They might be annoying, but they mean well.' _Inuyasha's conscience said.

Inuyasha turned around and looked at his bloody knuckle.

'_Only for you, Kagome.' _Inuyasha thought as he jumped off the tree branch and started walking back towards his friends.

* * *

_**IMPORTANT! **__**重要な**__**! **__**wichtig! **__**重要**__**! **__**Важно! Ważne! Importante! **_महत्वपूर्ण_**! **__**důležité! Tärkeää! Viktigt! **__**중요**__**! **__**Σημαντικό!**_مهم_**! Važno! Důležité! Vigtigt! Belangrijk! IMPORTANT! **_

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	18. Thanks For The Rescue But

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha and Co. **

**_TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! _**

* * *

Thanks for the rescue… But…

Inuyasha walked into the hut with a bloody right hand. His hand was filled with his blood and the blood he got from the puddle of Kagome's blood. Everyone in the vicinity looked up at the new arrival. Inuyasha looked down, suddenly finding the wooden floor interesting.

"Inuyasha." Sango said quietly as she got on her feet and started walking towards the quiet and sorrowful hanyou.

"I'm going to go find her. I'll be back later." Inuyasha said quietly, but loudly enough that everyone in the small hut heard. Inuyasha then turned on his heels and walked out the door.

"Miroku, I'm worried." Sango said as she stared at the flap that covered the door.

"I hope he doesn't do anything rash." Miroku said from his spot leaning against the wall.

"But knowing him, it can go either way." Shippo said as he stared at the stew in his hands blankly.

"Yes. It is a shame that she is always the target, whether intentional or not." Kaede said. Everyone that witnessed all the battles they went through rethought about every moment they were in one. Kagome was always the one to get captured, one to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and one who wouldn't hesitate to take a blow for another. She also would tend everyone's wounds even if she was hurt too.

"We should set out looking for her once Inuyasha gets back." Sango said as she sat down next to Miroku.

"Yes, that would seem the best choice. Especially since she lost so much blood, she is probably weak." Miroku said solemnly.

"Hey guys," Shippo said quietly. Everyone looked at him to show they were listening. "Did you notice that demon that blew fire at us when she left? Doesn't the quick glance we saw of it when it wasn't consumed by fire, look familiar?"

"That's a good point. It kind of did." Sango said as she petting Kirara. "Where did we see it before?"

"It did look familiar didn't it? But…" Miroku said. "Do you remember, Shippo?"

"Nope, sorry, can't remember." Shippo said as he looked up from his soup. Everyone thought quietly but couldn't put a finger on it.

* * *

Inuyasha walked to the Bone Eaters Well for the second time that day. Though he was more careful before he attacked this time, but that shouldn't be a problem anymore because his senses have returned. Inuyasha walked up a few more yards and stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the puddle of blood, the scent making him sick, considering he was the one to blame for the blood in the first place.

'_I really hope she's okay. I hope she's not pushing herself to hard.' _Inuyasha mused as he still stared at the open field. After a while of staring, he walked off towards the wooden well and stared down in its dark depths. _'I hope you went home and safe in your room.' _Inuyasha jumped down into the well and was quickly surrounded by blue light.

Inuyasha came out of the well seconds later and looked up to see a ceiling made of wood. He quietly jumped up and out of the dark depths of the well, to only land right in front of the wooden sliding door. Inuyasha looked left and right to make sure no one saw him. He had a feeling that the family was going to be mad at him for not finding their daughter. Once he knew that no one was around, he quickly opened the door and steeped out. He shut it quickly and jumped straight to the one room he knew so well.

Inuyasha opened the window and was washed over with the scent of Kagome. The room and the air were filled with the scent he knew all too well.

'_She was here not too long ago. But it doesn't smell like blood, so I guess she didn't come back.' _Inuyasha thought. He was about to turn back towards the well when a different scent caught his nose. Well, many different scents to be exact. _'What the hell?' _Inuyasha jumped into the pink room and located the scent. He was lead to a corner where clothes lay strewn across the floor. He picked up what looked like a black deep V-neck, with a wide shirred bottom hem, and batwing cap sleeves from American Eagle Outfitters. Inuyasha sniffed this particular piece of clothing closely. _'So many scents. Girls and boys seem to have been in close contact with her. It smells like there's one male in particular that got close. ' _Inuyasha thought with a scowl placed on his face and he started to growl.

After a while of silence and looking at the black shirt, Inuyasha's face fell into a sad expression.

"I guess she's moved on. She doesn't miss us at all." Inuyasha thought out loud dejectedly. Inuyasha placed the shirt back on the floor and walked slowly toward the open window. He took one last look at the room, then turned back and went out the window. He proceeded to jump back to the well house and entered in silence.

* * *

Kagome sat in pain, with her right leg bent and her left lying on the ground, while panting heavily with her eyes closed. She sat near a flowing river, leaning against a large tree. Keiko sat near the river drinking from the cool water it provided. Avion flew around in a circle looking out for any trouble that might pass. Kagome finally opened her eyes to see Keiko look up with her worried purple eyes.

"Don't worry about me Keiko. I'll be fine." Kagome strained. Keiko didn't seem to believe her one bit. Keiko laid her head on Kagome's outstretched leg and closed her eyes. Kagome put a hand on her head for comfort.

All of a sudden, a bird call was heard. Both Kagome and Keiko looked up to see Avion flying down towards them. Avion then landed on the ground next to the two and proceeded to look in the direction she flew from.

"Lady Kagome, someone is coming." Avion said.

"Who?" Kagome asked.

"The wolf demons, Koga, Ginta, and Hakkaku, my lady." Avion said. Keiko got up and started snarling while transforming her claws and fangs.

"Calm down, Keiko." Kagome said soothingly while putting her hand back on Keiko's head.

"What shall we do then?" Avion asked while cocking her head to the side.

"They won't hurt us. Let them come." Kagome said simply. In the distance, the little group could see a gust of wind coming their way. _'Okay, maybe this won't go so bad. I hope.' _Kagome thought.

* * *

"Koga! Why are you running so fast?!" Ginta yelled after him when he stormed off in front of the other two wolf demons.

"The scent of Kagome's blood is in the air! I'm not going to just stand there and let whatever happened happen again!" Koga yelled back as he rushed forward. Ginta and Hakkaku started panting.

"We better get going faster. We wouldn't want anything to happen." Hakkaku suggested.

"Yeah." Ginta agreed.

* * *

Kagome stared into the water for a little bit until she felt the wind around her pick up in speed.

'_Here he comes.' _Kagome thought as she turned her head to look to the back of her to see how close Koga currently was.

"Kagome!" A male voice was heard. Koga skidded to a stop and immediately kneeled down next to the Taijia Miko and checked her over. "What happened? You're hurt!"

'_Well duh.' _Kagome thought. "Just a little accident, it's no big deal." Kagome said.

"It is a big deal! Look! Your right arm is nearly cut off!" Koga said. Kagome laughed nervously.

"Yeah, um… I got it covered, don't worry about it." Kagome quickly said.

"Who did this to you!?" Koga heatedly asked. Kagome thought quickly.

"You don't want to know that, do you?" Kagome asked nervously.

"Yes! Yes I do! I'll kill the bastard who did this!" Koga said.

"Koga! Kagome!" Ginta and Hakkaku yelled to them in unison.

Kagome, Keiko, Avion, and Koga looked back towards where Ginta and Hakkaku were coming from. They arrive moments later panting, while their hands were on their knees.

"Took you guys long enough." Koga complained.

"Sorry, you just pant ran so pant fast." Ginta struggled to say. Hakkaku swallowed air into his lungs before speaking.

"Kagome, what happened?" Hakkaku asked once he looked up from the ground.

"Nothing you guys need to worry about." Kagome said. She then began to slowly get up, though her muscles protest in pain, but she refused to let it show on her face.

"Don't get up. You're hurt." Ginta said while concern was laced in his voice.

"Kagome let me take care of you. You're to hurt to protect yourself." Koga said.

"I'll be fine. Besides, I have to go somewhere." Kagome persisted. _'Okay, this is getting quite annoying.' _

"Kagome, who or what did this to you? And who are they?" Hakkaku asked then pointed to a glowing bird form and a inu manta demon.

"It was on accident, nothing to worry about. And they are my friends." Kagome was getting fed up.

"It's important! I'll kill him or her or it!" Koga yelled.

"Inuyasha, okay?!" Kagome yelled then gasped and put both her hands up to her mouth and covered it. "I-I mean… um…" _'uh oh.' _Kagome thought.

"What?" Koga said menacingly.

"I told you it was an accident. Drop it already!" Kagome said in a loud voice.

"Dog-turd hurt you?" Koga said darkly.

"I'm not mad or anything._** I**_started the attack first, before I knew who it was! And he didn't know it was me either! So it's not his fault!" Kagome fumed, she then slumped back down on the ground. "I can take care of myself. Why don't you just go look for Naraku? He's in dormancy right now, shouldn't be too hard. And you better NOT do anything to him!" Kagome said.

"He's in dormancy? How?" Ginta asked.

"I kind of… purified… stuff." Kagome said then thought about how stupid that just sounded. "Well, he got away before I purified him, but I still hit a pretty raw spot on him."

"Nice." Hakkaku said.

"I'm going to go find the idiot and teach him a lesson." Koga said then stormed off. Kagome didn't register what he said until it was too late.

"Wait a minute! Damn." Kagome cursed as she saw the twister run away.

"You sure you don't need us here?" Hakkaku asked. Kagome thought for a minute.

"Can you guys do me a favor?" Kagome asked.

"Sure, what is it?" The two wolf youkai's asked in unison.

"Keep both Koga and Inuyasha in line. Don't let them kill each other. And tell Inuyasha I'm not mad or anything like that. Can you do that for me?" Kagome said while looking up from her seat on the ground.

"Sure thing." Ginta said with a smile. "We better get going."

"Yeah, or else we'll never catch up." Hakkaku said.

"Bye!" The two yelled, then started running off.

After a few minutes, the forms of the three wolf demons disappeared. Kagome sighed in both relief and frustration.

"Sorry, Avion, I should've listened to you." Kagome said.

"It's okay." Avion answered.

"Well, we better get going to Totosai's. I should pick up my new battle suit and see if I can do anything for him." Kagome said. The three of them started walking towards the old demons volcanic cave.

* * *

The sun was finally setting on what seemed like the longest day for the shard hunting group of Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara. Inuyasha arrived back at the hut some time ago and busied his mind on the extra room that was being built behind Kaede's hut. Miroku helped out and they finally finished the room. Sango took the day and proceeded to gather new supplies for the new bedroom, while Shippo, Kirara, and Kaede picked some herbs out of the garden.

Now the group was outside the hut watching the sun set behind the tree line of Inuyasha's forest. Inuyasha sniffed the air and still smelled the same scent he smelled all day. That scent could be soothing but deadly all the same, depending how it got there. But this scent sent shivers down his spine. The scent of blood, pure blood. Miko blood to be exact. It haunted his mind all day, saying it was his fault. Even doing extra work on the hut, did nothing to calm his senses.

"Um… Inuyasha… This probably isn't the best time… But…" Shippo said timidly.

"What is it?" Inuyasha said emotionlessly.

"Uh… Well…" Shippo said. Sango and Miroku looked towards the direction he was staring off into and their eyes widened.

"Spit it out!" Inuyasha yelled.

"What looks like a twister that has a tail?" Sango asked.

"What?" Inuyasha asked confusedly.

"He's your number one rival for love." Shippo said as he caught on to the game.

"And he has two lackeys that call Kagome 'sister'" Miroku added. Inuyasha stared at them like they all grew a second head and four arms. Kirara chose then to transform into her larger form and snarl loudly into the direction where everyone, except Inuyasha, was looking. Inuyasha then finally looked towards where everyone else was looking and growled.

"Koga." Inuyasha said darkly.

"Yeah, and by his scent, he's pretty angry." Shippo said while running to hide behind Kirara.

"I wonder what he wants this time." Sango said. About now, the wolf demon arrived with a snarl placed on his face.

"YOU!" Koga yelled as he growled and pointed at Inuyasha.

"What about me, wolf?" Inuyasha said as he began to stand in a battle stance, ready to attack and defend himself.

"Were you the cause of this?!" Koga yelled as he lifted his right hand and showed Inuyasha the blood that was on his hand. Inuyasha looked at the bloody hand.

"I didn't hurt your hand, flea bag." Inuyasha scoffed.

"It's not MY blood!" Koga yelled.

"Koga!" two male voices said a few yards away. Everyone looked to find Ginta and Hakkaku running in their direction. Once they arrived, like usual, they were panting with their hands on their knees.

"Anyways…" Shippo said innocently.

"Who's blood is it then, Koga?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome's. She said that YOU attacked her!" Koga yelled and pointed an accusing finger at Inuyasha.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered in shock. Everyone was quiet, which created an awkward silence between everyone.

"You bastard! No one hurts her! Especially _you _and _Naraku_!" Koga said as he charged at Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly snapped out of stupor of shock and moved out of the way in time.

"You saw her?!" Inuyasha yelled as he blocked another swipe of Koga's claws.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she stopped talking to a worthless, deceitful, traitorous, scum like you!" Koga yelled. Inuyasha stopped suddenly, then lunged at Koga and grabbed his neck with his right hand and lifted him off the ground.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha asked darkly while tightening his grip. Suddenly, for less than a second, Inuyasha's eyes flashed a blood red.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippo yelled in unison.

"Calm down, please!" Sango pleaded as Inuyasha growled menacingly.

"He can help us find her, just let him go." Miroku said as he slowly inched towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha quickly whipped his head around. The others saw that his face had demon markings on them, his claws grew longer along with his fangs, and his eyes were blood red with a blue center. Everyone gasped, including Ginta and Hakkaku.

"Sango, it's like the time when we were at Mushin's. Not even Tetsusaiga helped." Miroku said.

"Yeah. But Kagome was the _only _person that was brave enough to get close to him and calm him down, like the time with Goshinki." Sango replied. Inuyasha groaned. Everyone turned their eyes to focus on Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was struggling with himself and let go of Koga's neck. Koga collapsed on the ground and held his neck while breathing rather hard.

"Damn you half breed. What's wrong with you?" Koga said as he looked at Inuyasha. Inuyasha put both of his hands on his head and growled in a low tone dangerously.

"Kagome." Inuyasha growled out in his low voice. Inuyasha fell to his knees.

"Get away, now!" Sango yelled at Koga.

"Why? I'm not afraid of this pathetic mutt!" Koga yelled.

"Then don't be. But with you around its dangerous! Leave!" Miroku yelled.

"Whatever. I'll get revenge for Kagome! Did you know you nearly severed her arm off! And do you even KNOW how much blood she has lost!? She could've died!" Koga yelled. "I'm going to go to her and do something you can't do! I'm going to protect her from people like you!" Koga said then ran off into the horizon. Everyone was silent for the hundredth time today.

"Ginta, Hakkaku, you two better leave too." Shippo said quietly.

"Actually, we have a message from Kagome to you." Hakkaku said. Inuyasha looked up, his face now only had demon markings, but every other feature disappeared.

"She said to not worry about what Koga said. She isn't mad or anything like that." Ginta said.

"She's too nice." Miroku said.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha said quietly, still struggling with his demonic blood.

"In a forest about two miles east from here, she's not too far." Hakkaku said.

"If you follow the river over there," Ginta said then pointed a finger towards river. "you should find her. She's sitting near the river."

"We better follow Koga, Ginta." Hakkaku said.

"Probably. Bye!" Ginta said while Hakkaku waved.

"So, she's to the river. What do you think, Inuyasha?" Sango asked. Silence was Sango's answered.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo quietly said as he slowly walked to the still kneeling Inuyasha.

"I'm finding her." Inuyasha simply said as he got up slowly. "You guys coming, or are you too afraid of me to follow?"

"We're coming. She's our family too, Inuyasha. And we will never be afraid of you." Sango sympathized. Everyone nodded in agreement.

'_Family.' _Inuyasha mused. "Kagome teach you that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah." Miroku answered simply.

"Without her, we really would've hated each other, huh?" Inuyasha said as he looked at the ground while his bangs covered his eyes. Everyone became speechless. "I thought so."

"Well, let's get going!" Shippo excitedly said, breaking the silence. Sango and Miroku went into Kaede's hut to grabbed their weapons and supplies.

"Yeah, with any luck, Koga might not have driven Kagome crazy yet." Sango said trying to lighten the mood. Inuyasha cracked a small smile, though it wasn't big enough to satisfy his friends. "Inuyasha, you know that she isn't mad. And I know that she cares a lot for you, and I know you care a lot for her too!" Sango tried to reason.

"Some friend I am. I almost killed her." Inuyasha said quietly.

"Inuyasha." Miroku said quietly. "You didn't mean too. And besides, she almost killed you too." _'That came out wrong.' _Miroku thought once the sentence slipped from his mouth. "I mean…"

"But there's a difference. She stopped her attack." Inuyasha said.

"But there was NO way that you could've stopped yours." Shippo said as he hopped up to Inuyasha's shoulder.

"But now she probably thinks that I hate her enough to want her dead." Inuyasha said.

"If she _did _hate you, she wouldn't have sent Ginta and Hakkaku to tell us that she isn't mad! She would be furious if she hated you!" Sango yelled getting really impatient.

"They could lie." Inuyasha said simply. Sango ran in front of Inuyasha and roughly grabbed Inuyasha's shoulders and shook him.

"Wake up! She could NEVER EVER hate you!" Sango seethed. "She understands that it was an accident! She heard you call her name!" Inuyasha looked away from Sango's face.

"Feh." Inuyasha said in almost a whimper.

"Don't 'feh' me, if you didn't trust her, then why do you care if she hates you or not!?" Sango yelled before she knew what she said. Inuyasha was silent. "Inuyasha, you _know _that. Kagome is incapable of hate towards people who do good and or are good, no matter what they are, a 

youkai, hanyou, or human. I know you trust her more than that." Sango said more quietly. Inuyasha looked away and into the tree lines, finding it very interesting at the moment.

"I'm finding her." Inuyasha said so quietly that Sango had to strain to hear, even though she was right in front of him. Sango smiled inwardly and let go of Inuyasha's shoulders.

The group set out to the east and found the river Ginta and Hakkaku were talking about. They followed up the river, before setting up camp for the night in a nearby clearing.

* * *

"Totosai!?" Kagome yelled into the volcanic cave.

"Ah, Kagome. Nice to see you-" Totosai started, then stared at Kagome in shock.

"Lady Kagome, what… happened?" Myoga asked as he jumped off from his perch on Totosai's shoulder.

"Just an attack… No big deal." Kagome said, smiling so the old men wouldn't get suspicious.

"By who? Or what?" Myoga asked.

"Just… um…" Kagome stumbled. The two men listened intently. "Inuyasha." Kagome said quietly.

"He what?" Myoga asked.

"Oh that fool." Totosai said.

"Just never mind, okay?" Kagome said. "Do you have the battle suit I asked you to make?" Kagome said quickly changing the subject.

"Oh yes, right here." Totosai said as he pulled out a white dress like outfit. The bottoms was a flare skirt, like her uniform without the creases, and was connected to her top which was a V neck, and the sleeves were cut just about an inch below the end of her shoulder. It had a grey strap running around her hip. For an addition, the outfit has grey leggings that went down until just below her knee. Kagome also got forearm protectors that went from her wrist to just before her elbow on both arms, and inside these two protectors has a hidden sword. For Kagome's shoes, she had flats that had elastically made string that criss-crossed into three 

circles on the top of her foot. And inside both of the shoes on the outer portion, were another pair of small swords. And strapped to her mid-thigh was a dagger from before.

"Wow, Totosai. This is wonderful. Thank you so much!" Kagome excited said as she hugged Totosai with her only movable arm.

"The material is a dragon scale, specifically made into fabric, so it's just as strong as fire rat. Maybe stronger." Totosai said proudly.

"Kagome, is that fire rat fur?" Myoga asked as he examined the red material that Kagome was wearing.

"Yeah, Sesshomaru gave it to me for a… um… family thing." Kagome said.

"Ah, I see." Myoga said while smiling inwardly. "You know this means that you are Inuyasha's woman, right?"

"Uh…" Kagome stumbled. "Um… yeah."

"And you accept?" Myoga pushed on.

"I… I… um… yeah, I do." Kagome said giving a small smile. "I'm just going to go outside and put this new battle suit on." Kagome walked out into the night and slipped of her miko outfit and put the new outfit on. She then admired it, before putting on the fire rat fur again. Kagome walked inside the cave again.

"Kagome, those wounds are quite serious. Let Totosai bandage that arm of yours, it's almost severed.

"Okay, thank you." Kagome said as she sat against the wall and let Totosai wrap a bandage around it. After it was finished, the three people stood up and went to bed. Totosai went to a wooden bed that was located outside of the cave, while Kagome stayed in the cave with Myoga and slept sitting against the wall. _'Inuyasha, I wonder how you're doing.' _Kagome thought before falling into a bliss sleep.

* * *

The sun was just rising, when a silver haired half demon with dog ears on top of his head, opened his eyes and stared down at his friends. _'I'll get them breakfast before we head out again. Kagome, I wonder how you're doing. I'm so sorry.' _Inuyasha thought as he jumped 

out of the branch he was sleeping on and stretched out. Inuyasha went into the river and quickly caught a few fish for him and his friends. Inuyasha went back into camp, seeing his friends still sleeping peacefully. _'I guess it is still really early.' _Inuyasha set up a fire and placed the fish on some sticks. He sat, watching the fire burn, and the fish fry.

About fifteen minutes later, Miroku stirred and sat up. Miroku looked around, and found that Inuyasha was the only one awake, and some fish cooking in a newly lit fire.

"Were you awake for long?" Miroku asked.

"Feh. I couldn't sleep for very long." Inuyasha admitted. Miroku sighed and smiled solemnly.

"She's going to be all right. She's a tough girl." Miroku said. "I care for her just as much as you, but you and I both know how it feels to lose someone you love. We both lost our parents one way or another. Hey, so did everyone else. But Kagome's different, her heart is pure, and doesn't know what it's like."

"You're wrong." Inuyasha said softly. Miroku looked confused. "She lost her father."

"She… she lost her father? I didn't know that." Miroku admitted.

"You've never been to her time. It's only her, her brother, mother, and her grandfather."

"And yet she stays so pure. You know, she is one of a kind, that girl. I'm glad she's on our side. If she wasn't, she would be one hell of an opponent." Miroku said trying to break the tension.

"Kagome doesn't have a father?" Sango said disbelieving as she awakened from her sleep. Inuyasha shook his head from side to side, saying that she does not. "Oh Kagome."

"Eat up, we leave soon. I'll wake up the runt." Inuyasha said as he stood and shook Shippo and Kirara awake. "Get up." Inuyasha said quietly. Shippo groaned. "We're leaving soon, so you better eat." Kirara and Shippo stretched and walked over to where the food was.

"Aren't you eating, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. Inuyasha shrugged.

"Haven't for two days, don't see another reason not to." Inuyasha said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Inuyasha.

"You haven't eaten for two days?" Sango asked as she stood up.

"Nope, didn't see a reason to." Inuyasha replied.

"Inuyasha, we know that you're a half demon, but I _know _that you need to eat too." Miroku said. Sango bent down and grabbed a cooked fish and went over to where Inuyasha was standing.

"Here, eat." Sango said simply. Inuyasha gratefully took the offered food and started to munch down on it, while he leaned against a trunk of a tree. Sango sat back down and started eating her own breakfast, along with the others.

With breakfast down, and everyone's stomachs filled, the group set out and followed up the river once again. After about half an hour walk, Inuyasha started to sniff the air vigorously.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"Use your nose. Can't you smell the blood?" Inuyasha asked. Shippo sniffed.

"You're right." Shippo answered.

"Is it Kagome's?" Miroku asked cautiously.

"I think so." Inuyasha said. Kirara transformed into her larger size, as Sango jumped on.

"Come on!" Sango yelled. Miroku climbed on and Kirara flew towards where _her _demonic nose leads her.

Inuyasha ran after them with Shippo on his shoulders. Step after step the scent of priestess blood grew stronger.

'_Please be okay.' _Inuyasha mused. The group got there to only find that no one was there, and hasn't been there for a few hours, maybe even the entire night. Inuyasha's face clearly showed disappointment. He knelt down near a tree that was close to the water. Blood spilled and splattered in a three feet radius. "She _was _here." Inuyasha answered his friends looks.

"Oh. Do you want to keep looking? She probably just… stepped out. You know, out of the forest." Sango tried to reassure her friend.

"Come on, let's get out of here. I'm sure you'll pick up her scent again." Miroku said. Inuyasha nodded as they started to walk out of the forest.

Suddenly, the sky grew dark, like it was about to thunder storm. But fate had something else in stored. A smoke screen like fog circled around the group.

"What's going on?!" Shippo asked loudly.

"It's a demonic aura!" Miroku answered.

"And by how thick this demonic aura is, there must be a whole ton of them!" Sango added.

"Over there!" Inuyasha said as he pointed towards a pair of red eyes.

"The jewel shards! Give it to us!" a demon said.

"Miko blood, my favorite. So sweet, and delicious. Where is the young woman?" another demon said.

"Damn you. I won't let you get the jewel or Kagome!" Inuyasha seethed.

"Kagome? Whatever." The first demon said unimpressed. "You're just a half breed. The miko can kill you too."

"She will never kill him!" Shippo said angrily.

"Humans betray and hate us. Same goes for us. Now die!" The second demon said. Suddenly more than a thousand pairs of red eyes appeared and spooked the group. Green gas was sprayed towards the group. Everyone coughed and collapsed, but didn't become unconscious. All of a sudden, in a quick blast of light, almost half of the demons in view were disintegrated and purple light was left in its wake.

'_Who's that? And was that spiritual power?' _Inuyasha mused before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

**_TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! TAKE MY POLL!! TAKE THE POLL!! I COMMAND YOU TO TAKE THE POLL!! _**

**THANKS FOR READING!**

**AND THANKS FOR THOSE WHO REVIEWED! **

**PLEASE KEEP READING OKAY!? THEIR REUNION IS ARRIVING SOON!**


	19. Take Some Blood And Take A Guess

**Disclaimer: Do not own… Psh… **

* * *

Take Some Blood And Take A Guess

Inuyasha groaned as he awoke from his unconscious stupor. He glanced around and saw blood scattered everywhere, with demon parts here and there, while arrows were pinned to the ground and a few trees.

'_That's right. The others and I were knocked unconscious. But then, who is fighting?' _Inuyasha thought as he got up on his elbows and leaned on them. He looked around and what he saw looked like a war. The once opened surroundings now littered with demon parts of all colors, red to black. _'It's not just demon blood here.' _Inuyasha thought. Suddenly a woman with an odd battle suit jumped out of the tree line, bleeding heavily from her head to her toes, while being attacked by several hundred demons.

Her outfit was white with a flare dress and many swords and weapons. A bow lay at the ground, broken in half, while arrows were strewn about. She jumped away as more demons approached and attacked.

Inuyasha then touched his face, feeling a cold metal on his face. _'What the?' _Inuyasha thought as he looked down at the object. It was another demon slayers poison mask, though this one was different somehow. I was almost as though it had spiritual energy charged into the thing. Inuyasha then looked back onto the battle field. The girl, that apparently was a well trained miko, was fighting with a severely bleeding arm. Though with all the blood on her whole body, Inuyasha couldn't tell _how _serious it really was. He then tried to sit up.

"Don't move!" The girl yelled as she was in the air doing a summer-salt to regain her balance.

"What?" Inuyasha asked stupidly.

"The poison in your body is going to spread! And going to spread fast! Keep the mask on and stay still!" The girl said over the roars of demons trying to get all the jewels that Inuyasha and her possessed.

"What about you?" Inuyasha asked worriedly, though it worried him more that he did worry about a stranger that he didn't even know. But then again, she did apparently erect a barrier around him, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara, and has given each member a mask to hold off the poison. On top of that, she was fighting the battle for them. The girl sighed, but seemed happy doing it.

"I would do anything for you and the others." The girl said, with a smile evident in her voice though it couldn't be seen since she wore a mask too. "Even if it cost me my own life."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, though he didn't get an answer due to the girl jumping away from hundreds of demons trying to attack her. Inuyasha tried to move again.

"DON'T MOVE!" the girl yelled. Inuyasha was startled by the level of her voice. "Please… Just stay there in the safety of the barrier." The girl whispered with tears welling up in her eyes. Inuyasha was shocked at what the girl just said.

"No, I won't take orders from a measly human, _especially _someone I don't know." Inuyasha growled. The girl sighed.

"Keiko, restrain him!" The girl yelled. The two tail dog demon rushed out of the battle she was currently in to go inside the barrier and lock Inuyasha down with her fire chains she created with her demonic powers.

"Hey! You're that taijia miko, whatever!" Inuyasha realized.

"You're right. I am." Kagome said sadly as she avoided another attack by doing a one handed back flip. Her right arm was numb and she couldn't move it. _'I'm going to get myself killed.' _Kagome thought sadly. _'At least the others are safe. I'm glad I found them when I did.' _Inuyasha growled loudly as a warning. "Keiko, stay near them. Protect them at all cost, even if I'm not here." Kagome said. Keiko nodded her head and headed out of the barrier about five feet in front of it.

Avion was flying through the skies as she also fought of the hundreds of demons. _'Lady Kagome, where did all of these demons come from?' _Avion thought as the though passed down to her master.

'_Well, I saw Saimyosho a little while back, so some of these demons must have been Naraku's. But I believe the rest came because they knew a miko was too weak to fight because of all the blood near the river.' _Kagome thought back. _'They're just trying to get rid of the enemy.' _

'_What about them?' _Avion asked as she looked at the still unconscious Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara, while Inuyasha was awake and struggling to get out of the fire chains. Though the fire in them didn't really burn, it was just meant for the prisoner to be scared of getting burned and stopped struggling, but Inuyasha was apparently the exception to this.

'_Keiko's got it covered.'_ Kagome replied in her mind as she lifted her only movable arm up and then made the sword appear. The sword senses were locked into her mind so it would know exactly when to pop out. Kagome fought with her one arm and sword while blood dripped 

down her body, and her right arm was lying limply at her side. Kagome panted hard from all the lost energy from her fighting. _'Damn. At this rate, I'm not going to make it.' _Kagome thought. _'At least everyone's safe and alive.' _Kagome took her blade and started slashing at the demons. Suddenly a small version of Hiraikotsu came at Kagome. It was white with blades on the three tips, and was about only one foot on each bend. "Rykotsu!" Kagome yelled as she threw the white boomerang. The weapon hit a hell of a lot of demons, but still, many remained. The weapon pinned itself into the ground near the barrier that Kagome put up.

"You're going to die! Get inside this stupid barrier you created!" Inuyasha yelled out.

"I'm sorry. But you have to keep quiet. Stay safe." Kagome said quietly as she chanted a spell. Inuyasha felt dizzy, but then collapsed onto the ground. Kagome sighed. _'This is for the best. I'm sorry.' _Kagome thought as she continued fighting.

**… Later…**

Sango slowly awakened from the gentle tap on her shoulder. Sango opened her eyes a little to see that Miroku was right above her.

"Good, you're awake." Miroku said as he sat back.

"Yeah, where are we? And what's with the masks?" Sango asked.

"We're in a barrier. The taijia miko made it, and the masks help with the poison in our bodies." Miroku stated.

"The taijia miko saved us? Where is she?" Sango asked as she tried to get up.

"Don't get up." Miroku said while pushing Sango slightly back onto the ground. "She's fighting with all the demons we faced earlier. But she lost a lot of blood and it seems that her right arm is immobile."

"Why aren't you helping her?!" Sango yelled. "She could die!"

"She has us locked in this barrier." Miroku sighed. "She doesn't want us to get hurt, and spread the poison in our bodies."

"Oh." Sango said realizing the problem. "She's a good person, but-"

"We can't get out. I've tried." Miroku said.

"I hope she's okay." Sango said as she looked down at the ground. "What about the others?"

"They're in the same condition we are, except Inuyasha's chained down." Miroku said while turning his head to look at his hanyou friend.

"Why? Does she not trust half demons?" Sango asked while a little anger rose.

"Well actually," said a feminine voice from the sky. A spiritual bird landed on the ground between Miroku and Sango. "Inuyasha woke up, but he was too stubborn to stay put, so our inu-manta demon friend had to chain him down. But then she got annoyed from his ranting and sent him off into a bliss of unconsciousness. He should wake up pretty soon though." Avion said.

"I see. Just like him." Miroku said.

"Yeah." Sango agreed.

"Why is she helping us?" Miroku asked suddenly. Avion was taken back.

"It's the right things to do for friends." Avion stated simply then flew off into the sky and started piercing demons with her beak while she flew fast and straight through them. Suddenly a groan was heard. Shippo opened his green eyes.

"Miroku, what happened?" Shippo asked weakly as he tried to get up.

"Don't get up Shippo, or the poison in your body will spread." Miroku said.

"What's with the mask?" Shippo asked.

"To help the poison dissipate." Sango stated.

"What's up with you guys?" Shippo then asked.

"Mew?" Kirara said as she listened on the whole conversation.

"Just thinking." Miroku stated. Sango nodded.

After a few minutes of silence, everyone who was awake heard a loud thud followed with a groan of pain.

"Damn." Kagome said in pain when she was thrown back into a tree. Kagome quickly looked up and saw yet another attack was heading her way. Kagome rolled to the right of the tree and nearly missed the attack. The tree she was thrown against was disintegrated into ashes. Kagome heard gasps from inside the barrier. She turned to look quickly at Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, and Inuyasha. _'Good, they're awake. Well, except Inuyasha, but he'll wake up __pretty soon.' _Kagome thought. Kagome turned back to battle. _'I'm kind of surprised I'm not unconscious yet. Well, no time to dwell on that.'_

Sango watched in horror as the girl in white stumbled to battle for hers, and the others life.

"Miroku… She's going to die because of us." Sango said solemnly.

"There's nothing we can do. She won't let us out of this barrier." Miroku said as he looked on at the battle and blood. "By the way, with all the power she is exerting, how is this barrier still so strong and stable?" Miroku noticed.

"Well, you see that weapon pinned to the ground?" Avion asked as she flew back down.

"Yeah, that small white boomerang. What about it?" Miroku asked.

"Well, my lady put some of her spiritual powers into it, and it is holding up this barrier while she uses the rest of her power to battle." Avion answered.

"Wow, she went all out. I really hope she's okay." Sango said quietly. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Then we'll feel guilty." Shippo said with Kirara awake and by his side, though she wasn't moving either.

"Rest up. You guys are still weak." Avion said a little later.

"I can't rest when she's figh-" Sango started but drifted to sleep when Avion's eyes flashed pink.

"Sorry, but it's better if you don't watch what happens." Avion said sadly, then flew back into battle.

* * *

Inuyasha groaned as he started to slowly wake up from his spell induced sleep. He lifted his upper body up by his elbows and leaned on them.

"What… happened?" Inuyasha asked to no one in particular.

"You're awake, I see." Said a feminine voice that was to the right side of him.

"And you're alive." Inuyasha answered smartly as he looked around. Outside the barrier littered demon parts and blood.

"Smart talking, as usual." Kagome said as she breathed heavily.

"Hey, are you okay?" Inuyasha asked in concern as he got up and walked over to the girl who was resting against a tree.

"Nice to hear you're concerned." Kagome said but winced in pain as Inuyasha lightly touched her right arm.

"You're arm is almost cut off. But it looks older than the other wounds you have." Inuyasha noticed.

"You shouldn't move around." Kagome changed the subject as she looked off into the setting sun.

"You shouldn't be alive, but we all go around the rules now don't we." Inuyasha answered though he was still concerned over the girl. _'Why do I care so much about this girl?'_

"Always one to break the rules, aren't you." Kagome answered, while finally looking at him.

"Look I don't know why you saved me and my friends, but you didn't have to if you despise hanyou's like me!" Inuyasha answered hotly.

"I saved you because I wanted too. And I don't hate half demons; you shouldn't think so lowly of yourself, it kills your self-esteem." Kagome said while looking away again.

"Why you…" Inuyasha didn't finish.

"Eat up, I bet you're hungry." Kagome said while still looking away.

"Eat what?" Inuyasha was getting frustrated. Kagome looked towards the fire that she built and the fish and soup that was cooking. "Oh." Inuyasha said a little guiltily about how he acted. "Aren't you hungry?"

"No, I ate. Go ahead, I'll still be keeping a look out." Kagome said. Inuyasha started to take off his face mask that she gave him for the time being. "Put that back on when you're done eating."

"Keh! I don't need it." Inuyasha said as he sat near the fire. Kagome stayed quiet, knowing that it was futile to argue back. Inuyasha plastered his ears to his scalp as he picked up some stew in a bowl. "Look, just let me help you with your wounds. They're pretty serious. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know you're not going to hurt me." Kagome said.

"Then let me help you." Inuyasha said persistently.

"You never showed this kind of emotions to strangers before." Kagome noticed. Inuyasha stayed quiet for a while.

"Well… I… Someone taught me differently." Inuyasha answered quietly.

"May I ask who?" Kagome asked still not looking at him. _'He's probably thinking of Kikyo.' _Kagome thought.

"Her name was Kagome. She…" Inuyasha answered. Kagome was shocked at his confession, though didn't let it show on her face. She wasn't expecting him to answer the question, let alone have it be her. Kagome turned and looked at his face; there she saw the conflicting emotions.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Kagome quickly said. "Go ahead and eat. I know you must be starving." Kagome smiled a little though no one can see it beyond the mask.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks." Inuyasha said as he started eating slowly. Suddenly, Miroku groaned out of sleep. The two of them looked at him. "Hey." Inuyasha said.

"What happened?" Miroku asked.

"Remember? We were poisoned. That girl," Inuyasha said while pointing at the girl sitting against the tree. "saved us."

"I see." Miroku said while he got up and went over to the girl. He grabbed both her hands gently, seeing that she winced in pain. "Thank you for saving me and my friends. Would you do me the honor of bearing my child?" Kagome looked at him, then laughed slightly.

"Pervert." Kagome said simply though with slight amusement in her voice.

"Stop molesting the girl, Miroku." Sango said as she woke up.

"You know that you are the only girl for me, my dear Sango." Miroku said.

"Then why are you asking her to 'bear your child'?" Sango asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not interested in that way." Kagome said.

"Those wounds are serious." Miroku said while eyeing the girl's wounds, especially the one that is nearly severing her arm from her body. Kagome looked at which wound he was focusing on.

"That's an old wound." Kagome said while pulling her hands away and going back to look out for any other demons. "Eat up. You guys must be hungry." Miroku and Sango looked towards the fire and where Inuyasha sat.

"Thanks." Miroku and Sango said in unison as they got up.

"I'll look at those wounds of yours, and patch you up." Sango said.

"You don't have to do that." Kagome said.

"I've tried, Sango. Give it up. Let the girl die, she refuses help." Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha!" Sango hissed. "He doesn't mean that." Sango quickly said to the girl.

"Yeah, okay." Kagome said fully knowing that he didn't.

"You don't have to be so rude to the person that risked her own life for us." Miroku said to Inuyasha.

"Keh!" Inuyasha said.

"After everything she's done for us, this is how you treat her?" Sango said angrily.

"Why are we speaking like I'm not right here?" Kagome asked in confusion. Everyone's head snapped up to look at her.

"Right." Miroku said. Kagome giggled.

"Don't worry about it." Kagome said. "Eat. Can't have you guys starving."

"Thanks." Miroku and Sango said in unison again.

"You said that already. Stop thanking me." Kagome said slightly amused. The other two humans took off their masks. "Put those back on when you're done eating. It'll still help with the poison."

"Alright, tha-" Sango started but stopped when Kagome put up a hand to silence her.

"Don't. You said that already." Kagome smiled.

"Right." Sango said while also smiling. "Hey, where's Kirara and Shippo?" Sango said when she noticed that they're missing.

"They're off playing with my inu-manta demon. They're bodies are small, so it was easy to get rid of the poison." Kagome answered.

"Where are they?" Miroku asked in concern, considering all the demons that littered the ground.

"Near the river, don't worry, my spiritual bird is watching over them. She won't let anyone near them." Kagome reassured. Miroku finally noticed the necklace the girl wore.

"May I see that necklace?" Miroku asked.

"You mean my taijia miko of the west one?" Kagome asked while fingering her amulet. She wears a choker necklace that has two small circle amulets that have the symbol for the priestess of the west and demon slayer of the west. The priestess of the west symbol has a sparkling arrow on it in pink and white while having a faded Japanese character for west in the background. While the demon slaying of the west symbol has two swords that cross into an "X", that also has a faded Japanese character for west in the background. With the two amulets attached to the black clothed choker hanging, Kagome is now a fierce warrior with the title of Demon Slaying Miko.

"Yes, may I see it?" Miroku asked. "I don't have to if you don't want me-" Miroku said quickly but was cut off.

"Sure, go ahead." Kagome said as she took off her necklace and threw it to Miroku. Miroku inspected it.

"You are powerful, indeed. Explains how you survived that battle." Miroku said. "Were you the one singing a while back?" Kagome was stunned.

"I… uh… well… yes." Kagome stuttered from embarrassment. Miroku chuckled a little. Kagome started to scowl.

"You have a wonderful voice my lady." Miroku said as he started eating. "What may be your name?"

"That is of no importance." Kagome said mischievously.

After dinner was done, everyone returned to their previous positions for the night. Inuyasha up in the tree, Kagome still leaning against the tree trunk, Sango and Miroku lying on the ground, and Shippo and Kirara snuggled against each other. Keiko and Avion sat against Kagome, though careful of her wounds. Keiko had some wounds of her own, though because she was a demon, they would heal by morning.

A couple of days later the group was up and running again, though they were still isolated in one spot. The poison that was in Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku was taken out, thanks 

to Kagome and the masks. Kagome still wore her mask, making sure that they didn't know who she was.

'_I should really tell them that it's me.' _Kagome thought. _'Maybe I can play it out of them. You know, have a little fun.' _

'_Damn that girl. She saves us, takes care of us, and _still _we don't know her name!' _Inuyasha scowled in his mind. _'I'll get it out of her eventually._

'_She seems so familiar.' _Sango thought. _'But I can't seem to place my finger on it.' _

'_She's so much like someone.' _Miroku thought. _'Could it be…' _

'_She seems nice. I like her.' _Shippo thought. _'But I still miss Kagome. Though they act almost identically alike.' _

"Why don't you tell us your name? What's there to hide?" Inuyasha asked as he was preparing breakfast for the day.

"Do you want to know my name?" Kagome asked mischievously.

"YES!" Inuyasha said angrily. "I'll fight you just to get it out if I have to!"

"I'll make you a deal. We'll fight, if you can get my mask off, I'll tell you. If you don't and I pin you to the ground, then I'm not telling."

"Deal." Inuyasha said without thinking.

"Wait, what about your arm? It's still pretty badly hurt!" Sango said frantically.

"Don't worry about it. I can fight him with one hand tied behind my back." Kagome said. Inuyasha growled.

"Why you…!" Inuyasha growled out. He then launched his right hand out in front of him and tried to snatch the mask off, but Kagome jumped out of the way.

"This'll be fun." Kagome said. Inuyasha jumped towards her and swiped at her multiple times. Every time Inuyasha tried to snatch the mask, Kagome would jump away. "Alright, play time is over." Kagome said after a while of swiping and missing, as she jumped behind Inuyasha using her spiritual powers to launch herself off the ground. Kagome landed on his shoulders and pushed him down to the ground. Kagome then straddled his low back and placed her left hand on his left shoulder. "Got ya." Kagome said smiling.

"Why you…" Inuyasha said, then noticed their position. He turned fifty shades of red. Kagome noticed this turn of emotions in the hanyou then realized as well.

"Sorry." Kagome said while getting off him. Inuyasha got up.

"Wow, Inuyasha. You just got your butt kicked by a girl." Shippo said amusedly.

"Keh! I let her win!" Inuyasha yelled.

"If you let me win then why did you agree to the bet?" Kagome asked, also amused. Inuyasha decided to stay quiet.

"Oh, quietness from Inuyasha, that's something you don't get every day." Sango said next. Everyone started laughing, except Inuyasha, who was scowling at them.

'_She reminds me of Kagome.' _Inuyasha thought absently. Kagome noticed the mood change.

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked.

"You just, remind me of someone." Inuyasha said while looking down at the ground from where he sat.

"Who?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome, she left our group a while ago. We've been searching for her for a while." Sango answered. Everyone nodded in agreement and sadness.

"I just wish we knew where she was." Miroku said. Suddenly Kagome started to giggle that escalated to a full blown laugh. Everyone looked at her in confusion and anger.

"Is there something wrong!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"N-no!" Kagome said while still laughing. "I know where she is, she isn't hard to find." Kagome said.

"Where?!" Everyone yelled in unison.

"Easy." Kagome said then got up and turned away from the group. She took her mask off with one hand and shook her head so that her hair wasn't such a mess. With her hair in place, and mask off, Kagome took deep breaths. _'Here goes nothing.' _

* * *

TAKE MY POLL OR YOU'LL NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN! THEY MIGHT KISS, THEY MIGHT NOT! THEY MIGHT NOT EVEN LIKE EACH OTHER ANYMORE! WHO KNOWS? :P

**YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO KILL ME FOR THAT! **

**BUT…**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **


	20. Down Pour Or Uproar

**Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha…. sigh**

* * *

Down Pour Or Uproar

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked.

"You just, remind me of someone." Inuyasha said while looking down at the ground from where he sat.

"Who?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome, she left our group a while ago. We've been searching for her for a while." Sango answered. Everyone nodded in agreement and sadness.

"I just wish we knew where she was." Miroku said. Suddenly Kagome started to giggle that escalated to a full blown laugh. Everyone looked at her in confusion and anger.

"Is there something wrong!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"N-no!" Kagome said while still laughing. "I know where she is, she isn't hard to find." Kagome said.

"Where?!" Everyone yelled in unison.

"Easy." Kagome said then got up and turned away from the group. She took her mask off with one hand and shook her head so that her hair wasn't such a mess. With her hair in place, and mask off, Kagome took deep breaths. _'Here goes nothing.' _Kagome turned around and had a small smile placed on her lips. "Surprise…?" Kagome said, unsure of how to act at this moment.

Everyone had their mouth hanging open while they were staring with bulged eyes. A long silence came with the surprise.

"Ka…Kagome…?" Sango stuttered.

"Okay… you guys are mad. I'll just… get going again, then." Kagome said with a sad smile as she turned away and gathered her belongings. Kagome stopped abruptly when someone hugged her from behind. "Huh?" Kagome turned around and saw Sango.

"Don't go. We miss you." Sango said quietly. Kagome turned around and hugged her 'sister' with her movable hand.

"But aren't you mad at me?" Kagome asked.

"Why would we be mad at you?" Miroku asked as he came over and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder in a brotherly gesture.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled in happiness as he climbed up to Kagome's shoulder and hugged her neck.

"Mew." Kirara said while rubbing her head against Kagome's ankle.

"Wow, I didn't think I would be missed that much." Kagome said. Everyone let go of her and didn't move away too much.

"Why did you think that?" Sango asked.

"You guys didn't need me here, so I just figured…" Kagome said quietly.

"Don't _ever _think that we don't want or need you here." Sango said sternly as she grabbed Kagome's shoulders. Kagome smiled at the care she was getting.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry." Kagome said looking down, finding the dirt ground very interesting.

"Come on Kagome, there has to be another reason why you left. We'll fix it, please just tell us." Miroku said.

"N-no, just… nothing." Kagome stuttered.

"It's about Inuyasha isn't it?" Sango asked.

"I'm right here! I can hear you!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Come on, stop being stubborn, we ALL know you missed her!" Sango yelled back at him. Inuyasha growled.

"I DID NOT MISS HER!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"Fine, then you won't have a problem of me leaving again?" Kagome asked as she started to walk to her belongings. Kagome was startled when a clawed hand grabbed her upper left arm. "Can I help you?" Kagome asked as the grip tightened. Inuyasha growled audibly.

"Come!" Inuyasha growled out as he jumped into the tree line while hanging onto Kagome's upper arm.

"HEY! You're going to rip my left arm off! Let alone my right arm doesn't work at the moment!" Kagome yelled. They landed in a clear clearing with lush green grass. Inuyasha let go of Kagome's arm and stared her down. "What?" Kagome asked as she looked away from Inuyasha's hard gaze.

"Why did you leave?" Inuyasha finally asked after a moments silence.

"Because you didn't need me, I was just a burden." Kagome said looking down at their feet.

"It's me isn't it?" Inuyasha suddenly asked. Kagome was silent. Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders roughly. "Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled to get her attention.

"Okay, okay! It's just your attitude! You can be nicer sometimes!" Kagome yelled. "And maybe stop playing with my heart." Kagome mumbled this. Inuyasha released his grip, but kept his hands on her shoulder.

"Kagome," Inuyasha sighed. "you promised, and I abused that." Inuyasha said as he hugged Kagome. Kagome was confused at the action but hugged back with her left arm. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Kagome asked in confusion. "Do you have a fever?" Kagome asked as she placed her hand on his forehead.

"No…" Inuyasha sighed as he took her hand off of his forehead. "I just… I'm sorry." Kagome stared at him in disbelief.

"About the promise…" Kagome began.

"You broke it so, it really shouldn't be me that needs to apologize." Inuyasha butted in.

"I said I wouldn't leave, I left, yes, but I came back. That isn't _fully _breaking the promise!" Kagome raised her voice.

"I trusted you! I trusted you with the promise and you broke it!" Inuyasha said, also raising his voice.

"I trusted you too! I trusted you with _my _safety!" Kagome said while putting her hand on her heart. "I trusted you with my heart, but you only made me believe you can't keep _a single _promise." Kagome lowered her voice. "At least not to me!"

"Kagome, that's not true!" Inuyasha reasoned. "I protected you!"

"Yeah, what a great job of protecting me you did! You keep promises to Kikyo like they're your life line! You protect and care for her _a lot _more than me!"

"Don't bring her into this!" Inuyasha said. "She has noth-"

"No, Inuyasha. She has _everything _to do with this." Kagome said emphasizing 'everything'. "She is the reason I have scars."

"What scars? Are they wounds from Naraku?" Inuyasha asked in confusion while his anger rose.

"Not all of them are physical scars Inuyasha. My heart bleeds because of her. Don't you understand?" Kagome said while on the verge of tears.

"What are you saying?" Inuyasha asked in concern when he smelt her tears. Kagome sighed.

"Nothing." Kagome said looking away.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled while taking her shoulders in his hands. "Don't do this." Inuyasha quieted down.

"Do what, Inuyasha?" Kagome said still not looking at him.

"Don't toy with me." Inuyasha said quietly.

"_ME _toy with _YOU?_" Kagome yelled. "You bastard! You're the one breaking _my _heart everyday!"

"Oh, do I? Then why do I go to your time and find a bunch of scents that are from males?! Or how you flirt with Koga?!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome was too angry to catch that he went to her time.

"Or maybe, I'm just being NICE!" Kagome yelled. "What about you and Kikyo, huh? One kiss from her and-" Kagome was cut off when Inuyasha crashed his lips to hers. The kiss lasted a full half a minute before the two decided to part. "and you… um…" Kagome lost her speech. The two panted hard. The two stared at each other.

"What about a kiss?" Inuyasha asked mischievously. "Besides, that won't happen again. I won't let it."

"I hate you." Kagome said jokingly. Inuyasha hugged her tightly.

"Don't leave me again." Inuyasha said quietly into her hair. "Please, don't leave again."

"Are you begging, Inuyasha?" Kagome joked.

"Don't joke, Kagome." Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha, if I promise that I won't leave _ever _again, will _you _promise to stop playing with me?" Kagome asked seriously.

"Of course. But I can't just leave Kikyo's death un-avenged." Inuyasha said. Kagome pulled away a little to look at his face.

"That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking you, not to act like a love sick puppy around her. Can you do that for me?" Kagome said quietly.

"I'm NOT a love sick puppy!" Inuyasha defended. Kagome pushed away from their embrace.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said tiredly.

"Okay, okay." Inuyasha said stepping forward to get her back into arms length. "I promise I won't wander off to her again."

"You can't just say that just because you're tired of me ranting." Kagome said looking away towards the ground.

"I'm not." Inuyasha pleaded. "Please Kagome, when you were away, I realized I used you. But I'm not going to do that anymore." Kagome was shocked at his confession. A moments silence passed between them.

* * *

"I wonder what they're doing." Shippo asked innocently.

"Probably talking about things… Or arguing, like usual." Miroku answered.

"I hope they aren't killing each other." Sango said.

"Mew." Kirara agreed.

"Who wants to spy on them?" Sango said cheerfully. Everyone got up and started walking towards where Inuyasha whisked Kagome away to.

* * *

"Alright, but if you break your promise, I'm obligated to break mine." Kagome warned.

"Don't worry; you will never leave my sight ever again." Inuyasha promised as he gathered Kagome in his arms and hugged her. Kagome let Inuyasha hug her, though the pressure on her right arm was starting to become more painful. Inuyasha smelled her pain, and pulled away slightly. "Kagome, what's wrong?" Inuyasha said generally concerned.

"Yeah, it's just my arm, no big deal." Kagome said. Inuyasha stepped back and took a look at the arm.

"Where did you get that wound from anyways?" Inuyasha asked. Some rustling was heard in the bush, but Kagome and Inuyasha didn't notice. "It's an older wound."

"Yeah, well, its old now, no need to dwell on it." Kagome said nervously.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked as he noticed her trying to avoid the question. Inuyasha placed his hands on her shoulders again, gently this time. "Who did this to you?"

"U-umm." Kagome stuttered. _'I can't tell him this was the wound I got from when he accidently attacked me.' _Kagome thought. _'What do I do?' _Suddenly, like a miracle to Kagome, she sensed people in the bushes. "Inuyasha, there are people behind there." Kagome said looking at a bush.

"I'll get them. Don't worry." Inuyasha said, obviously putting her safety before the concern of who inflicted the wound. Inuyasha ran towards the bush and pounced on the hiding people.

"AH!" A group of people yelled as Inuyasha went at them. Kagome stood in a battle stance though relaxed when she realized who it was.

"Sango, Miroku, Shippo," Kagome said disappointedly. "even you, Kirara." Inuyasha pulled them out and into the clearing, only to be dropped onto the ground.

"Inuyasha, what a pleasant surprise." Miroku said nervously.

"Can it, monk." Inuyasha growled out. "Anyways, Kagome, _where did you get that wound from?_" Inuyasha asked.

"Um… I don't really think that's important." Kagome avoided the question.

"Tell me." Inuyasha scowled.

'_Kagome… that's the wound Inuyasha inflicted that day, isn't it?' _Sango thought. _'That's why you don't want to tell him.'_

"Inuyasha, if Kagome is up to it, what do you say we head back home?" Miroku asked, also knowing why Kagome wasn't telling Inuyasha where the wound is from.

"No, not until she tells me." Inuyasha said, but then noticed something. "What is everyone trying to hide from me?"

"Inuyasha that wound…" Shippo started.

"That wound is by your hand." Sango finished.

"Remember that day when we went to the well?" Miroku said, trying to jog Inuyasha's memory. Inuyasha looked at them in disbelief, then looked at Kagome. Her head was down and looking the ground next to her feet.

"Kagome… Is it really…?" Inuyasha started to ask. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha said then bounded over to the tree line.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled after him as her head shot up in time to see him leave. "Why does he always do that?"

"I'll go talk to him." Miroku volunteered.

"No, I'll go. This is my problem, but thanks for the offer." Kagome said with a small smile. "See you in a little bit."

"You better come back this time Kagome." Sango said sternly.

"Don't worry, I will." Kagome said with a smile.

"Good." Shippo said with a wide smile. Kagome smiled back, then went after Inuyasha.

* * *

Kagome walked for a little bit, following the trail of demonic aura that was coming from Inuyasha. She was getting worried as to how the hanyou was taking the news that he was the one to almost sever her arm. It's almost like déjà vu, except with Kagome as Sesshomaru, and Kagome in her fire rat kimono instead of a dog demon form.

"Inuyasha." Kagome called quietly. Kagome made her way into a small clearing that looked over a cliff and into a nearby village. "Inuyasha." Kagome called again as she found him sitting near the ledge with his legs crossed and bangs covering his eyes.

"Why are you here? Aren't you mad? Or afraid?" Inuyasha asked dejectedly.

"Inuyasha, stop it." Kagome said sternly though she was quiet.

"Stop what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Stop thinking that everyone is above you in some kind of stupid ranking system!" Kagome said a bit frustrated. "You and I and everyone else are equals!"

"Keh." Inuyasha said half-heartedly. Kagome sighed.

"I never judged you." Kagome said as she walked towards him and kneeled behind him. "I was never afraid." Kagome placed her movable left arm over Inuyasha's shoulder and wrapped it around his neck in a small hug.

"But Kagome…" Inuyasha started but got cut off by Kagome.

"No. No more buts…" Kagome said then looked in another direction to think about what she just said. Inuyasha cracked a smile. "Is that a smile?" Kagome said jokingly.

"You always make people feel better than they should, Kagome." Inuyasha admitted. Kagome smiled at him, then bent over a little further and kissed his cheek. Inuyasha blushed as Kagome giggled slightly.

"Come on, the others are waiting." Kagome said as she stood up. "What do you say we go home?"

"Yeah." Inuyasha said with a smile. Kagome turned around and started walking.

"Eep!" Kagome yelled as Inuyasha picked her up bridal style. "What are you doing?" Kagome asked.

"You're hurt, I'm not going to let you walk until you're healed." Inuyasha said matter of factly.

"It's my arm, Inuyasha, not my leg." Kagome replied as she hung on to Inuyasha's neck with her left arm.

"Too bad." With that Inuyasha bounded off into the tree's and back to their friends. _'I'll never admit this, but I've missed carrying her like this.' _Inuyasha thought.

'_Tell her, I'm sure that she'll appreciate your honesty.' _Inuyasha's conscience said.

'_Shove it, you.' _Inuyasha scowled back, but unbeknownst to him, his facial expressions changed a mile a minute.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked as she looked up at him.

"Oh, uh… ya. Just relax, wench." Inuyasha said while having a slight blush high on his cheek bone. Kagome rolled her eyes with a small smile as she saw her friend come into view.

"Hey guys." Kagome said as Inuyasha landed in the clearing.

"Hey, back so soon?" Miroku said lecherously.

"Pervert!" Sango yelled as she bonked Miroku on the head with her Hiraikotsu that was strapped to her back. Sango was back to wearing her pink and green kimono. "Kagome, let's go change those bandages of yours." Sango said as she pinned Hiraikotsu into the ground.

"Sure Sango. Thanks." Kagome replied with a smile as she looked expectantly at Inuyasha. "Um… You can put me down you know."

"Feh!" Inuyasha said as he looked away and placed Kagome on her feet. Sango took Kagome's left hand and led her away from the guys, well guy, considering Miroku was unconscious on the floor.

"When do you think he'll wake up?" Shippo asked Inuyasha and Kirara.

"Keh, like I care." Inuyasha scowled.

"Mew." Kirara meowed as she poked Miroku with her paw. Miroku groaned as he opened his eyes.

"Ow." Miroku groaned.

"That's what you get lecher." Inuyasha said with his arms shoved up his sleeve.

"So, Inuyasha, how was your talk with Kagome?" Miroku asked. "Did you tell her how you feel towards her?"

"I don't feel anything." Inuyasha said as he looked away.

"You're lying. Everyone knows that you love her." Shippo said bluntly.

"I…" Inuyasha couldn't answer to that question.

"She's proven herself in more than one way." Miroku said.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked confusedly.

"Yeah, really. What do you mean proved herself?" Shippo asked.

"She's proven that she can put up with your temper, and if need be, she can defend herself. It's like if you don't want her around she can always just leave, or if you aren't around for some reason. But she does depend on you. She did come back." Miroku answered. Inuyasha thought about this for a minute.

"Yeah." said Inuyasha as he looked towards the direction the girls walked off to.

"And she is still our friend, and part of our family. She did save us, even if it did cost her life." Shippo said.

"Mew." Kirara said as she bounded onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

"You're right." Inuyasha said quietly. "I should tell her that I messed up, big time."

"No, she knows you messed up big time." Shippo said.

"But she's still here. So she forgives you, and since she is still here, it seem like we're not the only ones that missed her." Miroku added. Inuyasha just stared off into the distance.

* * *

"Ow." Kagome winced in pain as Sango removed her old bandages.

"Sorry." Sango said quickly.

"It's not your fault." Kagome said as Sango removed the rest of the bandages on her right arm. The other wounds Kagome had closed up, considering she heals faster than humans but slower than hanyou's due to her spiritual powers.

"So, how's was the talk with Inuyasha?" Sango asked suddenly. Kagome was taken aback.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"What you guys talk about?" Sango said mischievously.

"Just… um… just that I don't mind that he's a half demon." Kagome confided.

"Inuyasha's just insecure." Sango reassured.

"Do you think it was a smart idea for me to leave like that?" Kagome asked.

"Of course. You needed to teach him a lesson. And us a lesson too." Sango said with a sad smile.

"What lesson did that teach you guys? I mean I know what Inuyasha did… but-" Kagome started.

"We abused your presence here, Kagome. And we are really, really sorry." Sango said as she hugged her friend.

"It's okay Sango. In kind of a weird way, we all abused each other's presence." Kagome said as she hugged back with her one arm. "And I'm sorry for that." The two friends, or sisters, hugged each other in silence. Suddenly Kagome pulled back abruptly.

"What's up?" Sango asked as she looked at her friends distressed face.

"A demons here." Kagome replied simply as she grabbed her small boomerang and flung it into the forest in front of her. Spiritual power coated the weapon as it shot through the air. As quickly as it was shot off, the boomerang, named Rykotsu, came back and was swiftly caught with Kagome's hand. Kagome had a special cloth wrapped around her hand, like Sango's, so that the three blades on the spinning weapon wouldn't cut her. Kagome tucked the weapon back into her belt, where one curve of the weapon was against her side as the other hung on the other side of the belt and it hung right next to her sword.

"Did you hit anything?" Sango asked as the silence continued. Kagome pointed at the direction she sensed the demon. Suddenly a crash was heard and a large purple demon with a horn and three eyes fell. "Oh." Was all Sango could mutter out. Sango continued to wrap bandages on Kagome's arm. "Okay, all done." Sango smiled.

"Thanks Sango. I'm just going to put on my kimono and we'll be on our way." Kagome said, as she pulled out her fire rat kimono from her bag and tied it on, making sure to put the belt and the other weapons on the outside. "Okay, let's get going." Kagome smiled at her friend.

"Where did you get that from anyways?" Sango asked as she walked beside her sister.

"Sesshomaru, when we were in Naraku's poison polluted forest. He gave it to me, saying that it was some kind of 'welcome to the family' thing that was supposed to be given to Inuyasha's mate or something." Kagome ranted on, not knowing that they reached the clearing the others were in.

"But you aren't Inuyasha's mate." Sango said, also not knowing the boys were listening.

"His demon chose me, besides I wou…-" Kagome stopped herself as she looked at Miroku and Inuyasha standing in front of her. "Uh… Hi." Kagome and Sango laughed nervously.

"Well, who's ready to go?" Sango chimed in.

"Nice kimono, Kagome." Miroku said with a lecherous grin on his face, after hearing what Kagome just said, the grin isn't going away any time soon.

"Thanks." Kagome said gently as she blushed a little. Inuyasha sniffed the air.

"Kagome, why is there a scent of another demon on you?" Inuyasha scowled.

"Oh, it's probably coming from my weapon. No big." Kagome said, not quite looking at Inuyasha after what she knew he heard. And especially since that she knew that Inuyasha heard more than Miroku because of his sensitive hearing.

"Yeah, Kagome just shot down a demon in one swipe." Sango helped Kagome. Kagome sent Sango a thank you smile.

"You have definitely grown stronger." Miroku said.

"Thanks." Kagome said as she picked up the strings to her bag that had the strings to close it but the strings were also the straps to carry it. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"Sure." Sango answered.

After a few feet of walking, Inuyasha couldn't take the questions that rattle his mind anymore.

"Kagome…?" Inuyasha said, though it was more like asking for her attention for a little bit.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked as she looked at him. Miroku and Sango were up front and listening intently on the two behind them. Kirara and Shippo were in step with Sango and Miroku.

"Um…" Inuyasha stuttered. He became quiet for a while and Kagome grew confused. "You know, back a while ago, were you the one that… you know attacked us, and stole our weapons?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome abruptly stopped walking and stared at Inuyasha. Kagome gave him a small sad smile as she started walking again.

"Yeah, I was. I'm sorry. Totosai wanted me to get your fang, but… I couldn't do it. And he also wanted to check out your weapons, so…" Kagome said as she looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't take my fang, and you gave us our weapons back." Inuyasha reassured. "But when I went to Totosai's he took my fang anyways, something about a fang protection necklace thing for you. By the way, did you get that?" Kagome raised an eyebrow at that comment.

"What fang necklace?" Kagome asked. "No, he needed your fang to make all the swords in my outfit."

"Why that old…" Inuyasha started as he got agitated.

"But you are protecting me. Without the sword in my left arm, I would be dead by now." Kagome said. Inuyasha smiled.

"By the way, where are your friends," Inuyasha asked. "that bird and the inu-manta demon?"

"Yeah, Kagome, I haven't seen them since morning." Sango added as she turned around and started walking backwards.

"They just visited a nearby village I was at before. They wanted to make sure the demons that were after us didn't go down there." Kagome said.

"Oh, that's nice of them." Miroku said. "By the way, what are their names?"

"Avion is my spiritual helper, and Keiko is the inu-manta demon." Kagome replied.

"How did you make a spiritual helper, Kagome? Only one other person in history was recorded to have made one." Miroku asked as he turned his head towards them, though had to turn around anyways.

"I have a little too much time on my hands. Besides, I had enough spiritual power to create and maintain a spiritual helper." Kagome replied. "Here they come now." Kagome said as she looked towards the left of them. Everyone turned to look. "Hey." Kagome said to Avion as she landed on Kagome's shoulder. Keiko came running and jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder, knowing that Kagome's right shoulder hurt a little.

"There are no demons in the village, my lady." Avion said.

"That's good, but I told you that you didn't have to call me that." Kagome said as she continued walking.

"Sorry Kagome." Avion replied.

"That's better." Kagome said with a smile.

"You don't really like titles do you, Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Not entirely, but I can tolerate it from people who don't know me, just not friends and family." Kagome smiled brightly at them as everyone smiled back.

After a while of silence and walking Kagome smiled widely and looked off into the distance. Kagome giggled a little and bounded off using her spiritual powers. She jumped over Sango and Miroku and landed in front of them, then bounded off into the tree line again.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled after her.

"Kagome! Where are you going?!" Miroku yelled next.

"I'll go after her." Inuyasha said as he went off and followed Kagome. _'Damn, she's fast.' _

"Wow, she's fast." Sango noticed.

"She uses her spiritual powers to jump off like that." Avion said.

"Woof." Said Keiko as she agreed.

"She'll be back. She's just visiting a spot that she discovered a while back." Avion answered they questioning glances.

"Should we follow?" Sango asked.

"Sure." Miroku answered as Keiko and Avion led the way.

* * *

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled after her. Kagome looked behind her and saw Inuyasha following her.

"Catch me if you can!" Kagome mocked.

"Why you…" Inuyasha said jokingly as he went faster, but didn't catch up. "Damn, you're fast!" Inuyasha yelled after her.

"I know." Kagome said with a smile. Kagome saw Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion heading her way and decided to run past them. "Boo!" Kagome said jokingly as she landed near the group.

"Wow, you're fast." Miroku said.

"Yup. Oops, gotta run." Kagome said while sticking her tongue out playfully and running away from Inuyasha.

"Get back here, wench!" Inuyasha yelled after her as he too landed near the group. "Damn her."

"You'll never get her…" Shippo said.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran after her again. Inuyasha followed Kagome's scent. As Inuyasha kept following it, the stronger it became. _'Did she stop?' _Inuyasha thought. Inuyasha landed in a small clearing that had a waterfall and a small pond that received the water. "Wow, this is a nice place." Inuyasha said as he walked up behind Kagome, who was looking at the waterfall in awe. _'Why does this place seem familiar?' _Inuyasha wondered.

"I love this place. I found it when I was traveling on my own." Kagome said.

"I'm sure you do." Inuyasha said as he wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked as she noticed his arms around her body, not that she was complaining.

"Just holding you." Inuyasha replied as he stared at the waterfall. Kagome grew confused but let it drop.

"The others are coming." Kagome said. Inuyasha sighed and let go. "You didn't have to let go…" Kagome said quietly, then turned around to face him. Inuyasha stared into her eyes.

"Your eyes are different." Inuyasha noticed.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, more than a little confused.

"They have a purple ring around your pupil." Inuyasha said as he examined them more closely.

"Oh, that's just my spiritual power. I guess they've been dormant for so long that they decided to make themselves known to the world." Kagome joked with a smile. Inuyasha laughed a little.

"They're pretty." Inuyasha bluntly said. Kagome blushed a slight shade of red from the comment.

"Th-thanks…" Kagome stuttered. "You know, you were never this open." Kagome noticed.

"Keh." said Inuyasha.

"I like it." Kagome said with a smile. Just then the others decided to show up.

"Wow, this place is nice." Sango said in awe. "Kagome… is that a purple ring in your eye?"

"Yeah, it's from my spiritual powers." Kagome answered again.

"Awesome." Shippo said as he bounded over to the water.

"What do you say we set up camp here?" Miroku suggested. "It's getting dark, and this is a beautiful spot."

"Sure." Answered the whole group. Though, without anyone knowing, Inuyasha was staring off into the horizon.

'_Why is this place so familiar?' _Inuyasha thought as he stole a glance towards Kagome, but he found that Kagome was right next to him, so he blushed a little.

"What's got to you? You're like in space or something." Kagome said a little concerned.

"Nothing, wench." Inuyasha replied gently.

"Hmph." Kagome said as she scrunched up her face and walked away. "The nerve of that guy." Kagome muttered, though Inuyasha picked it up from his hanyou hearing.

'_It's settled. I'll ask her when we get back.' _Inuyasha thought as he turned to the others. "I'm gonna go get food!" He yelled as the others gave him a thumbs up.

* * *

**WOW THAT WAS LONG! **

**OKAY, THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! (or I might lose the will to write)**


	21. Depression and Excitement

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Depression and Excitement

The group finally made it home after two days of walking. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion were glad to have some rest after what they've been through.

"Finally, some relaxation." Sango sighed out as she slowly walked towards Kaede's hut.

"Hey, Inuyasha, I'm going to head home, okay?" Kagome said as she prepared for another argument.

"Yeah, sure, but only for a few days." Inuyasha replied simply. Kagome stopped walking immediately.

"What?" Kagome asked confusedly.

"Go ahead, do what you want." Inuyasha replied. Everyone stared at him in shock.

"You're letting me go? Just like that?" Kagome asked skeptically. "No argument?"

"Nope, just go ahead. But come back in a few days." Inuyasha said sternly.

"I actually just went there a few days ago, but I was just going to get supplies because we're all back together again… but… okay." Kagome said slowly as she looked at the others, who also all had clear confusion written on their faces.

"I'll walk you there. You guys can rest up." Inuyasha said as he began to walk again. Everyone looked at each other, but shrugged and went to the village. After walking to Kaede's the group said their good-bye.

"Come back." Sango said as she hugged Kagome.

"I will, don't worry." Kagome said as she hugged back, still with one arm.

"Get that arm looked at too." Miroku said as he placed a hand on Kagome's back.

"I will do that too." Kagome said as she let go of Sango and hugged Miroku briefly. "I'm guessing you want pocky." Kagome said happily and knowingly to Shippo.

"Please?" Shippo asked cautiously.

"Sure." Kagome said with a smile then hugged him. After that, she petted Kirara and waved good bye to her family. "See you later!" Kagome called as she left with Inuyasha, and Keiko and Avion in tow. "So…" Kagome said after a moment's silence.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked.

"What possessed you to let me go back?" Kagome asked.

"Just didn't want to argue anymore." Inuyasha simply said as he looked in front of him.

"Why? You love arguing with me, I know this because we use to do it every day." Kagome said then smiled. "If one day we didn't argue, then hell must be freezing over." Kagome lightly poked Inuyasha with her elbow in hopes that it will lighten the mood. Inuyasha just glanced at her from the corner of his eye without moving his head. Kagome sighed and ran ahead of Inuyasha and stood in front of him. "What's wrong? What did I do now?" Kagome asked almost desperately.

"Nothing." Inuyasha said as he looked away from Kagome.

"There's something wrong, I intend to find out Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. Kagome was walking backwards while Inuyasha was walking forward. Kagome glanced behind her and found the well only a few yards away. Kagome abruptly stopped. Inuyasha almost ran into her.

"Damn it, wench, why'd you st-" Inuyasha started but got stopped when Kagome pressed her lips to his. Kagome pulled away just when Inuyasha was starting to recover from shock.

"Now talk." Kagome said with a slight pant.

"It's just… nothing." Inuyasha said quietly as he looked away towards the ground as his bangs covered his eyes. _'Did she just kiss me to shut me up?' _Inuyasha thought. Kagome looked at her fire rat kimono. Just then something popped into her mind.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome started. Inuyasha didn't look her way but his ear flicked to show he was listening to her. "Do you…um… never mind." Kagome decided better than to push Inuyasha too far.

"Whatever." Inuyasha said. "Just go, but come back soon." Suddenly Kagome hugged him gently with her one arm. Inuyasha was stunned by this but hugged back.

"You can always talk to me." Kagome said gently into his chest. Kagome pulled back and smiled at him. "Keiko, Avion! Let's get going!" Kagome yelled for her companions. They came scampering her way. "See you later, Inuyasha."

"Bye." Inuyasha said almost inaudibly. With that Kagome jumped down the well with Keiko and Avion while Inuyasha looked down into the fading blue glow. _'What do I do? How do I ask her?' _Inuyasha thought as he walked back to the others.

* * *

Kagome landed gracefully on the dirt pavement of the bottom of the Bone Eaters Well in her time.

'_I wonder what's gotten into him. It's like he's pushing me away again.' _Kagome thought. _'Should I leave again? No, he doesn't want that… but it sure seems like it.' _

"Kagome, doesn't school start now?" Avion asked from the top of the well. Kagome looked up and realized she was still standing on the bottom.

"Oh, I don't think I'll go to school today Avion, but thanks for telling me." Kagome said as she jumped out of the well. Kagome suddenly stopped her stepped and thought for a minute. "I just kissed Inuyasha." Kagome realized quietly. "Oh boy, I just kissed him to tell me the truth." Kagome sighed. "I guess I shouldn't dwell on it, it didn't seem like he was complaining."

Kagome then walked out of the well house, only to be greeted by the strong rays of the sun. Kagome squints her eyes, to only get little circles in her vision. She looked around and saw a very deserted shrine. She then proceeded to the main house and entered the door.

"Who is it?" A feminine voice called from the kitchen.

"Hi mom! It's just me!" Kagome answered back.

"Kagome dear, welcome back." Mrs. Higurashi said to her daughter. "Are you hungry?"

"Maybe just a little." Kagome admitted. Mrs. Higurashi graced her daughter with a plate of grilled fish and rice with pickled vegetables on the side. "Looks delicious! Thanks mom." Kagome said as she kissed her mother's cheek.

"Eat up. Don't want you to starve." Mrs. Higurashi said with a smile. "How are things on the other side?" She asked suddenly.

"Um…" Kagome thought for a minute on how to give the news to her mom. Kagome put the chopsticks that she was using for her meal down. "Well, I got back with the others." Kagome said, deliberately avoiding the fact that she almost killed herself.

"And your arm?" Mrs. Higurashi asked in concern.

"Oh, it was an accident." Kagome said as she looked at the rice bowl in front of her.

"Everything is an accident, dear. But let's get that checked out." Mrs. Higurashi said.

"No hospitals, right? They just ask too many questions that can't exactly be answered." Kagome said.

"Of course not, we have another first aid kit upstairs." Mrs. Higurashi answered with a smile, though she knew her daughter put her life in danger everyday she goes back five hundred years, she was just a mom that worried over her daughter, but understood what Kagome needed to do. "Do you need anything? Food? More medical supplies?"

"Food and medical supplies please." Kagome said nicely. Mrs. Higurashi smiled. As she walked up the stairs to get the first aid kit to take care of Kagome's arm. Kagome continued eating her breakfast as she thought of the others. _'Did they miss me that much? I know I did, but… I don't know. I'm just glad they accepted me back.' _Kagome thought happily. Mrs. Higurashi came back downstairs with the medical supplies in tow.

"After I'm done, I'll go to the store and get your supplies okay?" Mrs. Higurashi informed her daughter.

"Sure, thanks mom." Kagome said as she hugged her mother.

"No problem, dear. Do you need anything specific for your friends?" Mrs. Higurashi said as she hugged her daughter.

"Just some pocky for Shippo, and maybe Ramen for Inuyasha." Kagome said as she let her mother examine her wound. To Kagome's eyes it looked like it was healing well. A few more days and the wound should close up. Mrs. Higurashi cleaned the wound with some disinfectant, which stung Kagome, and rewrapped her arm in a new bandage. Mrs. Higurashi gave Kagome a make shift sling for her arm.

"There you go, hon." Mrs. Higurashi said. "Now relax before you leave again. I'll go get your supplies." Mrs. Higurashi kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"Thanks again." Kagome said as she hugged her mom with one arm. Kagome proceeded with the rest of her grilled fish, with rice, and pickled vegetables. Mrs. Higurashi grabbed her purse and left, closing the door behind her. Kagome cleaned up her spot at the kitchen table and washed the dishes. She proceeded to feed Keiko, who just came in from playing outside with Avion, and went into the living room to watch some television before she had to go back.

* * *

Miroku and Sango were sitting side by side inside Kaede's hut, waiting for their lunch to grill on the fire pit.

"Hey, Miroku?" Sango said as she slightly looked to her side.

"Yes, Sango dear?" Miroku said.

"Don't start with that. I'm worried." Sango admitted. Miroku's face suddenly became serious.

"What are you worried about?" He asked as he fully turned to Sango.

"It's Inuyasha. He's acting kind of weird and out of character." Sango said as she fidgeted with her hands and fingers. "Something's bothering him, and it's as though it's eating him alive from the inside out."

"He's been acting like that since Kagome came back. You don't think that…" Miroku couldn't finish his sentence. He knew Inuyasha loved Kagome, but knowing him, he was too stubborn to do anything about it.

"No, I don't think it's her presence that is bothering him. I just think it has something to do with him being insecure about what he is, and how Kagome reacts. But we_ all _know that Kagome doesn't care about that, but with all the things his life has thrown at him, who knows what he thinks." Sango said as she finished her speech with looking at the door.

"You're right. I'll go talk to him." Miroku said as he stood up.

"Let's have lunch first." Sango said as she looked at the cooked, almost burnt, fish.

"I'll call everyone in." Miroku said as he went to the door. "LUNCH!" Miroku yelled. Everyone came in record time.

"Finally! We didn't have a chance to eat breakfast, I'm starved!" Shippo said excitedly. Shippo ran up to the middle of the room and grabbed a stick with a fish impaled on it. Everyone then grabbed their fish, though one stayed near the fire. Everyone looked at the only person who wasn't eating.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong? You haven't eaten all day, aren't you hungry?" Sango asked as she looked at Inuyasha worriedly. Inuyasha looked at Sango's worried face. He gave up and picked up the fish with a small sigh. Though all Inuyasha did was nibble a bit of the flesh. Sango put her own food down and sighed in exasperation. Sango then took Inuyasha's food, set it down, and grabbed his arm gently. Inuyasha looked at her curiously. Sango dragged Inuyasha outside the hut and lead him to the edge of the forest.

Inuyasha followed quietly, wondering where Sango was taking him and why. Inuyasha looked at his surroundings and found that they were getting deeper into the forest.

"Sango, where are you taking me?" Inuyasha asked. Sango stopped.

"Inuyasha, why are you so depressed lately? Does it have something to do with Kagome?" Sango asked suddenly, catching Inuyasha off guard. Inuyasha hesitated in his answer.

"I'm not depressed. Just, thinking." Inuyasha said quietly as he looked away. Sango got tired of being patient. She grabbed the collar of his clothes with bother her hands and pulled him closer to her.

"Don't think I'm stupid, Inuyasha. Miroku noticed." Sango said. "Do you not _want _Kagome back with us?" Inuyasha pushed Sango and stumbled back with an angry look on both their faces.

"Of course I want her back!" Inuyasha yelled, but paused. "I just heard you and her talking." Inuyasha said more quietly.

"Talk? About what?" Sango asked as she raked her mind for what Kagome and she talked about for the last few days.

"Nothing. Just… nothing." Inuyasha said as he walked off, deeper into the forest.

"Inuyasha! Wait!" Sango yelled after him, but he didn't turn back. "What did we talk about?" Sango asked herself quietly. _'He needs to be alone, but I feel bad.' _Sango thought as she stared off to the retreating back of Inuyasha's red clothing. Sango was about to follow, but decided against it and went back to the hut.

Once Sango got into the small wooden hut, all eyes turned to her. Sango didn't seem fazed by this, but had concern written in her facial appearance and her eyes.

"Sango, what happened? Where did Inuyasha go?" Miroku asked.

"It's…" Sango was about to say, but decided that it was best to keep it a secret until Inuyasha told the others. "Never mind, I shouldn't be the one telling you. Though I don't know much either."

"And Inuyasha?" Miroku urged.

"He's off in the forest. Whatever that is bothering him, he's taking it really seriously." Sango said.

"This could turn out extremely good, or extremely bad." Shippo said quietly, knowing that a situation like this, there were only two choices, and no middle ground.

"Mew." Kirara mewed sadly. Everyone sighed.

* * *

Kagome kneeled near her front door, in her white battle suit, with her bag on the ground while she put the medical supplies and extra food in it.

"Got everything, Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she helped her daughter, who only had one movable arm.

"Yep, thanks." Kagome said with a smile.

"Have any idea when you'll be back, sis?" Souta asked. He came back from school about half an hour ago, and now it was around four in the afternoon.

"Probably in two days or something, I'll probably persuade them into staying a while for everyone to rest up." Kagome answered with a smile.

"Since you're back with Inuyasha, can he come over?" Souta said hopefully.

"We'll see." Kagome said with a knowing smile. Kagome stood up with her bag on her shoulder, and a duffel bag that she was carrying in her left hand, that contained Shinto boxes, pocky, and some ramen boxes. "Alright, ready to go." Kagome said as she left the house, her family following.

"See ya, sis!" Souta said as he hugged Kagome. Kagome kissed his cheek a little, considering her hands were full.

"Bye, dear. Be safe, okay?" Mrs. Higurashi said as she kissed her daughters forehead, and hugged good bye.

"Don't worry. I'll be as careful as can be." Kagome reassured as she also kissed her mother on her cheek.

"Stay away from those youkai's, Kagome." Jii-chan said as he also hugged his granddaughter.

"Can't exactly promise you that one, gramps, but I'll stay away from all the bad ones." Kagome said with a smile and kissed her grandfathers cheek as well. Kagome then stepped to the well and turned around and smiled good bye to her family. Kagome looked down and saw Buyo, her fat cat, and started petting the feline on the head. She saw Souta petting Keiko, while Avion was on Mrs. Higurashi's shoulder. "Bye guys!" Kagome said as she looked into the well. "Keiko, Avion, let's get going shall we?" Keiko and Avion went to stand beside Kagome who had one foot propped up on the lip of the well. Kagome jumped into the well as Keiko and Avion followed into the blue light.

"There she goes again." Souta said.

"Yeah, I already miss her." Mrs. Higurashi said sadly.

"This is her fate, she has to do, what she has to do." Jii-chan said. Everyone in the well house nodded.

* * *

On the other side of the well, a blue glow developed in the Bone Eaters Well. A few moments later, a miko emerged from its depths, using her spiritual powers to propel herself up.

"I guessed no one knows that I'm here. Oh well." Kagome said as she started walking towards the village with her two bags in tow. Keiko walked by her feet as Avion flew overhead. Kagome stopped suddenly. "Hey, do you guys feel like there are some odd emotions flowing around this place?" Kagome asked Keiko and Avion.

"Yes, there is. I wonder what's wrong." Avion said. Keiko barked a little. With her spiritual power, Kagome can sense a few emotions, which are usually displayed in a person's eyes, from a distant away. Kagome walked into the village and saw that it was bustling with activity. Kagome smiled at the success in the village. She then entered Kaede's hut, only to find everyone, except Inuyasha, in a circle around the fire.

"Hi guys. What's up?" Kagome asked perkily, while trying not to give away that there was obvious sadness in the air somewhere.

"Hi Kagome." Everyone said in unison. Kagome forced a smile, though no one noticed.

"Oh, Kaede, I have that book you asked for." Kagome said as she put down her two bags and went through her duffel to find a medical book. A simple book that has symptoms and what the sickness is and what the cure is.

"Thank ye, child." Kaede said as she took the book with gratitude.

"You're welcome." Kagome said. "And here's food for you guys. But then again you guys probably ate, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry." Sango said, who also had a forced smile.

"No problem. It's my fault that I came late." Kagome said, but then frowned. "Okay, I know something's going on."

"Well…" Shippo started. Kagome looked at each person.

"Inuyasha's in a bad mood again?" Kagome asked jokingly.

"It's Inuyasha alright." Shippo said.

"But it isn't the mood. He's been thinking about something that has been killing him inside. It has something to do with you." Miroku said as he looked at the miko.

"Me? What did I do?" Kagome asked with more than a little confusion.

"We don't know. He's just not himself." Sango said.

"I'll go after him." Kagome said determined as she walked out the door.

"He's in the forest!" Sango yelled after her.

"Okay, thanks!" Kagome yelled back from the outside.

"How do you think it will end?" Sango asked.

"Knowing those two, it could go anywhere. Heartbroken, love stricken, confusion, anything really, but most of the time it ends up in anger." Miroku said. Everyone sighed out in exasperation.

* * *

Kagome looked from side to side as she tried to spot Inuyasha in the depths of the forest. Kagome used her spiritual powers to track his demonic aura, but it led her to the middle of what seemed to be nowhere.

"Inuyasha?!"Kagome called out as she walked towards a familiar spot. Kagome has been going in circles so much that she got herself lost, and if she didn't find Inuyasha, she might be stuck in the forest for a day or two. Kagome then heard a rustle in the trees. "Who's there?"

"Relax, it's just me." Inuyasha said as he jumped down from the tree line. "What do you want, bitch?" Kagome growled at his choice of name.

"The minute I come back, and you jump to insulting me already?" Kagome asked angrily.

"Whatever." Inuyasha said as he looked towards a nearby stream. Kagome pulled the collar of his kimono towards with one hand, which was impressively strong.

"Inuyasha, you are getting on my last nerve!" Kagome yelled to his face. Inuyasha winced at her tone and what she just said. "You are worrying everyone sick with your….!" Kagome thought for a moment. "With _whatever _it is you're hiding from everyone!" Kagome screamed.

"Kagome, you don't understand. It's complicated." Inuyasha said as he tried to look down, since Kagome still hung onto his collar. Kagome sighed with exasperation as she let go of his collar.

"You don't have to talk about it, but I'm always on your side, and so is everyone else." Kagome said as she looked sadly at the ground. Inuyasha saw the million emotions that ran through Kagome's facial features. Sadness, confusion, anger, trust, friendship, and more that he couldn't identify. "And that we're all worried about you." Kagome said as she started to walk away, towards where she _thought _the village resided. Kagome felt a calloused hand wrap around her wrist to stop her movement. Kagome turned around and faced Inuyasha's bang covered eyes. Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"We need to talk." Inuyasha confided. Kagome blink a few times in confusion.

"Sure." Kagome said as Inuyasha led her towards a tree. "Oh, so this is where we are, at the Sacred Tree. Good, because I thought I got lost in here trying to find you." Kagome said with playfulness laced in her voice.

"No, Kagome, this is serious." Inuyasha said. Kagome instantly tensed. Inuyasha felt her body tense after his words, but couldn't respond to the emotion. "Kagome, where did you get the other fire rat robe?" Inuyasha asked as he let go of her wrist. They stood underneath the Goshinboku.

"Sesshomaru gave it to me, why?" Kagome asked as she went up to the tree and leaned her back against the trunk of it. Inuyasha stayed silent a minute, thinking of the right words.

"I heard you and Sango the other day." Inuyasha admitted.

"Huh?" Kagome asked.

"The first day we knew it was you, Sango took you to change your bandages, and when you came back you started to talk about… us." Inuyasha said.

_Flashback _

"_A demons here." Kagome replied simply as she grabbed her small boomerang and flung it into the forest in front of her. Spiritual power coated the weapon as it shot through the air. As quickly as it was shot off, the boomerang, named Rykotsu, came back and was swiftly caught with Kagome's hand. Kagome had a special cloth wrapped around her hand, like Sango's, so that the three blades on the spinning weapon wouldn't cut her. Kagome tucked the weapon back into her belt, where one curve of the weapon was against her side as the other hung on the other side of the belt and it hung right next to her sword. _

"_Did you hit anything?" Sango asked as the silence continued. Kagome pointed at the direction she sensed the demon. Suddenly a crash was heard and a large purple demon with a horn and three eyes fell. "Oh." Was all Sango could mutter out. Sango continued to wrap bandages on Kagome's arm. "Okay, all done." Sango smiled._

"_Thanks Sango. I'm just going to put on my kimono and we'll be on our way." Kagome said, as she pulled out her fire rat kimono from her bag and tied it on, making sure to put the belt and the other weapons on the outside. "Okay, let's get going." Kagome smiled at her friend._

"_Where did you get that from anyways?" Sango asked as she walked beside her sister._

"_Sesshomaru, when we were in Naraku's poison polluted forest. He gave it to me, saying that it was some kind of 'welcome to the family' thing that was supposed to be given to Inuyasha's mate or something." Kagome ranted on, not knowing that they reached the clearing the others were in._

"_But you aren't Inuyasha's mate." Sango said, also not knowing the boys were listening. _

"_His demon chose me, besides I wou…-" Kagome stopped herself as she looked at Miroku and Inuyasha standing in front of her. "Uh… Hi." Kagome and Sango laughed nervously. _

"_Well, who's ready to go?" Sango chimed in._

"_Nice kimono, Kagome." Miroku said with a lecherous grin on his face, after hearing what Kagome just said, the grin isn't going away any time soon._

"_Thanks." Kagome said gently as she blushed a little. Inuyasha sniffed the air. _

"_Kagome, why is there a scent of another demon on you?" Inuyasha scowled._

"_Oh, it's probably coming from my weapon. No big." Kagome said, not quite looking at Inuyasha after what she knew he heard. And especially since that she knew that Inuyasha heard more than Miroku because of his sensitive hearing. _

"_Yeah, Kagome just shot down a demon in one swipe." Sango helped Kagome. Kagome sent Sango a thank you smile._

"_You have definitely grown stronger." Miroku said._

"_Thanks." Kagome said as she picked up the strings to her bag that had the strings to close it but the strings were also the straps to carry it. "Let's get going, shall we?" _

"_Sure." Sango answered._

_End Flashback_

"Why did you accept the gift Kagome?" Inuyasha asked quietly, fearing the answer. _'You aren't taking advantage of me and the gifts that my blood line provides you, right?' _Inuyasha thought fearfully.

"I accepted it because…" Kagome trailed off.

"Are you taking advantage of this, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked when Kagome hesitated. Kagome's eyes shot wide open.

"What!? After all we've been through, that's what you think!?" Kagome yelled.

"If you were, it wouldn't be the first time someone has tried to take advantage of me!" Inuyasha yelled back. Kagome quieted down once hearing the very fact that Inuyasha doesn't trust easily.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, but I'm not like that." Kagome said as she looked down at the roots of the tree. "I accepted it because…" Kagome paused. Inuyasha listened intently, though he wasn't looking at her either. "Because I know that your demon side chose me as its mate."

"Don't pity me." Inuyasha said darkly.

"I'm not. I know it chose me, and… I wouldn't mind being your mate." Kagome said as tears welled up in her eyes. "But if you don't want me to… then I'll give it back." Kagome said quietly as she pitied herself. _'It can't be helped that he doesn't want to have a relationship like that.' _Kagome thought sadly to herself. Kagome pushed off the trunk of the Goshinboku she was leaning on. Kagome started to walk away.

**THE END! **

**JUST KIDDING! KEEP READING! **

As she stepped out into the sun and breeze of the day, Kagome's tears finally fell down her face and dropped to the dirt ground, making a small splash stain in the dirt. Strong, muscular arms wrapped around Kagome's middle. She stopped abruptly and looked at the arms.

"Kagome, do you…" Inuyasha started from behind her. "Do you mean that? Please don't play with me."

"I'm not playing." Kagome said quietly, though a little surprised Inuyasha said please. Both of their bangs covered their eyes. "Inuyasha, let me go if you don't want me here."

"Who said I never wanted you here?" Inuyasha asked. "I've always wanted you here, with me."

"You pompous jerk." Kagome joked a little with a small smile gracing her lips.

"I don't know what you just said, but it's worth it to see that smile again." Inuyasha admitted.

"That's probably the sweetest thing you've ever said to me." Kagome said while still having that small smile on her lips. "And by the way, pompous means that you're full of yourself and think that you're the center of attention." Kagome said while her smile grew wider.

"Keh." Inuyasha said. "That's not true."

"Sometimes you act like it though." Kagome said, Inuyasha's arms still around her middle. Kagome thought for a few moments. "You aren't yourself."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked as he turned Kagome in his arms, so they faced each other.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked eyeing him skeptically. Inuyasha thought for a long moment that made Kagome nervous as hell.

"Be mine?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome was taken aback. Inuyasha stared at her blank face, mistaking shock for rejection. "Oh…" Inuyasha said dejectedly as he let her go. Kagome didn't know what happened when Inuyasha pulled away, but decide to answer his questions with a few actions of her own. Kagome leaned up on her toes as she pushed her lips to his. Inuyasha was shocked by her actions. Kagome raised her left arm to his neck and encircled it, while Inuyasha's hands rested on her hips. The two kissed gently, for reassurance. "Kagome." Inuyasha panted out once they pulled apart.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked also panting a little.

"You really want to be the mate of a hanyou?" Inuyasha asked seriously.

"Never wanted anything more." Kagome said as she leaned her forehead against his. Inuyasha smiled.

"Do you know what we have to do?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah." Kagome said. "I had demon slayers training, remember?" Kagome said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked again. Kagome laughed a small laugh in amusement.

"Stop asking. I want to be yours." Kagome admitted as she kissed him again, though more forcefully this time.

Kagome licked Inuyasha's bottom lip, in the middle of their kiss, asking for entrance. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, but granted Kagome her wish by opening his mouth a little more. Kagome's tongue entered Inuyasha's mouth, exploring his depths. She ran her tongue across his razor sharp fangs before tapping his tongue, trying to coax him into exploring on its own. Inuyasha licked her lips, and then entered her mouth cautiously, tasting the sweetness of Kagome's essence. The two pulled apart for air.

"Mmm, you taste good." Inuyasha admitted. Kagome blushed. Inuyasha smiled.

"You're not so bad yourself." Kagome said. Inuyasha gave her a butterfly kiss on her lips while leaning his forehead against hers.

"Ready?" Inuyasha asked.

"For becoming your mate? Always." Kagome said with a wide smile.

* * *

**ANTOHER CHAPTER DONE!**

**HOPE YOU LIKED THE FLUFF! SORRY IT WAS KIND OF OOC BUT I COULDN'T REALLY GET IT TO WORK ANY OTHER WAY! **

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**PLEASE KEEP DOING JUST THAT!**


	22. What To Do 101

****

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. Just my own ideas.

_**Important: I update weekly on Fridays now! Just in case you wanted to know. (central USA time zone)**_

* * *

What To Do 101

"What do you think they're doing that's taking so long?" Shippo asked innocently as he, Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Kaede sat in the wooden hut around the fire pit.

"Well, Shippo, they could be going at it." Miroku said lecherously.

"Huh? What does that mean?" Shippo asked in confusion as Sango blushed fifty shades of red.

"You see, Shippo, when two people-" Miroku started but was knocked unconscious by a bone boomerang to his head.

"Pervert! Don't you _dare _answer that!" Sango yelled as she clutched Hiraikotsu tightly.

"He will never learn that young monk." Kaede said as she continues to sip her herbal tea.

"I don't know what he said, but whatever it was, made Sango really mad this time." Shippo said as he watched Sango leave the hut. Everyone who was still conscious in the hut sighed. The hut fell silent as they waited for their friend to wake up, and a few friends to come back.

* * *

'_The nerve of that guy! I can't believe that he'd think that way!' _Sango yelled in her mind. _'Okay, I guess he would say something like that, but still! To Shippo?! Oh god! Who knows what that poor boy is thinking of now!' _Sango continue walking deeper into the forest, until she was stopped by voices. _'Huh? Who's here?' _Sango continued walking.

"You go from the rear. With what they're talking about, the two of them won't know what's going to hit them." A male voice said. Sango tried to peer over the bushes and around the trees, but to no avail. "We'll eliminate the threat, one by one."

'_Should I be worried? And what two people is she talking about?' _Sango asked herself. _'Maybe I'll go protect the village.' _Sango started to run back to the direction of the village while being extra cautious with her steps and kept her senses open. _'Kagome, Inuyasha, please come back.' _

* * *

"Kagome, are you sure?" Inuyasha said with concern.

"Come on, Inuyasha." Kagome said irritably. "Shut up." Kagome leaned up and pressed her lips to his gently. Inuyasha kissed her back with more force, as she licked his bottom lip, asking for entrance to his mouth. Inuyasha hesitated, but replied after a few more licks across his lips. Once he opened his mouth Kagome pulled back. Inuyasha looked at her confusedly.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked.

"Look, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to." Kagome replied quietly.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked with slight panic in his voice.

"You're hesitating." Kagome answered simply.

"Kagome, I… I just…" Inuyasha stuttered.

"If you're unsure, I'm not going to force you." Kagome said as she stepped back a step to lean back against the Sacred Tree and looked up to the blue sky.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said as he went over to her and leaned on his forearms, which were braced against the tree on either side of Kagome's head. "Please don't. I've never wanted anything more than to stay with you. Please." Inuyasha strained out as his body shook. Kagome noticed the small jerking movement of his body.

"Inuyasha, why are you shaking?" Kagome asked as she looked at his head, which was facing the ground away from her. "Inuyasha?" Kagome cupped her left hand against his cheek. As she laid her hand on his face, Kagome felt moisture on it. Kagome raised an eyebrow in confusion. Kagome put a little force into lifting his face up to have him look at her. Kagome was stunned to see that Inuyasha had his eyes closed while tears flowed down his cheek. "Inuyasha." Kagome called.

"Accept me back," Inuyasha said almost desperately as he kept his eyes closed and face averted from her. "Please Kagome?" Kagome couldn't respond. To say she was stunned was an understatement.

'_He's crying.' _Kagome thought. _'And all he wants is me to accept him back.' _Kagome put her left arm around his torso, for a hug. "Inuyasha, I never stopped accepting you." Kagome leaned back so she can look Inuyasha in the face. His eyes were still closed and his face was still facing the ground. Kagome cupped his chin and made him look up to her face. "Inuyasha, look at me." Inuyasha refused to open his eyes. Kagome sighed inwardly. Kagome leaned in and licked the tear stains off his cheek. At this action Inuyasha's eyes snapped open.

"Kagome? What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked.

"Submitting to you." Kagome said simply as she continued licking the tear stains off his face. "It's a dog demon thing, I know." Inuyasha waited patiently until she was finished cleaning his face with her tongue. Kagome leaned back against the tree with a small smile against her lips. Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her forcefully. Kagome gladly returned the forceful kiss.

"Do you still, you know… want to…" Inuyasha stuttered as he looked her in the eye.

"Stop asking. You know I want to." Kagome said with a smile.

"You know you'd be stuck with me, right?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes."

"But it can be reversed if you don't like me."

"Yes, but that won't happen."

"And that-" Inuyasha was cut off as Kagome kissed him again.

"Shut up, I know all of this." Kagome said with her eyes closed and her lips mere millimeters from his lips.

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked for his reassurance. "I'm only a half demon."

"You ask me one more time, I'll throw you into the river." Kagome threatened. Inuyasha smile a little at the threat.

"Do you know what we have to do first?" Inuyasha asked as he opened his eyes.

"Show me all your forms, human, half demon, and demon." Kagome replied.

"And you have to show me yours." Inuyasha said. Kagome's eyes snapped open.

"Wh-what?" Kagome asked in surprise.

"I know you have a form, every time you kissed me, you bore your soul." Inuyasha said.

"Oh, I see. But Inuyasha, I don't… exactly…" Kagome said hesitantly.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked.

"When I'm in that form, I… I tap into my stored energy. When I tap into that power, things tend to… get out of hand." Kagome said as she looked down, almost ashamed.

"I feel the same about my demon form. But you've got me through that. Hell, I still don't trust myself doing it in front of you, or anyone else." Inuyasha admitted.

"But, Inuyasha, for me… it's not the same. For me... I know what I'm doing, but I can't stop the power that is coming out. For you, you don't know what you're doing." Kagome said.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said as he hugged her to him. "everything's okay. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do." Kagome said instantly as she leaned into his embrace.

"And I trust you. If we both trust each other, this should be easy, and we won't do anything to hurt each other." Inuyasha said. "Unless you have doubts, if you do, we have to stop now."

"No." Kagome said as she shook her head against his chest. "I don't have doubts."

"And you want this, right?" Inuyasha asked again. Kagome pushed him back and grabbed his hand with her only movable hand, and started leading him to their side. "What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked. After a few more steps, he saw a river.

"Throwing you in." Kagome said with a small smile gracing her lips.

"Whoa there." Inuyasha said as he pulled back. "I'm not going to get thrown in the river."

"I told you if you asked me if I really wanted to be your mate one more time, I was going to throw you into the river. And you asked, so I'm throwing you in." Kagome said matter of factly.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry for asking again." Inuyasha said as he pulled her back to him and into another embrace. "I just never thought someone wanted to be the mate of a hanyou."

"You thought wrong. There's one person who's more than willing to be." Kagome said into his chest.

"Really? Who?" Inuyasha joked.

"Well then." Kagome said jokingly as she pushed him away. Inuyasha chuckled a little.

"I love you." Inuyasha said seriously with a slight blush. Kagome immediately stopped everything and looked into his eyes. As the two stared at each other, both of their hearts beat faster.

"Oh, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she hugged him with her left arm tightly. "I love you too. I always have."

"Really?" Inuyasha asked as he laid his cheek on top of Kagome's head.

"Yeah, I guess… I guess I just never had the guts to tell you, since you were hung over Kikyo, I didn't want to ruin that for you." Kagome admitted softly. Inuyasha's arms tightened around her, almost impossible to breath tight.

"Thank you." Inuyasha said into her hair.

"For what?" Kagome asked as she pushed away slightly to move her head so she was looking at him square in the eye.

"For waiting for me to come around and enjoy what's right in front of me." Inuyasha said as he kissed Kagome's forehead slightly. Kagome smiled slightly.

"I'll always wait." Kagome said as she leaned up and kissed his chin.

"Submitting again?" Inuyasha asked jokingly.

"If you don't want me to submit," Kagome said as mischief coated her eyes. "I'll be the dominant one." Kagome pushed Inuyasha to the ground and straddled his stomach, with her left hand sprawled in the middle of his chest, while her right hand still hung on a make shift sling. Inuyasha grunted at impact with the ground. They stared each other down. About a minute of silence later, Inuyasha started to laugh slightly, and then followed by Kagome.

"Damn." Inuyasha said with a smile on his lips.

"Not bad, huh?" Kagome asked still with a mischievous smile. Inuyasha smiled back then started to slide to back to lean on his elbows.

"Not bad, wench." Inuyasha said, but then flattened his ears to his scalp.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked as she eyed his ears flatten.

"You don't really need me anymore, do you?" Inuyasha asked as he looked away.

"What?" Kagome asked as she sat up straighter but found that she was sitting on Inuyasha's lap. "What are you talking about?"

"You're strong to do whatever you want. You don't need me to protect you anymore." Inuyasha said quietly.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said as she cupped his cheek. "Of course I need you. I've always have, even when I was away. Whenever I was in trouble, you were the first person to come to mind." Inuyasha leaned against the hand that cupped his cheek.

"I've missed you." Inuyasha said as he turned his head and kissed her palm.

"I've missed you too." Kagome said. "Can we become mates now?"

"Eager?" Inuyasha joked.

"Well, if you don't want me to be, I'll just leave." Kagome said jokingly as she started to get up. A clawed hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. Kagome turned and saw Inuyasha with a saddened look on his face. Kagome sighed, almost happily, and sat back on his lap. Once Kagome was situated, Inuyasha hugged her. Inuyasha made a whimpering noise as he bore his neck slightly. "Oh, submitting to _me _now, are you?" Kagome joked as she leaned in and nipped his neck. Kagome's mouth moved from under his chin, to his pulse, and down to the nape of his neck.

"groan Kagome." Inuyasha groaned out.

"Mmm, dog demon like?" Kagome asked as her breath cooled down Inuyasha's now moist neck.

"If you want to become my mate soon, you should stop." Inuyasha strained out. Kagome stopped, but not before she sucked on Inuyasha's pulse point one more time.

"Okay, should we see each other's form?" Kagome asked.

"You mean body form?" Inuyasha asked lecherously.

"No, but I think you hung around Miroku a little too much." Kagome said as she rolled her eyes. "I meant your demonic form, and human form, while for me, my spiritual power overload form."

"Spiritual power overload form? Is that what you call it when you lose control over them?" Inuyasha asked.

"What better name is there?" Kagome asked.

"Point taken." Inuyasha said as he started to sit up. Kagome got off his lap and stood up as well. "Ready?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome nodded. "You know that if there is a twinge of any negative emotions, that this whole thing will back fire right? And that we have to trust each other."

"I know, don't worry, I wasn't afraid of your demon form when Goshinki bit Tetsusaiga in half, and I'm not afraid now." Kagome said with a smile as she put her left hand on his heart and smiled up at him. "But do you trust me in my form?"

"I've never seen it." Inuyasha said.

"So you don't want to do this anymore?" Kagome asked as she leaned back a little.

"Hell Kagome, I want to do this more than anything. I just don't know what to expect, but I promise I won't be afraid." Inuyasha promised.

"Thank you." Kagome said as she leaned back into him.

"For?"

"For trusting me." Kagome said as she leaned her cheek on his chest.

"Do you want me to transform first?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, I'll do it. Because then you can forget that it even exists when you're transforming." Kagome said sadly.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said as he embraced her. "Don't worry." Kagome nodded. At that nod, the mating ritual began. Kagome's body pulsed as her eyes turn a bright pink as her spiritual powers took over. Kagome's hair blew and whipped around her, though there was no wind. Sparks were crackling all around, dangerously daring someone to approach and not get killed. Inuyasha looked down at Kagome's face and saw her eyes a bright pink glow. Inuyasha tightened his hug on her, while he seemed unfazed by the flurry of power. Though impressed, Inuyasha trusted Kagome enough to know that she won't do anything to hurt him, even if it was spiritual power against a demonic form. Once again, Kagome's body pulsed, as the crackling spiritual power resided, Kagome's eyes went back to their normal brown with a purple ring around the pupil.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out as they stayed silent. "I'm sorry." Kagome started to peel away from the embrace. Inuyasha only pulled her back.

"Sorry? For what?" Inuyasha asked into her hair. "I trust you." Kagome smiled at this as she buried herself into his chest.

"Thank you." Kagome said, though muffled. "Your turn."

"Alright," Inuyasha said. "how about my human side first?"

"Sure." Kagome said as she looked up at his face. Now Inuyasha's body pulsed, as his hair turned an ebony color and his eyes into a dark violet that almost seemed dark brown. Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled. Kagome smiled back, then leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. Inuyasha's body pulsed again, as his hair turned silver and his eyes mixing red.

'_Here we go.' _Inuyasha thought. Inuyasha's fangs grew, and his claws grew to lightly scratch Kagome's back, but not enough to hurt her, only to tickle. Inuyasha's eyes bled red, as blue pupils came to life.

'_Huh? What's that? Is something in the bush?' _Kagome thought as she sensed something inside the forest, dangerously close to them.

'_I smell fear.' _Inuyasha thought as he instantly transformed back. "You lied. You are afraid of me." Inuyasha said as he stepped back and bounded off into the tree line. Kagome was snapped out of her reverie.

"Wait! No, you don't understand! That's not…" Kagome said, but Inuyasha already disappeared from her sight. "what I meant. Damn it." Kagome finished quietly to herself. _'There's something here.' _

"Well, well, well, little miko. Just got jolted by your mate to be?" a male voice said.

"Damn you! Who the hell are you?" Kagome yelled to the forest.

"Such language, for such a pure miko." A second male voice said. Kagome whipped her head around to look behind her with her peripheral vision, so she can look on both sides, if only slightly.

"What do you want with us?" Kagome asked testily.

"Us? As in that pathetic half breed and you?" the first male voice said. Kagome growled impressively.

"Oh, little girl angry that we called her mutt a half breed?" the second male said.

"You'll die." Kagome threatened.

"With one arm? You can't kill us, even with both arms." The first male said.

"Us? As in dumb and dumber?" Kagome shot back with their own joke.

"Feisty." The second one concluded.

"Let's get rid of the competition, shall we?" the first male said.

"We shall." The second male said as a shot of red energy ball came towards Kagome. Kagome's eyes grew wide at the size of the attack. Kagome didn't have time to jump away, so she opted for the next best option. Create a barrier.

As Kagome created the barrier, the attack was already a foot away from her. The energy ball was powerful enough to push Kagome back, barrier and all. As the attack subsided Kagome fell to one knee.

'_Damn it. One attack and I'm already tired. I guess the transformation took more out of me then I thought.' _Kagome thought as she panted and looked around. _'I think they're dragon demons. Oh, god… Inuyasha, help me… please.' _Kagome begged in her mind.

* * *

'_She lied. She lied to me, and I fell for it again.' _Inuyasha thought angrily as he rushed around the forest in frenzy. _'She's afraid, just like everyone else.' _Inuyasha stopped suddenly on a perch on a tree. _'Maybe reincarnation means more than a passing of soul and rebirth. Maybe they have the same personality.' _Inuyasha thought sadly. _'No! Not Kagome, she was never afraid. Why now? Was everything truly a lie? Every kiss, every touch, every word.' _Inuyasha thought it over with a blush. Inuyasha looked back into the direction Kagome was left standing. _'Is there a reason?' _

* * *

Kagome panted heavily as she landed on a tree branch in an attempt to move away from another on coming attack from the two dragon demons. Their scale covered skin is what makes them a hell of an opponent. The two dragon demons that attacked her happen to be brothers that were looking to eliminate a miko whose blood was found near a river. Apparently the blood was still stained to the ground when the two youkai's visited the area, though it probably washed away due to the late night rain shower. Now, the first dragon, whose scales are blue, and the second dragon, whose scale are red, were relentlessly attacking her.

A blue ball of energy circled around Kagome as she stood on the tree branch, eyeing the attack carefully. Suddenly a red energy ball joined its friend and circled around her.

'_Damn. How am I supposed to get out of this? One more barrier to block one attack will exhaust me, but a barrier to block _two _attacks can kill me, either from those two youkai's or lack of energy. And my stored energy was used up when I was with Inuyasha doing the… mating ritual.' _Kagome thought sadly. _'I could distract them and run… but…' _Kagome didn't have time to dwell on the thought as the two energy balls stormed towards her.

* * *

Inuyasha sat on the same tree perch he landed on, with both legs hung over one side, while his head leaned against the trunk of the tree. A pulse ran through his body as his vision became red. This brought a million thoughts back to Inuyasha.

_Thoughts/Flashback_

_After about an hour, the stitching was complete, and the friends were all in one single room waiting for their friend, or for Sango her fiancé, to wake from the herb. Although Mushin already said that he would make a full recovery and his wind tunnel was just a slight bigger, they still worried. Miroku stirred a little then opened his violet eyes. _

"_Miroku, how are you feeling?" Sango asked the very second he woke up._

"_Felt better, but I won't complain." said Miroku quietly while smiling. "How was the cleaning?" _

"_Oh, it was so fun. First I got to sneeze my nose off by dusting this place, then we did the laundry!" Inuyasha said sarcastically in his small anger._

"_Didn't work too hard, now did you?" Miroku said._

"_Why you…" now Inuyasha was lifting his hand that was balled up in a tight fist. Suddenly something pulsed. Everybody looked at the source. There, against the wall was the Tetsusaiga, pulsing. "Tetsusaiga?" Inuyasha got up and went to the fang made by his father's fang and now mixed with his own fang. _

"_What does it mean, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked cautiously while striding up behind him._

"_I don't know." Inuyasha said while he picked up his trust worthy sword and stared at it intently while his friends also stared. Mushin was already passed out once again from the sake he drank right after he finished the stitching up the wind tunnel. _

_In a flash of red, Inuyasha's eyes turn red, while jagged blue lines appear on his cheeks, as his fangs and claws grew longer. As quickly as it came, it went away. Everyone backed off a little, while being on high alert._

"_Inu…Inuyasha?" Shippo asked cautiously. Sango goes around to the front of Inuyasha and looks into his eyes. _

"_What happened?" She asked after noticing his face was back to normal, but his fangs and claws were slightly longer still._

"_I…I don't know…" Inuyasha said a little bit scared._

"_Totosai! Hey old man! You in here?" Inuyasha yelled. _

"_Yeah, yeah." Totosai came out of the back of his cave to meet Inuyasha. "What do you want?" _

"_I want to talk about something that happened with Tetsusaiga and my youkai blood." _

"_Ah. And what would that be?" _

"_Well, we were at Mushin's Temple, when Tetsusaiga pulsed out of nowhere. Then my youkai blood started to surface on my face. What does it mean?"_

"_Ah, so something did happen." Totosai said while he scratched his chin._

"_What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked while cocking his head in confusion._

"_Well, first off, are you aware that you put an unconscious scent claim on Lady Kagome?" Myoga jumped in, then up to Inuyasha's shoulder._

"_Yeah, Sesshomaru told me." Inuyasha looked down in shame._

"_Tetsusaiga recognizes that she, meaning Kagome, is your chosen mate. Therefore it pulses when she is in danger and near death when she is not in your scent or hearing range." Totosai said while intently looking at Inuyasha's fang._

"_Yes, and when Tetsusaiga pulses, it is actually letting free your demonic blood to protect your chosen one." Myoga added._

"_She isn't dead right!? She can't be!" Inuyasha yelled._

"_No, no. She's alive." Totosai said while looking for where he put his pliers. Inuyasha sighed in relief._

"_She's okay right?" Inuyasha grumbled. _

"_Yes, stronger than ever." Myoga expanded the truth. _

"_Okay, so what do you mean '_letting free my demonic blood_'?" Inuyasha asked._

"_Well to protect her at all cost, you must be faster to be able to get to her, and be ready for anything." Totosai said._

"_Though in this state, you have control over it, because your heart, mind, and demonic blood will all agree to save your mates life." Myoga said. Inuyasha nodded in understandment. _

"_So, I shouldn't be worried about this, right?" Inuyasha asked quietly._

"_No need to fear your blood or the control. But if her life is in grave danger, if I were you, I would worry." Totosai said._

_End Thoughts/Flashback_

"Kagome." Inuyasha said out loud quietly as his eyes bled red. Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and sniffed the air, though if he stayed in the tree, the scents are probably more distinct. "You're in trouble." Inuyasha dashed to where he had left her moments before. _'Damn, I'm a fool. She wasn't afraid of me, she obviously sensed something while I was preoccupied, and got spooked. Damn it all!' _Inuyasha thought angrily as he raced around and above trees. _'Hang in there. I'm coming.' _

* * *

Kagome quickly looked at both of the coming attacks that were speeding her way. For a split second of thought, Kagome decided that a barrier was her best option at the moment. A burst of purple appeared around Kagome as it acted as a barrier. A look of terror crossed her eyes as both attacks hit her barrier square on. The spiritual barrier cricked and cracked in places as the energy balls ground themselves in.

Almost as fast as it started, the horrible scene ended with a disheveled miko lying on her stomach on the ground with her left hand fisted and near her face, while her right hand was still in the sling underneath her. The two dragon demons smirked at their imminent victory.

"One more blow brother and one of the greatest threats will die by our hands." The blue dragon demon said.

"Yes, brother. Shall we do it together?" The red one asked.

"Yes, let's." The blue one answered. The two demons opened their mouths slightly as the blue and red energy balls formed.

"Like hell you will!" A male voice said from the trees.

"Brother, it's that priestess's lap dog." The blue dragon noticed.

"Yes, that mutt, but he has transformed into a full demon." The red dragon replied, almost calmly.

"Wind Scar!" Blades of yellow wind crashed to the ground as it roared and rolled towards the two dragon demons.

"What the hell?" The red dragon said as his eyes widened.

"It's that same mutt that beat Ryokoutsai! (Okay, I have no idea how to spell that.)" the blue dragon yelled over the roars of the attack. The attack hit both the brothers square on, but once the attack faded, they were still standing, nearly unscaved. "Pathetic."

"And to think you were the one to beat Ryokoutsai." The red dragon added. The two opened their mouths again as more energy balls started to form.

'_They'll regret hurting Kagome. And they'll regret using an attack like that.' _Inuyasha thought. The two attacks hurled their way towards Inuyasha. Tetsusaiga controlled air around it, as well as the swirl of demonic energy. "Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha yelled as he repelled the two attacks. The two brother's eyes widened as their own attack came hurling back at them. In a second, the two dragon demons were nothing more than ash in the flowing air.

Inuyasha looked around quickly, finally finding what he was looking for, and running towards his interest.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha said loudly as he ran to her. "Kagome?" Inuyasha gently shook her shoulders. "Come on, wake up." Inuyasha moved some stray strands of her ebony hair away from her face. Kagome unconsciously tightened her fist and groaned. "I'm sorry. I'll never doubt you again." Inuyasha promised. He then turned her body so she was lying on her back. Inuyasha carefully put one arm around the underside of her knees and the other under her shoulders. He carefully hoisted her up and off the ground and carried her to a safe haven, away from there.

Inuyasha walked until he found a lush green clearing, with tree's surrounding the area, and the same river running from the village. Inuyasha laid Kagome down near a tree with shade covering the ground. Inuyasha looked at her sadly and moved a piece of stray hair. He kissed her forehead and leaned back against the tree they were under. Inuyasha kept close watch over her, as well as the surroundings. A tear slipped through Inuyasha's eyes and fell down his chin to the grass.

'_Forgive me.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at her unmoving body.

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER! **

**:)**


	23. Don't Fret

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha & co.**

_**New! New! New! Every tenth reviewer will get a special sneak peak at the summary and title of the next chapter! (This applies to all chapters**_

* * *

Don't Fret

'_The nerve of that guy! I can't believe that he'd think that way!' _Sango yelled in her mind. _'Okay, I guess he would say something like that, but still! To Shippo?! Oh god! Who knows what that poor boy is thinking of now!' _Sango continue walking deeper into the forest, until she was stopped by voices. _'Huh? Who's here?' _Sango continued walking.

"You go from the rear. With what they're talking about, the two of them won't know what's going to hit them." A male voice said. Sango tried to peer over the bushes and around the trees, but to no avail. "We'll eliminate the threat, one by one."

'_Should I be worried? And what two people is she talking about?' _Sango asked herself. _'Maybe I'll go protect the village.' _Sango started to run back to the direction of the village while being extra cautious with her steps and kept her senses open. _'Kagome, Inuyasha, please come back.' _

"Hey guys!" Sango yelled as she ran towards the village.

"Sango, what's wrong?" Miroku asked.

"I heard some people or something talking about an attack. I think we should be prepared for…" Sango stopped herself as she sensed the strong demonic aura.

"What type of demon is that?" Shippo whimpered out as he hid behind Sango's leg.

"A dragon demon, one of the strongest types of demons due to their scales and rough skin." Miroku answered.

"Wait, where's Kagome and Inuyasha?" Shippo asked as he noticed the two were still gone.

"I don't know. I didn't see them in the forest." Sango replied with concern lacing around her voice.

"I hope they're okay." Shippo said unsurely.

"They're both strong enough, and they can handle themselves." Miroku reassured, though he still worried over their friends. Suddenly a crash was heard. They four of them turned their heads and saw a rumbling from the forest. Spiritual energy sparked around the area as it cracked under an unknown pressure.

"Miroku, do you think…?" Sango asked unsure of herself.

"Kagome is the only one that we know of in that forest." Miroku said as he eyed the forest. "Let's go." He said in more of a command. Everyone nodded and started to run off, but Miroku stopped.

"Miroku, I thought we were going." Sango said. Miroku kneeled down and looked at Shippo.

"Shippo, you stay and protect things around here." Miroku said.

"But-" Shippo started.

"No, they need you here." Miroku said.

"Alright." Shippo relented. "Hurry back though."

"Will do." Miroku said with a small sad smile. "Let's go Sango." Sango nodded.

"Kirara!" Sango yelled as the fire neko-manta demon transformed. Sango jumped on, while Miroku went behind her. The three flew off to the forest, while Shippo looked on.

'_I can do this. They're counting on me!' _Shippo said in his mind as he ran around the village making sure things were safe, for now.

* * *

Kagome quickly looked at both of the coming attacks that were speeding her way. For a split second of thought, Kagome decided that a barrier was her best option at the moment. A burst of purple appeared around Kagome as it acted as a barrier. A look of terror crossed her eyes as both attacks hit her barrier square on. The spiritual barrier cricked and cracked in places as the energy balls ground themselves in.

Almost as fast as it started, the horrible scene ended with a disheveled miko lying on her stomach on the ground with her left hand fisted and near her face, while her right hand was still in the sling underneath her. The two dragon demons smirked at their imminent victory.

"One more blow brother and one of the greatest threats will die by our hands." The blue dragon demon said.

"Yes, brother. Shall we do it together?" The red one asked.

"Yes, let's." The blue one answered. The two demons opened their mouths slightly as the blue and red energy balls formed.

"Like hell you will!" A male voice said from the trees.

"Brother, it's that priestess's lap dog." The blue dragon noticed.

"Yes, that mutt, but he has transformed into a full demon." The red dragon replied, almost calmly.

"Wind Scar!" Blades of yellow wind crashed to the ground as it roared and rolled towards the two dragon demons.

"What the hell?" The red dragon said as his eyes widened.

"It's that same mutt that beat Ryokoutsai! (Okay, I have no idea how to spell that.)" the blue dragon yelled over the roars of the attack. The attack hit both the brothers square on, but once the attack faded, they were still standing, nearly unscaved. "Pathetic."

"And to think you were the one to beat Ryokoutsai." The red dragon added. The two opened their mouths again as more energy balls started to form.

'_They'll regret hurting Kagome. And they'll regret using an attack like that.' _Inuyasha thought. The two attacks hurled their way towards Inuyasha. Tetsusaiga controlled air around it, as well as the swirl of demonic energy. "Backlash Wave!" Inuyasha yelled as he repelled the two attacks. The two brothers eyes widened as their own attack came hurling back at them. In a second, the two dragon demons were nothing more than ash in the flowing air.

Inuyasha looked around quickly, finally finding what he was looking for, and running towards his interest.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha said loudly as he ran to her. "Kagome?" Inuyasha gently shook her shoulders. "Come on, wake up." Inuyasha moved some stray strands of her ebony hair away from her face. Kagome unconsciously tightened her fist and groaned. "I'm sorry. I'll never doubt you again." Inuyasha promised. He then turned her body so she was lying on her back. Inuyasha carefully put one arm around the underside of her knees and the other under her shoulders. He carefully hoisted her up and off the ground and carried her to a safe haven, away from there.

Inuyasha walked until he found a lush green clearing, with tree's surrounding the area, and the same river running from the village. Inuyasha laid Kagome down near a tree with shade covering the ground. Inuyasha looked at her sadly and moved a piece of stray hair. He kissed her forehead and leaned back against the tree they were under. Inuyasha kept close watch over her, as well as the surroundings. A tear slipped through Inuyasha's eyes and fell down his chin to the grass.

'_Forgive me.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at her unmoving body.

* * *

A gush of wind flew by and knocked the two passengers the transformed neko manta demon was carrying off her back and to the ground. Sango and Miroku went crashing into the ground, while Kirara went into a nearby bush as she transformed back to her smaller self. Miroku groaned as he started to sit up.

"Sango, are you okay?" Miroku asked. Sango groaned in slight pain as well.

"Yeah, how about you?" Sango asked as she looked for Kirara.

"Fine. But I think those two have things under control." Miroku noticed as the last remnants of the Wind Scar subsided.

"Yeah, should we check up on them?" Sango asked.

"No, they can take care of each other. Besides, wouldn't want to interrupt something more than it already has been interrupted." Miroku said lecherously.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled. "I should feed you to those dragons."

"Oh, but Sango, dear-" Miroku started but stopped his sentence when he got hit in the head by her fist.

"Can it!" Sango yelled. "Kirara?"

"Mew." Kirara said as she jumped out of the bush.

"You okay?" Sango asked as she picked up her neko manta friend. Kirara nodded, saying she was okay. Sango smiled then got up and walked towards the village, with a beat up Miroku following.

* * *

Kagome slightly opened her eyes, but squinted when they met with the rays of the sun. She turned her head to see Inuyasha sitting against a tree looking off into the distant.

"I told you I needed you." Kagome said weakly while she lay on the ground, where Inuyasha placed her. Inuyasha looked at her from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha said quietly, still not looking at her.

"For what?" Kagome asked.

"For thinking that you were afraid of me, I should've known better." Inuyasha said.

"Yeah, maybe you should have. But, I know that this mating this is taken seriously, and little things like that will be overtaken." Kagome said as she started to get up and lean on her one elbow. Kagome got up and started to go over to Inuyasha, while crawling on her knees. Inuyasha stayed silent as she approached. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Kagome said as she placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards her. Kagome gasp suddenly.

"You don't want to be my mate anymore, I understand." Inuyasha said as he looked down at the ground.

"No, that's not it. I do want to be your mate." Kagome said as she eyed his face and traced her thumb across a jagged line on his check. Inuyasha saw confusion in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked.

"Inuyasha, do you…" Kagome thought for a moment of how to put her words. Kagome traced her thumb over the jagged blue line once again. "You're in your demon form."

"What?" Inuyasha said as he shot up and ran towards the nearby river to look at his reflection.

"Inuyasha, what happened? You usually don't even talk to me when you're like this." Kagome said. Inuyasha thought back to his conversations with Totosai and Myoga.

"When you were away," Inuyasha started. "You know how my demon side already chose you as a mate?" Kagome nodded. "Well, it sensed when you were in serious danger and my human side allowed my demon side to surface so I could save you. It isn't as dangerous as some other times are when it's my life, but I don't know. It's complicated. Totosai and Myoga said that all of my sides agreed to let it surface so I could save you, and Tetsusaiga won't interfere in that."

"That, in a weird way, is actually really sweet." Kagome said as she stepped beside Inuyasha and looked at his reflection. "But it's over now, how do you change back?"

"I don't know, the other time, I just changed back on my own. I don't see why I'm not going back to normal." Inuyasha said a little scared.

"Maybe this will work." Kagome said mischievously. Kagome leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Inuyasha was shocked to say the least. Kagome decided to have fun with the shocked expression on his features. She licked his lips and opened her mouth a little more. Kagome pushed her tongue inside his mouth and ran her tongue across the extra long fangs.

Inuyasha recovered from his shock and kissed back, but was still surprised as Kagome's tongue played with his fangs. Kagome tapped Inuyasha's tongue playfully once she was done with his fangs. Slowly, without the couple noticing, Inuyasha's fangs and claws receded. Inuyasha experimentally licked Kagome's lips in return and pushed his tongue inside her hot mouth. Kagome moaned at the sensation Inuyasha's tongue brought, but it was muffled by Inuyasha's mouth. Inuyasha pulled back and looked at her eyes intently. The two panted hard, trying to catch their breaths.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said between pants. "What was that for?"

"To show you that I care about you, love you, and to transform you back." Kagome said with a wink.

"Transform me back?" Inuyasha asked, while totally forgetting that he was in his demonic form.

"Did the kiss blow your memory?" Kagome joked. "Take a look." Kagome pointed towards the river. Inuyasha looked down, and there indeed, he had golden eyes instead of red, and no jagged blue demon markings.

"How did you…?" Inuyasha asked.

"I just showed you that I trusted you." Kagome said simply.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said her name as he hugged her to him tightly. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Kagome said with a small smile. Inuyasha kissed the top of her head.

"Do you still want to be my mate?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed Inuyasha to the side and into the river. "Hey!" Inuyasha yelled as he came back up.

"Like I said, if you asked me one more time, I was going to throw you in the river." Kagome said with a smile as she turned to her side to look away from Inuyasha jokingly. Inuyasha smiled back. He swam to the shore and thought for a minute or two while looking at his intended closely.

'_I could just pull her in.' _Inuyasha thought evilly. _'No, with that arm, that would probably be a bad idea.' _Kagome looked down at him and saw him smiling a little too widely.

"What? Inuyasha, I don't like that smile of yours." Kagome said as she slightly backed away from the mischievous smile directed to her.

"I was just thinking that I can easily pull you in." Inuyasha said. Kagome backed away more with a smile on her face.

"No, don't!" Kagome said backing away, but hit a tree that was behind her, not too far from the river.

"I won't. Not until that arm of yours is back to normal." Inuyasha said as his face fell. Kagome noticed the change in demeanor.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked.

"Sorry I hurt you." Inuyasha said as he got out of the water and sat on the edge. Kagome was confused for a moment then looked at her right arm.

"Oh," Kagome said as she realized what he meant. "I told you. It was my fault, besides it'll heal."

"But-" Inuyasha started but was cut off.

"No buts." Kagome cut in. "Just mark me as yours." Kagome said mischievously as Inuyasha's eyes widened in surprise.

"You know what traits are traded along with it right? It's not only a symbol on your body." Inuyasha said.

"Well duh." Kagome said jokingly. Kagome took her right arm out of her sling and lifted it so it was in front of Inuyasha's face. "Go ahead."

"Doesn't that hurt?" Inuyasha asked in concern.

"Not really, I just can't move it very much above the elbow. But you only need my wrist." Kagome said. Inuyasha nodded and grabbed her wrist. He started licking the underside of her wrist, then bit down to draw blood. Inuyasha licked at the blood and drank the little amount that came from the mark. Inuyasha licked the small wound until it stopped bleeding. He then turned and looked at Kagome, then grabbed the sling and placed her arm back in it. Kagome smiled at the gesture. "Thanks." Inuyasha smiled back.

"To finish this you know you have to drink my blood too, right?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome rolled her eyes and grabbed his right wrist and started licking it. Kagome then brought his wrist to his own mouth. Inuyasha looked confused.

"My teeth don't break skin, remember?" Kagome said. Inuyasha realized what she was asking and bit down on his own wrist, but let Kagome clean up the blood. She also licked the wound until it stopped bleeding. Once the sharing of blood was done, Kagome and Inuyasha started to glow in a light.

The light quickly disappeared. The two looked at each other and saw the new aspects. Kagome had another ring around her pupil, except this time it was golden. On her wrist were the fangs that pierced her skin. For Inuyasha, his eyes had a ring of brown around his pupil, and on his wrist were of Kagome's teeth marks, though he was the one to bite his skin. The blood that he drank obviously knew that Kagome was his mate and to change the pattern of the mark.

"We're mates now." Inuyasha said as he looked at Kagome's eyes intently. Admiring how beautiful they were.

"Yeah." Kagome said with a wide smile also looking at the new color in his eyes.

"You're senses have heightened a little." Inuyasha said.

"They have?" Kagome asked.

"Just a little not much." Inuyasha said. Kagome shrugged and leaned on her toes and gave Inuyasha a chaste kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" Inuyasha asked.

"Can't I give my mate a kiss without being interrogated?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha smiled then kissed her forehead and hugged her to him.

"Love you." Inuyasha said simply.

"Love you too." Kagome said into his chest as they looked into the river. Kagome then leaned back and shook a little. Inuyasha looked at her in confusion. "You're wet."

"Oh? And whose fault is that?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome laughed.

"Come on, the others are probably wondering what we're doing." Kagome said with a smile.

"Yeah, Miroku probably said something perverted by now." Inuyasha said. Kagome and Inuyasha fell into step with each other, hand in hand. Kagome leaned on Inuyasha's side as they walked towards the village.

* * *

"Kagome! Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled as he saw the couple walk in the door. Everyone looked up and saw their peaceful expressions.

"Ah, so something did happen." Miroku said. Sango hit him with her fist. "Ow! I didn't even say it lecherously!" Kagome giggled as a smirk played on Inuyasha's lips.

"You never change." Kagome said gladly.

"Are you guys okay? We sensed the demons and saw the spiritual power." Sango asked from her seat near the fire.

"Yeah, we're fine." Kagome said.

"So, Inuyasha, what exactly happened between the two of you?" Miroku asked.

"Keh." Inuyasha said half heartedly. Kagome rolled her eyes playfully. Kagome then noticed something missing.

"Hey, have you guys seen Keiko and Avion anywhere?" Kagome asked.

"They were helping the villagers with something. Something about a water well." Sango said a little confused.

"Oh, okay." Kagome said as she sat down near Sango.

"What water well?" Inuyasha asked as he sat next to her.

"Well, we were visiting here one day, and they need some help making the water in the water well pure. So I asked Avion to make sure the well was pure when I went to my time to get supplies. Keiko usually keeps the children company." Kagome answered. Everyone nodded.

After dinner, the group decided to rest up for the night. Keiko and Avion arrived back right before dinner and joined in on the nice atmosphere. That night, Sango lied down near the fire with Kirara near her feet, Miroku on the other side sitting against the wall, while Inuyasha sat against the far wall with Tetsusaiga propped up and leaning against him. Kagome lied down in front of him, with Keiko and Avion cuddled at her side with Shippo near her face.

…Two Days Later…

Kagome awoke to the rays of the sun shining on her face. Kagome squints' her eyes but found that little circles started to appear in her vision. Kagome sat up slowly from her position leaning against Inuyasha's shoulder, and rolled her neck from side to side. She slowly picked up Keiko and Avion from her lap and put them down beside her. She slowly got up and walked around all her companions, heading for the door.

Once outside, Kagome stretched till her heart's content. Kagome walked towards the river and washed up her face. Kagome looked at her arm that was not hanging on a sling anymore, but was still bandaged up. Kagome slowly took the bandages off, and notice that the wound has healed completely with only a small scar to the side. Kagome moved her right arm slightly. It was a little stiff and weak, but nothing personal physical therapy couldn't correct.

She decided to walk back towards the village and into the hut. Kagome grabbed her duffel bag, which was filled with food, and brought out some bento boxes she received from her mother yesterday. She set the boxes out on top of each other and started to take out a comb and brushed her hair. Once done with her hair, Kagome took her food outside and started eating, while leaning against the hut walls, as she watched the birds play and rabbits frolic around the village grounds.

About half an hour later, Inuyasha awoke. He looked beside him and found Kagome missing. Then he eyed the boxes that were set out. Inuyasha grabbed a box and went outside. He stopped at the door so his eyes had time to adjust to the new light.

"Morning." Kagome said as she saw Inuyasha. Inuyasha looked down.

"Hey." Inuyasha said as he sat next to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Someone's affectionate this morning." Kagome joked.

"Feh." Inuyasha said. Kagome chuckled at his antics and turned to give him a small kiss on the cheek too. Kagome positioned her chopsticks and picked up some vegetables. Inuyasha then noticed which arm she was using. "You're using your right arm."

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Kagome said jokingly. Inuyasha scowled at her. Kagome noticed the scowl and placed a piece of rice in his mouth. Inuyasha was surprised but chewed the food.

"You don't have to feed me." Inuyasha said. Kagome shrugged with a smile.

"I wanted to." Kagome said. "So, what are we doing today?"

"I don't know. We'll just rest up for a few days, you just recovered." Inuyasha said as he picked up some shirataki noodles and placed it in front of Kagome. Kagome looked confused but opened her mouth and gratefully accepted the food. She then leaned against Inuyasha and smiled with her lips as she chewed.

"Thanks." Kagome said after she swallowed. Inuyasha kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah yeah, wench." Inuyasha said.

"Hey." Kagome said as she sat up straight. "Don't call me that."

"Keh." Inuyasha said. Kagome rolled her eyes and picked up a hot dog wiener and fed it to Inuyasha, who gladly took it. "You're being sweet today." Inuyasha said as he chewed.

"I'm always sweet, what are you talking about?" Kagome said while scrunching up her nose a little. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Sure you are." Inuyasha said. The two finished their breakfast then went back inside to find the others eating as well.

"Morning." Kagome said as she entered the hut.

"Morning Kagome. Thanks for the food." Sango said.

"No problem." Kagome replied gracefully.

"I see that your arm is healed." Miroku noticed.

"Yep, it is." Kagome replied with a smile. She then went over to her bag and took out a box of cat food and one of dog food and fed Kirara and Keiko. "I'm going to the river to freshen up. See you in a few." Kagome said as she walked out with a towel in her hand.

"Bye." Inuyasha replied as he watched her leave.

"Aw, love sick puppy misses his mate already?" Shippo mocked. Inuyasha hit him upside the head. Everyone laughed.

"Come on Inuyasha, it isn't hard to figure out something happened." Miroku said.

"Yeah, besides Kagome told me." Sango said. Inuyasha growled at that. "Come one Inuyasha, we already all knew that you were totally in love with her."

"Feh." Inuyasha growled out then walked outside. He then jumped into a tree and sat down, looking into the sky. _'Feh, love sick puppy. Who said I was a love sick puppy?!' _Inuyasha growled in his mind. Inuyasha sat there for about half an hour, all alone, in a tree, staring off in the distance.

"Hey you." Someone said from the bottom of the tree. Inuyasha looked down.

"Hey, done with your bath?" Inuyasha asked.

"If I wasn't would I be standing here?" Kagome asked.

"Keh." Inuyasha said. Kagome rolled her eyes playfully. She jumped up in the tree using her spiritual powers, and sat next to Inuyasha.

"What's wrong? You seem kind of down." Kagome said.

"Nothing." Inuyasha said.

"You sure?"

"Yes, now stop worrying, wench." Inuyasha said.

"Fine, if you don't want me around anymore then I'll just go." Kagome said, trying reverse psychology to get him to talk. Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and pulled her close to him, so she sat in between his legs on the branch. Inuyasha hugged her.

"Don't go." Inuyasha said.

"Okay, then what's wrong? You don't want me to be your mate?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha's embrace tightened.

"Nothing's wrong, and of course I want to be your mate. Why do you think I mated you?" Inuyasha said.

"Well something's on your mind." Kagome said as she lean against Inuyasha and hugged his torso. "If you want to talk, I'm right here." Inuyasha kissed Kagome's temple. _'Maybe I'll just get his mind off of whatever is bothering him.' _Kagome thought. Kagome looked up and kissed his chin.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Inuyasha groaned out.

"Don't think. Just enjoy." Kagome said simply as she sucked on his pulse point. Inuyasha moaned out. Kagome licked his neck from his pulse point to where his kimono started. She bit gently here and there to see his reaction.

"Mmm, Kagome." Inuyasha groaned out as he looked down at her and captured her lips. Inuyasha licked her lips asking for entrance, which she gladly responded to it by opening her mouth. Inuyasha's tongue entered her mouth and explored its complexes. Kagome moaned into the kiss. Kagome tapped her tongue against Inuyasha's, tasting each other. Kagome pushed Inuyasha back until his head hit the back of the tree. Kagome parted from Inuyasha to catch her breath and to let Inuyasha do the same. "How many times have you done that?" Inuyasha asked.

"You're my tenth person. How about you?" Kagome said jokingly.

"What!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"I'm kidding; you're the only person that I've made out with." Kagome admitted as she looked into his eyes.

"Something tells me that there's something more." Inuyasha said.

"Well," Kagome said sheepishly. "I did kiss another guy, but that was before we became mates."

"I'll kill him." Inuyasha growled.

"No, no, no!" Kagome said quickly. "Don't, like I told you it was before we became mates. Besides, I love you, not him." Inuyasha's eyes softened. He then embraced her to him.

"Fine, I won't kill him." Inuyasha said. "Love you too." Kagome smiled. "Hey, it wasn't Koga was it?"

"No, don't worry, it wasn't." Kagome said with a smile placed on her lips, then it quickly disappeared and turned into a frown. "Just to be clear, you haven't done anything like this with Kikyo, have you?"

"I just kissed her, nothing like this, I promise." Inuyasha said honestly. Kagome looked up and smiled.

"Good." Kagome said as her smiled widened. Inuyasha leaned down and gave a chaste kiss to her lips. "It seems like I got your mind out of what you've been thinking about." Kagome said, but then realized that probably brought the thought back. "Oops."

"Yeah, oops." Inuyasha said as he kissed her again. "Don't worry about it. It's not important."

"But-" Kagome started, but was stopped by a clawed finger to her lips.

"It's not important." Inuyasha said in a finalized voice. Kagome twisted her head a little and bit his finger. "Ow, bitch." Inuyasha said as he pulled his finger back.

"It is important." Kagome said a little angrily. Inuyasha looked down to the ground. "Inuyasha."

"I was just thinking." Inuyasha said.

"Well we covered that." Kagome said a little annoyed. "I meant what you were thinking _about_."

"Just the place you took us to." Inuyasha said.

"What place?" Kagome said with confusion in her voice.

"That place with the waterfall. It just seems familiar." Inuyasha said. Kagome thought for a moment.

"Oh, you mean the place I went to and you guys followed after I saved your butts from all of those demons?" Kagome said.

"Yeah, but don't scare me like that again." Inuyasha said.

"I don't know if I can promise you that, but I'll try not to." Kagome said. "But what's so familiar about the place?"

"I don't know, I feel like I've been there, maybe even lived there for a while." Inuyasha confided.

"Really? Well think back. Maybe you did go there, and even lived there." Kagome said encouragingly.

"I don't know, but I don't want to think about it." Inuyasha said as he looked down.

"Sure." Kagome said as she smiled a little. "What do you want to think about?"

"I don't know." Inuyasha said. "What's for lunch?" Kagome sighed, but it was a happy sigh.

"How does ramen sound?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha kissed her forehead.

"You know me too well." Inuyasha said. Kagome winked at him.

"Well I'll get lunch ready." Kagome said as she took her towel, that was placed on the branch behind her, and jumped down. Inuyasha followed closely behind her. They walked towards the village in a comfortable silence.

Suddenly, Keiko, Kirara, Avion, and Shippo ran across their paths and between their legs in a criss cross manner. Kagome started to laugh at the antics of her friends. Inuyasha cracked a smile as he heard her laugh.

"Hey, Inuyasha, how about lunch later, no one seems very hungry." Kagome suggested. Inuyasha just shrugged.

"Sure." Inuyasha said as he and Kagome went over to Sango and Miroku who were leaning on the wooden fence.

"Hey guys." Kagome said cheerfully.

"Hey Kagome, have a nice bath?" Sango asked.

"Perfect." Kagome said. "So guys what are we doing today?"

"Just hanging around I guess." Sango said.

"We can always train." Miroku suggest.

"Why do we want to do that, monk?" Inuyasha asked.

"To prepare us for our next battle." Miroku answered.

"You know, I guess it isn't such a bad idea." Kagome said. Sango just shrugged.

"Feh." Inuyasha said. Kagome giggled a little.

"Okay, how about this, Sango and I spar, and you and Miroku can spar. Then winner plays winner and loser plays loser." Kagome said.

"Fine with me." Sango said.

"I'm good with that." Miroku said next.

"Whatever." Inuyasha said.

"Hey, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, Avion!" Kagome called. "We're going to spar."

"Okay!" Shippo yelled back as he started playing with the two manta demons and Avion again.

The four of them walked into the forest, where they found a clearing. The four of them split up into the two pairs.

"Ready, Sango?" Kagome asked.

"Of course." Sango said.

"Remember, no real hurting, like bleeding and such!" Kagome yelled to remind everyone. Everyone nodded.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as she threw the weapon. Kagome easily side stepped the attack and grabbed the weapon.

"You forgot that I can do that, Sango." Kagome said as she jumped in the air and threw the weapon at Sango.

On the other side of the clearing, Inuyasha was swiping with his claws against Miroku's staff. Miroku then swung his staff, but missed as Inuyasha jumped in the air.

"Miroku, you're slow." Inuyasha commented as he kicked Miroku to the ground.

"Maybe I am, but you're a demon, that doesn't count." Miroku said as he got up. "If you want someone fast, fight Kagome. She's pretty damn fast." Miroku said as he and Inuyasha circled each other.

"I'm not going to fight my own mate." Inuyasha said.

"What are you talking about, you and her fight all the time." Miroku reminded. "Besides, she kicked your butt when we were attacked by all of those demons. And one of her arms wasn't even mobile."

"Don't remind me." Inuyasha said as he lunged towards Miroku.

After a few rounds of sparing with their current partner, the winners were decided. Now it would be Kagome versus Inuyasha, and Miroku versus Sango.

"This'll be easy." Inuyasha said cockily.

"Really? I beat you once." Kagome reminded.

"That was luck." Inuyasha said.

"Really? Let's test that theory shall we?" Kagome asked as she lunged at Inuyasha. He quickly swiped his claws at her, but not a powerful swipe, underhand. Kagome leaned back a bit to avoid the blow then kneeled down and kicked. Inuyasha was knocked off balance and fell with a heavy thud.

"Damn." Inuyasha said as he did a backwards flip to get back up.

"How about we do a sword fight?" Kagome suggested.

"I'm not going to fight my own mate." Inuyasha said.

"So you're afraid?" Kagome teased.

"Keh, fine, we'll do a sword fight." Inuyasha said as he took out Tetsusaiga. Kagome took out her sword. "That wimpy little sword will crack under Tetsusaiga. Just save the little thing and call this off."

"You have no idea what this 'wimpy little sword' can do." Kagome said as she swung her sword in the air. Suddenly blades of spiritual power came rushing at Inuyasha. Inuyasha stared wide eyed, but jumped away in time. Then he came to stand next to Kagome and swung Tetsusaiga. Kagome put her sword up and it clashed with Tetsusaiga. The sword emitted spiritual energy as it crackled around them. Tetsusaiga transformed back into its dormant form. "Told you." Kagome said. She then twisted the sword and knocked Tetsusaiga out of Inuyasha's hands. Kagome then placed the blade of her sword to Inuyasha's neck as he was preoccupied as to where Tetsusaiga flew off to.

"Damn." Inuyasha said. Kagome smiled, but then put her sword away and stepped up to Inuyasha.

"I win." Kagome said as she kissed his cheek.

With Sango and Miroku, was a different story.

"You damn lecher!" Sango yelled as she swung Hiraikotsu heavily to the ground.

"Sango," Miroku said as he panted. "It was an accident."

"Rubbing you're hands on my ass in that manner was not an _accident!_" Sango yelled. Kagome noticed the two fighting.

"Inuyasha, you help Miroku, I'll try and stop Sango." Kagome said.

"You sure? I can probably stop Sango better. I am stronger." Inuyasha said.

"You're an ass." Kagome said as she rushed off to Sango.

"Am not!" Inuyasha yelled back as he went to Miroku. Inuyasha held Miroku back by grabbing his arms from behind, while Kagome grabbed Hiraikotsu and threw it in another direction and away from Sango. But that didn't stop Sango; she then fisted her hand and went after Miroku. Kagome then put her arms under Sango's and held her back.

"Sango, calm down!" Kagome yelled to her sister like friend. Sango panted, but calmed down as Kagome sent a calming air of spiritual power in the air.

"Wow, how'd you do that?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome shrugged.

"I just learned from the academy." Kagome said simply as she still held Sango back. "Okay, I think that's enough sparring for one day." Kagome said. "Will you guys walk back okay while I retrieve the weapons?" Sango and Miroku nodded. Kagome smiled and let go of Sango, she started to walk back.

"Thanks, Kagome." Sango said. Kagome smiled back.

"Sure." Kagome said with a wink. Inuyasha let go of Miroku and let him walk towards the village with Sango. Kagome then went over to where she threw Hiraikotsu and Tetsusaiga. Once Kagome got all of the weapons in her hands, she turned back and noticed that Inuyasha was staring off into the distance. "Hey." Kagome said as she handing him Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha was brought out of his stupor.

"Thanks." Inuyasha said as he took the fang and placed it back in its sheath.

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked.

"Just that place again. It's starting to bug me." Inuyasha admitted.

"We can go back tomorrow." Kagome suggested. "Then maybe it'll jog a memory or two."

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well we don't have anything better to do, and Naraku is in dormancy." Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha smiled back and hugged Kagome from behind.

"You're great." Inuyasha said. Kagome looked up and kissed under his chin.

"I know." Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha looked down and kissed the top of her head.

"How about lunch now?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome giggled.

"Sure." Kagome said. They started walking towards the village to greet their friends and make ramen.

* * *

**WOW! LONGEST CHAPTER YET!**

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	24. Someone's Jealous

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, but I do own whatever ideas I write and I own this story, so ha.**

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_**New! New! New! Every tenth reviewer will get a special sneak peak at the summary and title of the next chapter! (This applies to all chapters)**_

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**I AM REALLY SORRY THIS IS SO LATE! for me being stupid, i didn't realize i never posted it... uh oh... heheheh... please dont kill me... **

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Someone's Jealous

"What are you thinking about?" Kagome asked.

"Just that place again. It's starting to bug me." Inuyasha admitted.

"We can go back tomorrow." Kagome suggested. "Then maybe it'll jog a memory or two."

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well we don't have anything better to do, and Naraku is in dormancy." Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha smiled back and hugged Kagome from behind.

"You're great." Inuyasha said. Kagome looked up and kissed under his chin.

"I know." Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha looked down and kissed the top of her head.

"How about lunch now?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome giggled.

"Sure." Kagome said. They started walking towards the village to greet their friends and make ramen.

As Inuyasha and Kagome walked towards the village, Shippo came running towards them in a fast speed.

"Kagome! Kagome!" Shippo yelled.

"Shippo," Kagome said as she caught Shippo when he jumped into her arms. "What's wrong?"

"Miroku and Sango are fighting again." Shippo said in a sing song voice.

"And to think those two are engaged." Kagome said as she started to walk again, Inuyasha close behind.

"Yeah, though we have seen them kiss." Inuyasha replied.

"That's nice." Kagome said sarcastically. They finally arrived at Kaede's hut and walked through the shoji door.

"Ye are back." Kaede said kindly.

"Yes we are. What's the story between those two?" Kagome asked as she looked at Sango and Miroku, with Sango deliberately scooting away from Miroku and Miroku sporting one hell of a lump on his head.

"Miroku groped her breast." Kaede said boringly. Kagome groaned out in annoyance and tiredness of his actions.

"He'll never learn." Kagome said.

"I can hear you." Miroku said.

"Good! Maybe then you'll grow a brain!" Kagome yelled at him. "Oh, here Sango." Kagome said as she unstrapped Hiraikotsu from her back and placed the bone boomerang against the wall.

"Thanks."Sango said quietly and angrily, though she wasn't angry at Kagome. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and leaned on her toes to get her mouth near his ear. Inuyasha bent down a little to let Kagome have better access.

"I'm going to talk to Miroku and kill him. Can you eat Kaede's food? Besides she already made it and it would be rude." Kagome whispered.

"Feh." Inuyasha said as he stood up tall again.

"Cool, thanks." Kagome said as she leaned back and went over to Miroku. He looked up at her from his seat on the floor, clear confusion written on his face. Kagome quickly grabbed his ear and dragged him out.

"Ow! Kagome! That's connected you know!" Miroku yelled. Kagome threw him against the fence in front of them.

"The hell is your problem!?" Kagome yelled. "You can't do that to Sango! I'm surprise she still wants to marry you."

"Well…" Miroku said.

"You don't have an answer do you!" Kagome yelled at him some more. "Sure you grope her, but I think you've taken it too far this time." Kagome said sternly.

"You're right." Miroku said.

"I know I'm right." Kagome said as she turned her back towards the fence and leaned back on it. "You apologize to her."

"I will." Miroku said a little ashamed.

"I mean, during battle?! Come on Miroku!" Kagome yelled.

"It wasn't necessarily battle."

"We were _training _for it!" Kagome yelled louder, then sighed. "Miroku, Sango isn't going to put up with this forever."

"I know." Miroku said solemnly.

"Why do you do it?" Kagome asked as she turned her head towards him, with her arms crossed in front of her.

"It's part of my bloodline."

"Okay." Kagome said slowly. "I know you can control it, so control a little." Kagome said as she pushed off the fence and walked back to the hut, without even looking back at Miroku. Miroku sighed.

'_She's right. Thank you Kagome.' _Miroku thought as he followed her in, preparing an apology.

* * *

"So you're back." Sesshomaru said stoically.

"Yep, I am." A female said. "So, how's Inuyasha?"

"How should I know, I don't care for that half breed." Sesshomaru scoffed.

"Think and say what you want, but your heart says different."

"Whatever. Just go home and tend to your army." Sesshomaru said.

"Whatever Sesshomaru, like I have _ever _listened to you. Just because you're Lord of the West, doesn't mean you have to be an ass to me. Inutaisho left the lands to you because you were older and you're male. If it were me who was male, I would've beaten you and taken over these lands long ago. Hell, I could do that now even though I'm a woman. But lucky for you I like my position, next to Inuyasha."

"You like that half breed?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Yes, and so do you." Sesshomaru spit at that. "I'm going home." Sesshomaru stayed silent at the statement as the female left.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke to the slight shifting of someone in his lap. Inuyasha slightly opened his eyes and stared off into the burnt out fire to focus his vision. Once his vision was set, Inuyasha looked to see what was wrong. Kagome slept while sitting on his lap. Inuyasha was sitting Indian style, while Kagome was also sitting Indian style, though her legs were more forward so that their ankles weren't grinding on each other.

Inuyasha shifted Kagome so her head leaned on his shoulder, while his arms wrapped around her middle. Inuyasha smiled as he looked down to see her peaceful sleeping face. Once shifted, Kagome stopped squirming and settled back down. Inuyasha then leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

'_God, I love her. I was just too stupid to realize that I loved her since I knew she wasn't Kikyo.' _

_Flashback_

"_Kikyo, Kikyo, Kikyo! Whoever she is, I'm not her!" Kagome yelled to the pinned Inuyasha. "My names Kagome! KA-GO-ME!" _

_Flashback End_

Inuyasha smiled at the thought.

'_She's still as feisty as ever.' _Inuyasha chuckled slightly, then leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Inuyasha closed his eyes to try and get a few more minutes of peaceful sleep.

Kagome opened an eye as she felt a kiss to her head. Kagome then looked up and saw Inuyasha trying to get some more sleep.

'_I love him; he's sweet when he wants to be.' _Kagome thought. _'Though he still has that anger management issues, but I don't mind. It makes life fun.' _Kagome smiled. She then looked out the window from her seat in Inuyasha's lap and saw the sun just rising. _'I guess a few more minutes of sleep aren't so bad.' _Kagome leaned her head back against Inuyasha's shoulder and fell into a light sleep. Inuyasha's arms tightened around Kagome unconsciously. _'Ow, I can't exactly breathe now though.' _Kagome thought. "Hey, Inuyasha." Kagome nudged Inuyasha with her elbow a little. Inuyasha groaned but opened an eye and looked down at her.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked as he looked down.

"Can you loosen your grip? I can't breathe very well." Kagome said. Inuyasha instantly released the grip and made it into a comfortable hold.

"Sorry." Inuyasha said as he kisses her forehead.

"No problem." Kagome said as she looked out the door. "Should we start getting ready?"

"Are you still tired?" Inuyasha asked.

"Not really." Kagome replied.

"Then sure." Inuyasha said as he got up a little, spun Kagome to have her aligned sideways with him, and then carried her out bridal style.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome said a little surprised once they were outside the hut and out of the danger of waking the others.

"Carrying you." Inuyasha simply said.

"Where?" Kagome asked as a mischievous smile played across Inuyasha's lips.

"It's a surprise." Inuyasha said with amusement laced in his voice.

"I don't like this. Put me down!" Kagome whined a little while struggling. Inuyasha only tightened his grip on her.

"No." Inuyasha said. After a while Inuyasha stopped walking.

"Inuyasha, there's nothing her-AH!" Kagome finished in a screamed as she was dropped into water. Once she surfaced again and shaking to get her hair out of her face, Kagome looked at Inuyasha with a scowl. "What the hell?"

"You pushed me in that one day, I was just waiting til' your arm was healed." Inuyasha said with a smile.

"Why you…" Kagome scowled. "I should purify you." Kagome said as she looked away, while still floating in the river.

"I might have taken that seriously if you weren't my mate and trusted friend. And if it wasn't so funny that you're in the river." Inuyasha said with a slight chuckle as he rolled up his hakama pant legs and sat at the edge of the river with his feet and calf submerged in the water.

"I hate you. Get out of my river." Kagome said in mock seriousness. Inuyasha laughed at that.

"Come on, Kagome." Inuyasha said as he held his arms open a little. "Come back to shore."

"No." Kagome said.

"Come on, Kagome. Let's get back." Inuyasha pleaded.

"Then come and get me." Kagome said.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said tiredly. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry for dropping you into the river. Now come back here."

"No." Kagome defiantly said.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said in a warning voice. Kagome just ignored the threat.

Just then Avion decided to fly by and land near the shore next to where Inuyasha sat. Avion looked around and saw Kagome with her back turned to them, and Inuyasha with a mad scowl on his face.

"I didn't mean to interrupt this interesting love fling, but the others are awake and are eating breakfast." Avion announced.

"Thank you, Avion." Kagome said happily as though nothing happened. Avion nodded then took off to the village again and to leave those two alone.

"Kagome, come here." Inuyasha growled out loudly.

"Why? You're the one that dropped me in here." Kagome said, though the game they were playing quickly turned into an all out argument.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he stood up.

"Fine, fine. Sheesh." Kagome said as she turned around and swam back to shore. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and hoisted her up quickly. "Ow, jeez, you don't have to get testy." Kagome said as she rubbed her arm. Inuyasha's face relaxed a little.

"Sorry. Sometimes I forget that you aren't a demon, since you have the speed and the agility of one." Inuyasha said as he rubbed her arm for her.

"Well, let's get breakfast, I'm starving." Kagome suggested.

"Sounds good." Inuyasha said as he gave a chaste kiss to the lips.

"You know what would be better?" Kagome asked.

"What?" Inuyasha asked as his lips moved slightly against her lips. Kagome pressed her lips hard against Inuyasha's. Inuyasha was surprised at the action, but licked Kagome's lips. Kagome opened her mouth in reply. As the kiss deepened, the two were oblivious to what or who was watching them. As they parted and panted, Kagome looked to her side and saw two manta demons watching them intently with their heads cocked to the side. Red and purple eyes watched as they blushed a slight shade of red.

"Keiko, Kirara, what a surprise." Kagome said a little uneasily as she stepped slightly back from Inuyasha.

"Mew." Kirara said as she watched Kagome blush.

"Woof." Keiko said as she started to walk away back towards the village. Inuyasha and Kagome sighed a little and followed their friends.

"At least they won't tell." Inuyasha said.

"You don't want them to know?" Kagome asked. "Fine, if you don't want me to be your mate, you could've told me."

"No, Kagome, that's not it. I just…" Inuyasha hesitated.

"I'm kidding, I know how you feel." Kagome said with a wide smile as she leaned against Inuyasha as they walked. Inuyasha smiled a little and put a hand in the middle of her back.

"You're wet." Inuyasha said mockingly.

"And whose fault is that?" Kagome also mocked. They both laughed a little.

After an uneventful breakfast, the group decided to get on their journey in search of the many pieces of the sacred jewel, and to get revenge on Naraku.

"So, we're going back to the waterfall place, because Inuyasha thinks that it's familiar?" Shippo asked.

"Yep." Sango replied as she picked up her weapon and strapped it down. "Besides, Kagome said that he could go. I for one want to know as well."

"Yes, and besides that, we have no leads on Naraku, so a little vacation can't be bad." Miroku said.

"Okay with me." Shippo said happily.

"Where are they anyways?" Sango asked as she looked around. Avion then landed on Sango's shoulder.

"Kagome sent Inuyasha to fill up some bottles of water, while Kagome is helping Kaede with some last minute things." Avion said.

"Oh, okay." Sango said, then some quick running caught her eye. She turned her head to the side and saw that Kirara and Keiko were chasing each other. "They've become great friends." Sango thought out loud.

"Yeah, I'm glad." Miroku said as Shippo jumped up onto his shoulder.

"So, when are we leaving?" Shippo asked.

"Now, runt." Inuyasha replied as he came out of the forest with seven water bottles, one for each member of the group, excluding Avion, considering she doesn't eat or drink. "Kagome! You done yet?!" Inuyasha yelled into the direction of the hut.

"Yeah yeah, calm down." Kagome said as she walked out of the shoji. "Bye Kaede!"

"Bye child." Kaede replied in her elderly voice.

"Here, take them." Inuyasha said as he handed her the seven water bottles.

"Gee, thanks. You're a great person to spend my life with." Kagome said sarcastically.

"Keh." Inuyasha said. Kagome put the seven water bottles in a mini duffel bag, where the medical supplies were located then strapped it to her back diagonally, with her synch back on her shoulder.

"I should just call this whole mating thing off." Kagome said. Inuyasha started to panicked.

"Wait, Kagome… you don't mean that… do you? Because I can carry them…" Inuyasha said dejectedly. Kagome quirked an eyebrow at him then closed one of her eyes in a cute manner.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said quietly. Miroku and Sango stared at their friends in amusement.

"I didn't mean to, I was just… kidding around…" Inuyasha ranted on.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said a little louder.

"Here, give the bag to me and I'll-" Inuyasha said but abruptly stopped when Kagome grabbed the collar of his kimono and kissed him.

"Shut up." Kagome said when they parted. "I was just kidding." Kagome smiled as she leaned her forehead against his. Inuyasha smiled back.

"Ahem." Miroku fake coughed. The miko and the hanyou parted from their gazing and looked at their other friends.

"Alright, alright." Kagome said. "We're coming." Kagome said as she walked west. The taijia, monk, kitsune, two manta demons, and a spiritual helper followed, leaving a lonely hanyou. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Kagome asked as she noticed his demonic aura wasn't following.

"Just thinking." Inuyasha said as he caught up to his mate and grabbed the strap to the duffle bag.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha pulled the duffle bag off of her and onto his own shoulder.

"Being a good mate." Inuyasha said with a smiled as they fell into step with each other. Kagome smiled back and looked at where they were headed.

"Are you guys done being all mushy?" Shippo asked from the front.

"Keh!" Inuyasha yelled back while Kagome just giggled.

"So how long do you think we'll be walking until we get there?" Kagome asked.

"About a day or so, that's how long it took to get here from there." Sango said as they walked out of the village. "But then again, we were going kind of slow that day."

"Fun." Kagome said sarcastically.

"We don't have to go if you don't want to." Inuyasha said as he looked at Kagome.

"No, no, let's go. I don't mind." Kagome said quickly as she grabbed his hand in hers and leaned against him.

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"You bet!" Kagome said cheerfully.

'_They're so comfortable with each other.' _Sango thought as she looked back at her friends. _'I'm kind of jealous. Miroku is such a pervert and a womanizer, but I guess I still love him.' _

As the day went on, nothing unusual happened. No demons, no other human contact, no jewel shard, which was actually quite unusual.

"Hey, Inuyasha, have you noticed that absolutely _nothing _has happened around us? It's like everything was relocated out of this area." Kagome said as the sun set and they found their way back to the waterfall.

"Yeah, that's weird." Inuyasha said as he cautiously looked around.

"It doesn't have an unsafe feeling." Miroku noticed.

"Yeah, but still be on your toes." Kagome said. "Something bigger must be pushing everything else away."

'_What makes this place so familiar? I know it's safe here, and I have a feeling I've been here before and that's how I know it's safe. But when did I come?' _Inuyasha asked in his mind.

"Well, let's set up camp. We'll figure it out tomorrow." Sango suggested. The rest of the group nodded and went on with their daily routines.

…Next Morning…

The next morning, Inuyasha opened his eyes and found everyone else still sleeping. After a while of sitting and staring around the area, Inuyasha decided to make himself useful and get some fish from a river a little ways from here. He was about to get up and leave when he realized it probably wasn't a smart idea to leave his friends unprotected in an unfamiliar area, especially his own mate.

Inuyasha's movements caused Kagome to stir in her peaceful slumber, considering that she was leaning against him. She slowly cracked open an eye and waited until they focused, then looked up to see Inuyasha staring at the ground.

"Morning." Kagome said quietly as she yawned into her hand.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Inuyasha asked.

"A little, but its okay, I had to wake up eventually." Kagome said as she yawned again. Inuyasha leaned down and kissed Kagome's forehead. Kagome snuggled closer to his side.

"You cold?" Kagome just shrugged at that.

"It's probably just the morning air and the dew." Kagome said. Inuyasha shifted a little and took off his own fire rat robe and hung it around Kagome's shoulder. "Thanks, but I don't need it, I'll be fine."

"Just take it; I don't want you to get sick."

"What about you?"

"I'm a demon, we don't get sick." Inuyasha said cockily.

"Of course not." Kagome said sarcastically.

The day rolled on without any further complications. Sango woke up to Miroku's groping hand, and Shippo, Kirara, and Keiko woke up to a sound of skin on skin contact when Sango slapped Miroku. Avion got her usual recharge once she came down from the high tree where she slept a little, although she didn't need to.

"So, Inuyasha, does this place bring any memories for you?" Miroku asked.

"I know I've been here, I just can't remember when." Inuyasha replied.

"Well, let's stay for a little longer. It couldn't hurt, right?" Kagome said. Just then, Keiko barked a little and ran into a bush. "Keiko!" Kagome yelled after her. "Come back here!" Kagome broke away from the group and followed Keiko into the bush.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled after her.

"I'll go after them. Something seems wrong though, so be on your toes." Sango said as she grabbed Hiraikotsu and ran after Kagome. Kirara chose that moment to transform into her larger state, with longer fangs, and claws. A few moments of uneasy silence washed over the group.

"Inuyasha, what do you think is going on?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know." Inuyasha said truthfully.

"Inuyasha!" a feminine voice yelled out. Inuyasha's ears perked up.

"Who's that?" Miroku asked.

"Sounds like…" Inuyasha thought for a moment, but didn't have time to think for long when he was ambushed with a hug from the girl.

"I haven't seen you in so long!" the girl said. She had black hair that was half up in a bun with two sharp spears making an 'X' in her hair and golden eyes, like Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's. She was wearing a half red and half black dress that cut in a diagonal from below her hip to just below her knee on the other side. The dress colors also were cut in a diagonal, the red on top and the black on the bottom. The kimono cut neck ended before her cleavage and the sleeves were like the fire rat robe. On her legs were skin tight pants that went to her knees.

"Yu-Yuri." Inuyasha stumbled out as he slowly hugged her back. Miroku watched the two in fascination.

'_I don't think Kagome's going to be happy about this.' _Miroku thought. _'Inuyasha, you better prepare __one hell of an explanation.' _

A grunt of pain was heard from the bush as Sango was thrown to the ground with Hiraikotsu protecting her front as a larger form of an inu-manta demon attacked. It was like Kirara in her larger form, but a dog. Kagome chose then to come out of the bush to help Sango but stopped in her tracks as she saw Inuyasha hug another woman.

"Kagome, Sango!" Inuyasha said as he let go of the girl, supposedly named Yuri, and went to help them.

"Inuyasha, stop!" Yuri yelled. "Akane, down!" Once the command was out the inu-manta demon immediately stopped and got off of Sango. "Sorry about that, we were patrolling the lands."

"You live here?" Sango asked as she got up with the help of Kagome, who seemed a little upset.

"This is my territory, young taijia." Yuri said politely.

'_If he wanted a full dog demon mate so bad, why'd he mate me?' _Kagome thought angrily.

"So, Inuyasha, do you want to introduce me to your new friends, or shall we meet up back at the castle?" Yuri asked. "By the way, I met up with Sesshomaru, cold spirited, as always."

"Um… Sure… Guys this is Yuri, Yuri this is Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Avion… and there's another member, but I don't know where she went." Inuyasha said as he pointed to everyone.

"Keiko!" Yuri yelled.

"Yeah, how did you…?" Inuyasha started to ask, but Keiko came running out of the bush and onto Yuri's shoulder. Yuri petted the smaller two tailed dog demon, that's when Kagome noticed the mating mark on her right wrist, though what bothered her was that it looked exactly like hers, usually there is a distinction. Keiko then jumped off and went onto Kagome's shoulders.

"You have new master? I'm glad you found someone who's trustful." Yuri said with a smile. "Take good care of her."

"Don't worry, I will." Kagome said while trying to hide a little maliciousness bubbling up inside of her. Yuri then hugged Inuyasha again and pressed her cheek against his in a mock kiss.

"Well, I have to get going." Yuri said. Inuyasha hugged back and pressed his cheek against hers too.

"Kay' see you." Inuyasha said as he let her go and she jumped off.

"Bye! Tell me if you need anything!" Yuri yelled back as her larger inu-manta demon followed. Once she was for sure gone, Inuyasha turned back to his group of friends and found Sango staring daggers at him, while Miroku looked sympathetically somewhere else, and Shippo shaking his head. Inuyasha looked to where Miroku was looking and saw Kagome leaning against a tree, arms crossed, with her bangs covering her eyes.

"What did I do?" Inuyasha asked, oblivious to how everything looked in their eyes. Everyone stayed quiet. Uneasiness crept up on Inuyasha.

"If you had a mate, then why mate me?" Kagome asked quietly as she pushed off the tree and turned away from the group and started walking away.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled after her. "What is she talking about?" Inuyasha asked.

"Are you two timing her?" Sango asked heatedly.

"What?" Inuyasha asked dumbly.

"Have you had three lovers at one time?" Miroku asked.

"No, I never…" Inuyasha thought for a moment and replayed how everything would've looked to everyone else. "Shit, I forgot, you guys don't know."

"Don't know what?" Shippo asked.

"That girl, Yuri, she's me and Sesshomaru's half sister, though she's a full demon. Our father apparently hated his first two demon females, so then he mated my mother, then you guys know he died. But that's the middle child out of the three of us, and she was always the nicer one. When I was younger, I ran away from my village when my mother died and stumbled here. She knew our father had a half demon child, but didn't know who. One sniff of my scent on her territory got her looking around. We share half of the same blood so it was easier to recognize that I was family." Inuyasha said.

"Then what?" Sango asked cautiously.

"Well, she found me, and took care of me when I was younger. But every decade, Yuri was appointed to going to a youkai meeting at the continent so that the demons on the continent weren't allowed come here and take the land of the west away from us. If someone from the family doesn't go once every decade, the land would be up for any who wants it for at least another ten years. So by the time I stumbled by, she had to leave for the year to go there. That's when I was pinned to the tree." Inuyasha said solemnly.

"Oh, Inuyasha." Sango said sympathetically.

"At least she was nice." Shippo said.

"She was always nice; she's kind of like Kagome in a way. Not really caring what you are, like most humans and demons do. Well she was upset that our old man left her full demon mother to a human female, but I guess who wouldn't? But she got over it." Inuyasha said, then something sparked in his mind. "Shit, where did Kagome go to?"

"That way." Miroku said as he pointed his staff to the direction Kagome walked off to. "You better fix things."

"I know." Inuyasha said as he ran towards Kagome.

"Well at least it was a good reason." Shippo said.

"Yeah, Kagome can't be mad once Inuyasha tells her." Sango said.

"I guess we'll just wait." Miroku said. Everyone decided to sit down and relax until their friends came back.

* * *

'_Fine, if he doesn't want me to be his mate, then I won't be.' _Kagome thought angrily. _'Sure you're allowed to have more than one mate if there is a reason, or if you don't like your mate, but he didn't have to mate me!' _

"Kagome?" a voice said from behind her. Kagome just stayed quiet as she sat on the edge of a cliff. Inuyasha came beside her and put his hands on her hips and pulled her back a little so she wouldn't fall off, but Kagome struggled out of his grip. "Come on Kagome, don't be like this."

"Be like what?" Kagome asked as she looked down the cliff with her bangs covering her eyes.

"Jealous. You know I love you." Inuyasha pleaded.

"I'm not." Kagome said as she looked away from him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said tiredly as he sat down next to her.

"Why'd you mate her and then mate me?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha looked confused.

"I-I didn't." Inuyasha said more than a little confused.

"Don't act like the mark on her wrist was invisible!" Kagome yelled.

"What mark?!" Inuyasha raised his voice.

"Oh what mark?! The mark that looks exactly like mine!" Kagome yelled as she finally turned her head towards him. Inuyasha thought for a moment. "You know that if it was a different person it would be distinctly different, but it's the same. If you didn't want to mate a human, why did you?"

"Kagome, don't do this." Inuyasha said quieter.

"So what? You two time me with Kikyo and you still don't get _enough_?!" Kagome yelled.

"Kagome that's not true!" Inuyasha yelled back as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down to the ground. Kagome went down with a thud and a grunt. "What's wrong with you!?"

"Wrong with me?! You're the one that hugged and kissed her like she's another… another lover!" Kagome yelled, though she didn't truly mean it. Inuyasha was taken off guard.

"Are you jealous?" Inuyasha asked seriously. Kagome turned her head away from his gaze and stayed quiet.

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**I love all of your reviews! The more reviews I get, the more inspired I'll be!**

_**(Sorry if this looks weird, but my computer just crashed and I had to do something else. I'll try and fix it when my computer is fixed! My bad)**_

**and yes, I know I'm early on my update, but I'm not here tomorrow so... here you go... :P**


	25. Down and Dirty With the Dogs

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Inuyasha. **

_**New! New! New! Every tenth reviewer will get a special sneak peak at the summary and title of the next chapter! (This applies to all chapters)**_

_**A/N: Okay, as for the name Akane, I didn't know it was from Ranma 1/2 because I don't watch the show, but someone told me. But the dog's name is Akane, if you don't like it… tough. :D**_

Down and Dirty With the Dogs

'_Fine, if he doesn't want me to be his mate, then I won't be.' _Kagome thought angrily. _'Sure you're allowed to have more than one mate if there is a reason, or if you don't like your mate, but he didn't have to mate me!' _

"Kagome?" a voice said from behind her. Kagome just stayed quiet as she sat on the edge of a cliff. Inuyasha came beside her and put his hands under her arms and pulled her back a little so she wouldn't fall off, but Kagome struggled out of his grip. "Come on Kagome, don't be like this."

"Be like what?" Kagome asked as she looked down the cliff with her bangs covering her eyes.

"Jealous. You know I love you." Inuyasha pleaded.

"I'm not." Kagome said as she looked away from him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said tiredly as he sat down next to her.

"Why'd you mate her and then mate me?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha looked confused.

"I-I didn't." Inuyasha said more than a little confused.

"Don't act like the mark on her wrist was invisible!" Kagome yelled.

"What mark?!" Inuyasha raised his voice.

"Oh what mark?! The mark that looks exactly like mine!" Kagome yelled as she finally turned her head towards him. Inuyasha thought for a moment. "You know that if it was a different person it would be distinctly different, but it's the same. If you didn't want to mate a human, why did you?"

"Kagome, don't do this." Inuyasha said quieter.

"So what? You two time me with Kikyo and you still don't get _enough_?!" Kagome yelled.

"Kagome that's not true!" Inuyasha yelled back as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down to the ground. Kagome went down with a thud and a grunt. "What's wrong with you!?"

"Wrong with me?! You're the one that hugged and kissed her like she's another… another lover!" Kagome yelled, though she didn't truly mean it. Inuyasha was taken off guard.

"Are you jealous?" Inuyasha asked seriously. Kagome turned her head away from his gaze and stayed quiet.

"I don't know, am I? You're the one with the nose." Kagome said heatedly.

"Okay, enough!" Inuyasha yelled. "Kagome, you know I love you, and no one else." Inuyasha said as his eyes soften. "Besides, I only acted like that with her because she was the one who took care of me when I was younger."

"Huh?" Kagome said confusedly as she looked at Inuyasha's eyes.

"She's my sister. Well, half sister to both me and Sesshomaru, we all had different mothers." Inuyasha said. Then he went on with the explanation of his life with her and why she left. "So, we haven't seen each other for over fifty two years."

"Oh…" Kagome said with embarrassment written in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I guess I just…. Um…"

"Don't worry about it. I would've acted the same way with Koga." Inuyasha said as he bent down and kissed her nose slightly.

"And what about the mark?" Kagome asked.

"What mark?" Inuyasha asked.

"The one on her wrist, the one exactly the same as mine." Kagome said getting a little angry.

"Oh, that mark." Inuyasha realized. "Don't worry about it; it's not a mating mark. And besides it's gross to mate your own sister." Inuyasha said lightly, but Kagome's scowl didn't faze. Inuyasha sighed. "Okay, well, it's a reassurance mark. You see, Yuri, she lost her real mate in a war, and when a dog demon loses a mate, if they have family, a family member is suppose to comfort them when they go into a depression." Inuyasha said as he got off of Kagome and they both sat up. "I just so happen to be there, and since she was nice to me, I helped her through it. The mark is there to reassure her that she's not alone."

"Oh, now I feel bad." Kagome said as she looked away.

"She's okay now. It's like nothing happened, but she still mourns for him." Inuyasha said solemnly.

"I'm sorry for all of this." Kagome said.

"I know you are." Inuyasha said as he scooted closer to her and placed a hand in the middle of her back. "You know I love you, don't forget. I chose you."

"I'm sorry." Kagome said as she leaned against him.

"Stop saying that." Inuyasha said as he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face.

"I'm sor-" Kagome started to say but was stopped by Inuyasha's lips in a soft gentle kiss.

"Stop." Inuyasha said with a smile when they parted.

"I love you." Kagome said.

"Love you too." Inuyasha said as Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder and Inuyasha leaned his head on hers. Kagome lifted her right hand and hugged Inuyasha sideways, it draped across his lap and hung to him on the other side, while her left forearm rested against the side closest to her. Inuyasha then put a hand on the arm that's draped across him.

"You're too nice to me." Kagome said quietly.

"You're too nice to me too." Inuyasha said as he bent down and kissed Kagome again. Kagome kissed back as Inuyasha deepened the kiss. He then licked Kagome's lips, which Kagome gladly granted. Kagome toyed with Inuyasha's tongue a little then pushed her tongue inside his mouth to lick his fangs. Inuyasha abruptly parted. Kagome looked at him confused.

"What's wrong? Did I do something?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha panted.

"Damn girl, you sure can hold your breath long." Inuyasha said with a smile as he went back to kissing Kagome. The second time they parted Kagome laughed a little at his statement.

"Yeah, well, someone made me hold my breath before underwater. So, I guess it was a little training." Kagome said with her eyes closed. Inuyasha's eyes opened and he looked confusedly at her.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome opened her eyes and thought for a moment.

_Flashback_

_Kagome, Akemi, and Masumi ran into the forest while looking in all directions for the threat. As they panted from their long run into the forest, they stopped at the river for a little break. _

"_I don't sense anything here." Masumi said._

"_Yeah, neither can I. But I could've sworn there was something here before." Akemi thought out loud as she puts a finger on her chin._

"_Me too, but there doesn't seem to be a threat here anymore, though we should tell the others to be on alert." Kagome said while looking into the water at her reflection. It suddenly changed to an image of Inuyasha staring back at her. Kagome backed away slightly in confusion, and then turned her head to find her friends. Akemi and Masumi were looking in opposite directions of each other. She looked back down into the water and it seems as though the image of Inuyasha was winking at her. _

"_Uh…um… Do you guys sense anything weird? Because I think an image of one of my friends just appeared in the water and winked at me…." Kagome said still slightly confused. Akemi and Masumi look at Kagome in confusion then at each other. They walk towards the river bank and look at their own reflections then at Kagome's. _

"_Um… Kagome… It's just you." said Masumi with a slight hint of worry in her voice._

"_Are you feeling okay?" Akemi asked in a voice that was etched with worry. She took her hand and placed it on Kagome's shoulder with a worried look over riding her features._

"_Um, yeah." Kagome said quietly then turned around. "Let's get going." Once that final sentence left her lips, something jumped from the river and grabbed Kagome from behind._

"_Kagome!" screamed the other two priestesses in unison. In a flash, Kagome was dragged into the river. The two remaining priestesses run to the river bank and look at where their friend was dragged in. _

_Glowing orbs look through the dark forest at the scene that just went on in the river, the person that they belonged to stepped back a step towards the shadows of the forest._

'Humph, so this is where Inuyasha's bitch ran off to. Fine.'_ thought the mysterious person in the shadows as the person headed towards the two remaining girls. _

_Flashback End_

Kagome thought about the past for a little longer.

"Let's just say it's nothing to worry about." Kagome said as she reached up and captured Inuyasha's right dog ear in her hand and started to rub the base. Inuyasha instantly relaxed and bent down to have Kagome continue her ministration. "I knew you liked to have your ears scratched." Kagome said with a smile.

"Feh." Inuyasha said half heartedly.

"Is this why you don't really let anyone feel your ears?" Inuyasha stayed quiet for a moment.

"No, that's not it." Inuyasha said sadly as he leaned against her a little more.

"Oh? Then what?" Kagome asked as she leaned against him as well while still rubbing his ear.

"Just, people use to try to get rid of them when I was younger." Inuyasha said sadly. Kagome instantly stopped her rubbing and looked at him.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said as she leaned towards him and kissed him in a reassuring way. Inuyasha was taken off guard but returned the kiss. Kagome then put both of her arms around his neck and crawled up so she straddles his waist and sat on his lap. Inuyasha put his hands on her waist. After a while of kissing, they parted. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that."

"Don't. It wasn't your fault. Hell, you weren't even born." Inuyasha said. Kagome leaned down and placed her chin against his shoulder and hugged him.

"I'm always here for you, no matter how mad or sad I am." Kagome said.

"Thank you." Inuyasha said. "I'm always going to protect you, don't forget that." Kagome just hugged him tighter. After a minute of just holding each other, Kagome reluctantly parted from him and stood up.

"Let's go find your sister. I should apologize to her." Kagome said as she gave a hand to Inuyasha. Inuyasha gladly took it and got up.

"She pretty understanding, she was when she left." Inuyasha said.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome, she smelled your maliciousness towards her, I did`. She decided to leave before it got out of hand, and so that we could talk in private." Inuyasha said.

"Oh, man. Did I really do that?" Kagome said as put a hand to her forehead.

"Don't worry." Inuyasha said. "She's forgiving."

"I messed up." Kagome said.

"Maybe, but never be that malicious again. It doesn't look good on you." Inuyasha said as he kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry." Kagome said.

"Stop saying that." Inuyasha said. "Or I'll chase you down."

"No you wouldn't." Kagome said.

"Try me." Inuyasha said.

"Fine." Kagome said with amusement. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha lunged at her, Kagome shrieked as the chase began, which was probably not a good idea to do that when you're near a cliff.

* * *

AHH!

"Miroku, did you hear that?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, should we check it out?" Miroku said next.

"It sounded like Kagome." Shippo noticed. Just then Avion flew back and landed in the middle of the group.

"Don't worry about it, Inuyasha just mocked lunging at Kagome. She kind of freaked out, you know playfully." Avion said.

"Is that where you went, to spy on those two?" Sango asked.

"Maybe." Avion said sheepishly.

"Nice, we do that all the time." Miroku said with a smile. The group laughed at their own antics.

* * *

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as she ran away from him. "What are you doing?!"

"I told you I was going to chase you down!" Inuyasha yelled back as they ran back towards where the others were. Kagome laughed. Then her friends came into view. She landed in the middle of the group, near Avion, then jumped off into the opposite tree line and disappeared again. "Come back here!" Inuyasha yelled as he landed near the group a few seconds later.

"A human too fast for you, Inuyasha?" Sango mocked.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled. "Besides, she's no ordinary human. No human can run and jump as fast and as high like she can."

"Praising her?" Miroku asked.

"No." Inuyasha said as he ran after Kagome again. Once Inuyasha was out of sight, the group burst out laughing again.

"Things are back to normal alright." Miroku said.

"Yep." Sango agreed.

"Mew."

"Woof."

Inuyasha ran after Kagome with a speed that he knew was faster than what Kagome was going at.

"OW!" Two people said in unison. Inuyasha stopped and walked up to the two people who apparently got hurt in one way or another. There he saw Kagome and Yuri, sitting on the floor.

"Ow, I'm sorry, I didn't expect to see you right there." Kagome said.

"It's okay; I didn't see you there either." Yuri said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, how about you?" Kagome asked.

"We're all good here." Yuri said cheerfully as she got up and held a hand towards Kagome. Kagome took it gratefully and got pulled up to her feet.

"Thanks." Kagome said with a smile.

"Sure thing." Yuri said with a wide smile. The dog demon then got on her knees and picked up the plants that she was collecting. Kagome went to her knees and helped her out.

"Um… Yuri?" Kagome said as she picked more plants up.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. I didn't… um… know… I guess." Kagome stumbled.

"No, problem. Inuyasha doesn't tend to tell people about me." Yuri replied. "Besides, I would get jealous too if I saw my mate hugging and kissing another. I'm sorry for that; I just haven't seen him for over fifty two years." Yuri explained. _'But I know that he is watching us from behind that tree. Most likely the miko can sense him too.' _

"No, don't apologize to me." Kagome said. "And, Inuyasha told me about the mark on your wrist."

"I see, so you know about my former mate do you?" Yuri asked but her smile was still genuine and wasn't forced.

"I'm sorry about what happened. And I just over reacted." Kagome said as she handed the last remnants of the plants that were strewn on the ground to Yuri.

"Thanks. And don't worry about it, I just met you, you shouldn't be involved in my problems." Yuri said. Kagome and Yuri got up from their kneeling position, then Kagome leaned to Yuri's ear.

"You do realize Inuyasha is behind that tree, right?" Kagome whispered.

"Yeah." Yuri said as she laughed, Kagome joined. Yuri then leaned down to Kagome.

"You know what would make him embarrassed? We should talk about your relationship." Yuri whispered. Kagome giggled.

"You are a horrible sister." Kagome said as she laughed.

"Well, that's what we do." Yuri said as she laughed too. "So how is it like to have my little brother as a mate?" Kagome was taken off guard but recovered quickly and remembered their game.

"A handful." Kagome said simply. "But he's really sweet at times, and funny."

From behind the tree, Inuyasha blushed fiercely. He couldn't listen to their whispered conversation, so he had no idea that this was a joke.

"Oh? Have you guys, you know…?" Yuri teased. Kagome blushed, but only slightly, while Inuyasha was a red that rivaled his fire rat robe. The two girls burst out laughing. "Inuyasha you can come out! We know you're their!" Yuri said in between fits of laughs.

"Keh!" Inuyasha said as he walked out of the trees shadows.

"Why don't we visit the castle?" Yuri suggested.

"Why do I want to visit that bastard?" Inuyasha asked.

"Don't know." Yuri said. "Come on it'll be fun. We can spar."

"I would love to kill him." Inuyasha said. Kagome sighed.

"Come on, Inuyasha. He isn't all too bad. Without him, I'd be dead." Kagome said.

"Fine, we'll visit him." Inuyasha relented.

"Okay, how about you guys meet me back at my place and we'll walk together with the rest of your group." Yuri said.

"Sure." Kagome said.

"Inuyasha should know where it is. I have to go, meet me later, kay'?" Yuri said.

"Yeah, sure." Kagome said with a smile. "Hey, Yuri, what's with all the plants?"

"Oh, I have to feed my friends. Well, Sesshomaru calls them an army and they are trained to fight in battle." Yuri said.

"What do you mean 'they'?" Kagome asked.

"Well, my army is all inu-manta demons, each with a different supernatural power. That's how I know Keiko. She was in my care, before a village asked to be protected, and since the village was located in the west, it was mine and Sesshomaru's responsibility. Keiko volunteered to go, she wasn't into big battles much, but did what she needed to." Yuri said. "I'm glad you found her when her former master died. The village now is protected by the knowledge of Keiko still living there. But, you know."

"Oh, that's nice of you and her." Kagome said. Yuri smiled.

"Well, I better get going. See you two lovers later." Yuri teased as she jumped off. Kagome and Inuyasha blushed at the last statement.

"Told you she would understand." Inuyasha said.

"Yeah." Kagome said with a small smile. "Why don't you tell anyone about her?" Inuyasha shrugged.

"Not a lot of people know that we're related. Besides, if word gets out then my life would be more dangerous for me, especially fifty years earlier. So we kept it our little secret, along with Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said.

"Oh, I see." Kagome said. "Well, we should go get the others."

"Yeah."

"So, where does she live?" Kagome asked.

"In the middle of all of her land." Inuyasha said simply as he lightly put his hands around Kagome's waist and pulled her to him in a slight hug.

"What exactly is in these vast lands of hers?" Kagome asked as she put her hands over Inuyasha's which were around her waist.

"Two hot springs, two waterfalls, a garden, mountains, a training field, three caves, her stone home, and everything in between it is forest." Inuyasha said as he pulled Kagome to him a little closer.

"Wow, I wonder if we can use the springs here." Kagome said in awe.

"She probably wouldn't mind." Inuyasha said as he leaned his forehead against hers. Kagome giggled a little bit.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked.

"Can't I be affectionate with my own mate?" Inuyasha mocked her that day she said it to him. Kagome smiled and kissed him slightly.

"Of course." Kagome said. "Race you back to the others." Kagome said as she stepped back and got ready to run.

"You're on." Inuyasha challenged as he got ready too.

"Ready," Kagome started.

"Set," Inuyasha said next.

"GO!" They said in unison as they jumped off to find their friends, both of them jumping on a different tree, running in a different line so they didn't crash into each other; after only about a minute of intense running and jumping their friends came into view. Kagome landed at the same time as Inuyasha into the clearing.

"I win!" Kagome yelled as she panted a little from exhaustion.

"No, I did, wench!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"No!" Kagome yelled back with a smile.

"Yes!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"It was a tie!" Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Avion yelled in unison so their friends would shut up.

"Woof!" Keiko barked loudly.

"Mew!" Kirara meowed loudly at the same time as Keiko barked.

"Okay, okay." Kagome relented.

"Fine. But I think I won." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Whatever, anyways, Inuyasha's sister invited us over to her place, and then we'll go to the castle of the west." Kagome said with a smile.

"The castle of the west? You mean where Sesshomaru lives?" Miroku asked cautiously.

"Keh, the bastard." Inuyasha scowled.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said in a scolding voice.

"You know he hates me." Inuyasha said. "And I hate him too." Kagome just sighed.

"Yeah, well, he likes me." Kagome mumbled.

"Better not like you too much." Inuyasha said with a scowl.

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome said. "So who's up to going to Yuri's place?"

"Sure." The rest of the group replied. Kagome then looked in all directions for a moment.

"So, Inuyasha, where is it?" Kagome asked.

"Feh, just follow me." Inuyasha said as he walked eastward.

While walking in the dense forest, the group passed a hot spring, a cave, and an herbal garden along with a garden of vegetables. The group, except Inuyasha, stared in awe.

"This place hasn't changed since I last saw it." Inuyasha said to his mate.

"Wow, this place is amazing. How did she secure such a piece of land?" Kagome asked.

"She fought Sesshomaru and won the best portion. Sesshomaru was supposed to rule the whole west but was beaten by our own half sister. She's tough." Inuyasha said.

"You know, if you think about it, Sesshomaru isn't too hard to beat. You defeated him." Kagome said.

"Yeah." Inuyasha said without thinking then replayed her message in his mind. "Hey!" Kagome just laughed.

"Kidding." Kagome said with amusement laced in her voice as she leaned on him while they walked and hooked her arm around his. Inuyasha just glared at her.

"Woof!" a dog sounded, though it wasn't Keiko. Everyone first looked at Keiko, then after realizing it wasn't her, they looked in front of them. An army of a hundred small inu-manta demons came running towards them. The group readied themselves for an attack, except Inuyasha, who just stood peacefully. Once the one hundred of small two tail dog demons came up to the group, they all jumped on Inuyasha and started licking his face as he fell back to the ground.

"Hey!" Inuyasha said as he got licked a hundred times over. Everyone looked confused.

"Okay my friends, off of our little brother." A girl said from where the demons came from.

"Hey Yuri. Who are they?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, they're my family. Well, not biological, but a pack." Yuri said. "Or as Sesshomaru calls them 'my army'."

"A hundred inu manta demons?" Kagome asked as she eyed her mate struggle with the hundred.

"You bet." Yuri said with a wink.

"That's awesome. What are their names?" Kagome asked then thought about it while Yuri gave her a look that said 'Are you sure about that?' "You know, I don't see how you can remember them all."

"Well for one, I have a better memory drive than you humans do." Yuri said in a joking manner. "And two, I've been with these guys for years."

"I guessed that helped, huh?" Sango said. Yuri laughed.

"Yuri! Get them off!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Aw, but Yash', they missed you." Yuri said as though she was talking to a baby.

"Keh!" Inuyasha said.

"Okay, okay." Yuri relented. She then put two fingers in her mouth and blew. A loud short whistle was heard as the group winced. The hundred of inu manta demons came off of Inuyasha and stood near their master.

"Took you long enough." Inuyasha grumbled.

"I can just let them attack." Yuri threatened, though there was no malice in her voice, just sisterly love.

"Keh."

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before." Yuri said. "So you guys want to get going?"

"Sure." The group replied.

"Hey, Yuri?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah?" Yuri said as she turned around.

"Not to be mean or judgmental, but why aren't you like Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked. Yuri looked confused.

"Um… because we have different mothers." Yuri tried to answer. "Wait, what are you asking?"

"I mean like, Sesshomaru hates Inuyasha because he's a half demon and every other demon hates half demons. Why don't you?" Kagome asked.

"Why don't you?" Yuri asked back playfully. "Well, I don't because I don't have to. I was raised to hate half demons and humans, and a few choice demons, like my own father because he left my mother. But I always thought those teachings were crude, and not fair to those who are who they are, and can't control that. I mean, sure, I hated half demons, humans, and my own father when he left and conceived Inuyasha. But who wouldn't be mad and hateful towards the people your own father left you for?" Yuri answered. "As I got older, I started to understand everything, and nothing seemed hateful anymore. Besides, I'm more of a happy person."

"Wow, Yuri. That's actually really deep." Kagome said as she listened closely. "Thank you."

"Huh?" Yuri asked. "For what?"

"For changing your ways and teachings and took care of Inuyasha." Kagome said with a smile. "Without you, who knows where he would be. And thank you for sharing that with me." Yuri smiled.

"Well, he is my little brother." Yuri said as she looked at Inuyasha while the inu-manta demons, including Keiko, climbed up and down him. "And we're practically half sisters, right? We can trust each other." Yuri winked, then noticed something. Kagome gave a big smile towards her new sister. "Keiko has grown fond of Inuyasha."

"Yeah. Did Keiko leave before he came?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, she did. But we're still family." Yuri said with a smile. "He is my little brother, so we're nice to him."

"He is your little brother, but that didn't faze Sesshomaru." Kagome said as she also watched Inuyasha and the two tailed dog demons.

"Sesshomaru's just… a prick. He keeps grudges inside. Like how our father left his for mine, and then mine for Inuyasha's. I guess he didn't mind father leaving his mother for mine because they were both inu demons, but when he left for a human, I guessed he kind of… snapped." Yuri tried to explain.

"I guess I understand that concept," Sango joined in their conversation. "But why hold a grudge on something you can't control?"

"Well, for Sesshomaru it's simple." Yuri said. "Like me, he was raised to hate humans and half demons, but I turned away from those beliefs and followed my own. And let me tell you, family was not happy with me."

"Guess he wasn't a rebel like you, huh?" Kagome joked around. Yuri playfully scowled at them as Kagome and Sango laughed.

In front of the girls was another story. Inuyasha scowled as he was ambushed by his old pack mates, while his present pack mates laughed.

"Wow, Inuyasha. How do you do it? Having all of these lovely demons swoon over you?" Miroku joked. Inuyasha growled loudly.

"Shut up, monk!" Inuyasha yelled. "Okay guys, off!" The inu-manta demons obeyed their former co-master and jumped off of the hanyou to run around to walk behind their present master. Keiko went back and jumped on Kagome's shoulder and rubbed her head against Kagome's neck. Kagome then placed a hand on Keiko's head and petted her.

"Wow, they obey pretty well to you." Avion noticed.

"I was their former co-master. They listened to me for a little bit, until I left that is." Inuyasha said.

"Why did you leave? You know you had a place to live and everything is here for you." Miroku asked. Inuyasha just shrugged.

"I just wanted to get away from the royal life. It's not really my style." Inuyasha replied.

"Were you trying to find a mate?" Avion asked bravely. Inuyasha blushed.

"Keh, why would I do that?" Inuyasha asked hotly.

"I can see it in your eyes. You were trying to find someone to be with, and that will accept you." Avion said as she flew and landed on Inuyasha's shoulder. "It was either not doing anything or die trying for you, huh?" Inuyasha just stayed quiet. "Good news is that Kagome loves you. Bad news is that you had to die once to find it."

"That's right. When you were pinned to the tree, you were temporarily dead." Miroku added.

"Keh." Inuyasha said half-heartedly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring that up. It just…" Avion started.

"Don't." Inuyasha butted in. "Its fine."

"You sure?" Avion asked.

"Yeah." Inuyasha said quietly. Avion looked down from her perch on Inuyasha's shoulder and saw happiness in his eyes.

"You're happy? Should I be worried?" Avion asked.

"Maybe you should." Inuyasha joked. "No, I'm just… kind of glad I died once."

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked after staying quiet for a while.

"Without those fifty years thrown in my life, I probably wouldn't have been in that region anymore, maybe not even alive, and Kagome would be dead because of the demon that was attacking her." Inuyasha explained.

"I see. So you're glad that you didn't marry Kikyo, and turn human." Miroku said.

"Yeah, I like being a hanyou, and Kagome doesn't mind that." Inuyasha said with a slight blush.

"Of course she doesn't. Besides, that is one of the reasons she loves you." Avion said with a genuine smile. Inuyasha made a small smile with his lips as he looked away.

"Feh." Inuyasha said quietly.

After walking through the vast forest of the west, the group finally was looking at a stone castle surrounded by stone walls.

"Wow, it's so big!" Shippo said in awe.

"Yeah, that's it alright." Yuri said un-amused. "Still the same, old, cold, stoned, over sized hut." Kagome giggled.

"Don't like it, huh?" Kagome asked in between giggles. Yuri smiled as she let her breath escape in a breathy laugh.

"I don't know, I guess it's just ordinary for any lord or something." Yuri said. "Kind of boring, you know?" Kagome laughed at that.

"You are something, Yuri." Sango said as she shook her head from side to side jokingly.

"Yeah, a full fledged dog demon." Yuri joked. The three girls laughed.

"The girls are certainly acquainted with each other." Miroku noticed as he looked behind him to see the girls.

"Great, now I'm stuck with you." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Aw, Inuyasha wants to be with his mate?" Avion joked. Inuyasha blushed at the statement while Miroku laughed.

"So, Inuyasha, how far have you gone?" Miroku asked lecherously.

"What?" Inuyasha thought for a moment then blushed intensely. "You pervert!" Inuyasha yelled. The girls behind them listened intently to their conversation.

"Hey, you guys want to see something funny?" Kagome asked mischievously.

"Sure." Yuri said with a slight shrug.

"Alright." Sango said with a little confusion.

"Oh, don't worry about it Miroku!" Kagome yelled to them. "Inuyasha and I had sex the other day. Oh, Inuyasha, by the way, I'm pregnant." Inuyasha's face reddened harshly in both anger and embarrassment. Miroku's eyebrows rose insanely high.

"What?!" Inuyasha yelled as he rushed over to Kagome and took her shoulders in his hands in a death grip. "Who's child, Kagome!?" Kagome just laughed harder and harder.

"I'm kidding." Kagome said between laughs. Sango and Yuri laughed harder as Inuyasha's face turned straight from fire rat fur red to fire red.

"So you haven't had… um… you know… with anyone?" Inuyasha asked nervously as he loosened his grip on Kagome's shoulders. Kagome mellowed from the laughed to a slight giggle while shaking her head no.

"Don't *giggle* worry about it, Inuyasha. I was just fooling around." Kagome said. _'Oops, that didn't come out the way I wanted it too. I wasn't fooling around with men, I was just kidding. This might turn out bad.' _Kagome thought nervously.

"Fooling around with whom, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled in her face. "Did you or did you not!?"

"No, no, no!" Kagome said quickly. "Miroku I'm going to kill you!" Miroku just laughed at that. "No, I meant I was kidding. I'm not fooling around with anybody." Kagome said a little quieter. Inuyasha sighed in relief.

"Good." Inuyasha replied. The rest of the group, meaning Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Avion, and Yuri, laughed at their friend's expense.

"Wow, you're right Kagome. That was funny!" Yuri said as she laughed. Kagome just pouted and crossed her arms as she leaned all her weight on one foot. Inuyasha let go of Kagome's shoulders and crossed his own arms together.

"Keh." Inuyasha said as his cheeks slightly turned pink.

"Well, look who's here." A stoic voice said.

"Sesshomaru." Yuri said.

"Ah, little sister, you brought your army." Sesshomaru said.

"They're more than just an army. Besides, our new little sister needs an initiation." Yuri said with a small smile gracing her lips at the last sentence.

"So, our little half breed of a brother mated the miko, huh?" Sesshomaru said.

"Yeah." Yuri said simply.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Sango asked as Kagome looked more and more confused.

"Initiation to the family, of course." Sesshomaru said.

"Inuyasha, you didn't tell me I had to do something." Kagome said.

"I guessed it slipped." Inuyasha said.

"Follow me." Sesshomaru said.

The group walked off towards the back of the castle grounds. The field was filled with sloppy mud and wet grass, while the trees dripped water from the leaves.

"Sorry about the field, I went a little over board with the water." Yuri said sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Yuri can control water, as well as fire, earth, air, and poison, though only a little of each." Inuyasha said.

"Wow." Miroku said.

"Your mother must be one strong demon." Sango noticed.

"I guess." Yuri said. "Should we get started?"

"Sure." Inuyasha and Sesshomaru said in unison.

"Wait, what? What am I doing?" Kagome asked as she was led to the middle of the muddy field by Inuyasha.

"You must fight the three of us." Sesshomaru said in his stoic voice.

"Then what? Am I supposed to beat you?" Kagome asked still as confused as ever.

"You just have to prove you can handle yourself." Yuri said simply.

"Oh." Kagome said quietly.

"You don't have to necessarily beat us or anything. Just knock us down and threaten to kill us one way or another." Inuyasha said next.

"But I don't want to do that…" Kagome said a little unsure about the situation.

"Well don't literally kill us." Yuri joked.

"Um, okay." Kagome said as she stood on one side of the field while Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Yuri stood on the other.

"Ready?" Yuri asked from the other side.

"Yeah." Kagome replied. Sesshomaru charged at Kagome with lightening speed. _'Oh boy.' _Kagome thought as she watched the attack closely, along with the other two. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Keiko, Avion, Shippo, and Yuri's pack were watching from the sidelines with interest and anxiety about how this will turn out.

"Wait, when did Sesshomaru get his second arm back?" Sango noticed. Miroku just shrugged.

"We'll ask later." Miroku said. Though Miroku didn't know that Avion knew how Sesshomaru got his left arm back.

* * *

**THAT WAS LONG, HUH?**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I LOVE EM'! **


	26. Love and Laughter versus Bitterness

**Disclaimer: Never owned Inuyasha, probably never will.**

_**New! New! New! Every tenth reviewer will get a special sneak peak at the summary and title of the next chapter! (This applies to all chapters)**_

* * *

**Major fluff, okay not major, but bigger than all the rest of the stuff I wrote, be warned… kind of… **

* * *

Love and Laughter versus Bitterness

"Wait, what? What am I doing?" Kagome asked as she was led to the middle of the muddy field by Inuyasha.

"You must fight the three of us." Sesshomaru said in his stoic voice.

"Then what? Am I supposed to beat you?" Kagome asked still as confused as ever.

"You just have to prove you can handle yourself." Yuri said simply.

"Oh." Kagome said quietly.

"You don't have to necessarily beat us or anything. Just knock us down and threaten to kill us one way or another." Inuyasha said next.

"But I don't want to do that…" Kagome said a little unsure about the situation.

"Well don't literally kill us." Yuri joked.

"Um, okay." Kagome said as she stood on one side of the field while Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and Yuri stood on the other.

"Ready?" Yuri asked from the other side.

"Yeah." Kagome replied. Sesshomaru charged at Kagome with lightening speed. _'Oh boy.' _Kagome thought as she watched the attack closely, along with the other two. Sango, Miroku, Kirara, Keiko, Avion, Shippo, and Yuri's pack were watching from the sidelines with interest and anxiety about how this will turn out.

"Wait, when did Sesshomaru get his second arm back?" Sango noticed. Miroku just shrugged.

"We'll ask later." Miroku said. Though Miroku didn't know that Avion knew how Sesshomaru got his left arm back.

* * *

Blue dragon serpents flew through the air with glowing orbs in their grimy hands. In the middle of this was a woman, absorbing the bluish glows inside her body.

'_Kagome, you have returned.' _The woman thought as she looked towards the sky. _'Let's test this new love you've found.' _

* * *

Kagome leaped away from the incoming attack and landed in a tree. Yuri was on her in seconds of landing in the tree. The girls crashed into the ground where they were covered from head to toe in mud. Yuri just smirked at how easy it was to get the miko down. Kagome smirked back. Kagome then shocked Yuri with some spiritual power. As it crackled around them, Yuri bounded off of Kagome and landed on the same tree they fell off of.

"Too much for you?" Kagome mocked. Yuri just smiled.

"Well, I think you need to clean up." Yuri said as she moved her hands in a flowing motion. Yuri's hands then glow a blue color as the muddy water rose from its resting place and came crashing onto Kagome.

"Is this a real fight?" Kagome asked.

"You can say that." Inuyasha said as he came behind Kagome and tried to gently punch her down. Kagome turned around quickly as the blade in her right arm popped open. Kagome then swung her right arm near Inuyasha's face and grazed his left cheek. Inuyasha winced and stepped back a step. "Damn." Kagome just smiled as she popped open her right foot blade and kneeled down, then swung her leg out and knocked Sesshomaru, who was behind her, off his feet.

"That was easy." Kagome commented as she fisted her left hand and punched Inuyasha in the stomach. Inuyasha got the wind knocked out of him as he kneeled down on the ground. "Hey, you said it was a fight. All's fair in love and war." Kagome said as she winked at him.

"Yeah." Inuyasha strained out as he tried to get his breath back while blood dripped from his cheek. Sesshomaru got up from his position and jumped at Kagome to try and swipe at her with his claws. Kagome whipped around in time to see Sesshomaru's attack. She jumped back a few inches and saw a few strands of hair fall.

"Literally going to kill me, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked as she stood in a battle stance. Sesshomaru stayed emotionless. Yuri snuck up on Kagome and punched her in the back. Kagome stumbled forward and fell with her hands bracing her from the front. Kagome then turned around and saw Yuri smiling at her mischievously.

"You aren't the only one that can blow a punch." Yuri said. Kagome smiled a little at that and did a frontward summersault to get back on her feet and lunged forward at Sesshomaru. Kagome grabbed his hand quickly and swung him around towards Yuri and let go. Yuri jumped out of the as Sesshomaru did a slight flip in the air put his feet behind him to balance on a tree and jump down.

"Trying to get me to knock her down, miko?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome just shrugged. Kagome then felt someone take her hands pin them behind her back. Kagome looked around and saw Inuyasha.

"Back up so soon?" Kagome asked as she twisted her hands and grabbed his wrist. Kagome then threw Inuyasha over her shoulder. He landed harshly on his back. As Inuyasha groaned, Kagome took our her sword and placed it near his neck. Kagome then stuck the sword in the ground near his head. "One down."

"I was just going easy on you. I don't want to fight you." Inuyasha said.

"Afraid?" Kagome joked.

"No, just didn't want to hurt my mate." Inuyasha said while still lying on the ground.

"I'll make it up to you." Kagome said as she avoided Sesshomaru's poison whip. Kagome took her bow and an arrow out and pointed it towards Sesshomaru.

"You think a measly arrow can bring me down?" Sesshomaru asked as he whipped the green glowing whip again. Kagome jumped back a few steps and fired the arrow. Instead of turning its usual purple color of spiritual power, it turned red.

"What's that?" Shippo asked from the side lines.

"I think it's a heat seeking arrow." Miroku said as he watched the fight continue.

"I thought those were impossible to make." Sango said.

"They are." Miroku answered simply. "But I guess we're proven wrong."

The arrow went towards Sesshomaru. He then jumped out of the way and landed near Yuri. Yuri looked at the arrow and jumped in the air above all of the trees. Sesshomaru went towards Kagome next and stood next to her. He then grabbed her neck and lifted her off the ground.

"Sesshomaru, put her down!" Inuyasha yelled from his new position in the sidelines. Sesshomaru just looked at Inuyasha slightly but then looked back to Kagome's face to find her smirking. Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow. Suddenly a red glow was seen on Sesshomaru's back as the arrow embedded itself. Sesshomaru stumbled forward a bit. Kagome then pushed him back a little with her feet against his chest and flipped back in the air. She landed gracefully as she watched Sesshomaru stagger.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you?" Kagome asked as she saw Yuri come down from the sky and swiped her claws at her. Kagome saw flames coming out of Yuri's claws.

"Fire claws." Yuri explained simply. Kagome shrugged. Yuri swiped her claws repeatedly as Kagome kept staggering back as she avoided the attack. Kagome then placed her right forearm in front of her. Yuri's hand came in contact with the blade. Yuri just smirked as she jumped back. Kagome looked confused. "Blood daggers." Yuri said as she flung blood at Kagome. The blood droplets turned into sharp triangles as they shot towards Kagome. Kagome got daggers near her face and other body parts, while one embedded in her shoulder. Kagome fell forward to her knees.

"You win." Kagome said simply. Yuri just smiled and went over to her new sister.

"Two out of three isn't bad." Yuri said as she helped Kagome up.

"I should get that arrow out of Sesshomaru." Kagome said as she walked over to the other dog demon.

"No, let him rot like that." Inuyasha said as he went to Kagome.

"You know, I'd rather not." Kagome said as she went behind Sesshomaru and pulled out the arrow. There was only a small hole in Sesshomaru's back that would heal by morning once Kagome took out all of the spiritual power in his body.

"Did you just go easy on them?" Sango asked.

"Maybe just a little." Kagome said with a small smirk on her face.

"Hey, Sesshomaru." Inuyasha called. Sesshomaru looked un-amused at his brother. Inuyasha just rolled his eyes. "Anyways, how'd you get your arm back? Didn't I hack it off?"

"Yes, how did you get that back?" Miroku asked. Sesshomaru just spared a sideways glance towards Kagome. Kagome noticed the action and looked at everyone else to see that they were looking at her too.

"What?" Kagome asked. "What did I do?" Obviously Kagome wasn't listening.

"Yes, Kagome, what did you do?" Miroku asked jokingly.

"Huh?" Kagome said confusedly.

"How did Sesshomaru get his arm back?" Sango supplied for her.

"Oh, that." Kagome said as she put a finger on her lip. "I just re-made one for him. Why? Was that a bad thing?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"Why the hell did you do that for?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because he saved me and I owed him." Kagome answered.

"I save you all the time!" Inuyasha said loudly.

"Okay okay. What do you want from me? More Ramen?" Kagome asked.

"Okay, fine. I guess you did give us stuff." Inuyasha scowled.

"Sheesh, great mate you are, we're supposed to help each other without material things, and here you are, telling me to give you _stuff_." Kagome spat.

"I'm just kidding." Inuyasha said as he walked over to Kagome. "I don't need that stuff." Inuyasha placed a hand in the small of her back. _'I only need you.' _Inuyasha thought.

"If you say so." Kagome said as she looked towards the others. "Besides the fight, what are we doing here?"

"Come let's eat dinner." Yuri said with cheerfulness as she led everyone in the castle. Kagome tried to walk but was pulled back when Inuyasha enclosed her in his arms by her abdomen from behind her.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked as she looked behind her.

"You know I was just kidding right?" Inuyasha asked. "Because I would do anything for you." Kagome got a silly grin on her lips.

"Yeah I know you were kidding." Kagome said as Inuyasha kissed her cheek. "Do anything for me, huh?"

"Of course." Inuyasha answered without hesitation.

"Would you… I don't know… get naked and run around?" Kagome asked jokingly. Inuyasha blushed heavily.

"Wh-what? Um…" Inuyasha stuttered. "Like hell I'm gonna' do that!" Kagome laughed.

"I was kidding." Kagome said in between fits of laughter. "But you're sweet for saying that." Kagome said as she turned around and kissed him on the lips. Kagome then licked his lips but pulled back afterwards.

"Why'd you pull back?" Inuyasha asked confusedly. Kagome just smiled.

"To get you to want more." Kagome said with a mischievous smile.

"Damn you." Inuyasha said jokingly. "But you owe me, one for this graze on my cheek," Inuyasha said as he pointed to his cheek. "And two, for punching me in the stomach, besides you said you would make it up to me." Inuyasha pouted.

"Okay." Kagome said. "But let's go have dinner first. I'm starving."

"Feh, fine." Inuyasha said as he placed his hand in hers and walked over to the castle doors. Once they arrived the group was already in the dining room waiting for dinner to be served.

"Where have you guys been?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Fooling around again, Kagome?" Miroku asked lecherously.

"Yes actually," Kagome said with evilness in her voice. "Which reminds me,"

"Reminds you of what, Kagome?" Sango asked as she hit Miroku square in the jaw for the last comment.

"That I'm going to _KILL THAT MONK!" _Kagome finished with a yell as she lunged over to him, but was stopped by clawed hands holding her back towards his body.

"Whoa there." Inuyasha said. "Shut it monk! No we haven't had… um… sex…! And no, we weren't fooling around!" Inuyasha yelled as he turned red. "You're lucky that I'm holding her back!"

"Why are you holding her back?" Sesshomaru asked stoically.

"Because I don't want her to waste her energy on something so pathetic." Inuyasha answered.

"I don't know why I'm marrying you." Sango sighed.

"Aw, but my dear Sango, don't you love me?" Miroku asked.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder that myself." Sango said. Kagome, Inuyasha, Shippo, Yuri, and Avion laughed as the inu-manta demons barked once while Kirara meowed. Sesshomaru stayed stoic and un-interested.

Just then a rabbit demon, in her humanoid form, walked in with a tray of food and placed it in front of Sesshomaru.

"Hi Maiko." Kagome said cheerfully as she sat down in her respective seat.

"Hi Lady Kagome, nice seeing you again." Maiko said as she bowed a little.

"Nice seeing you too." Kagome said with a smile. With that Maiko walked back into the kitchen and emerged with two more trays of food along with a few other demon servants.

"Who's that, Kagome?" Sango asked.

"That was Maiko. I met her the last time I was here." Kagome said as she smiled thanks to the servant who gave her food.

"When were you here?" Miroku asked.

"Well, let's see. I was here after that run in with Naraku in the miasmic forest. I was recovering for a few days." Kagome said as she watched Inuyasha munch on his food like there was no tomorrow. "Slow down, you're going to make yourself sick." Kagome said as she put a hand on Inuyasha's arm.

"Keh, I'm no human." Inuyasha grumbled, but slowed down a bit.

"Of course you're not." Kagome said as she started on her stew. Dinner was made of chicken and fish with rice and stew. "Sesshomaru, where are Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un?"

"They are in their respective rooms. They have already eaten." Sesshomaru said without looking up from his food.

"Everything is like a schedule to you, isn't it Sesshomaru." Yuri said as took a sip of water from her glass. Sesshomaru stayed quiet as Yuri rolled her eyes. All of the manta demons were fed with their own food bowls while Avion stayed on the back of Kagome's chair and watched considering she doesn't eat.

After dinner the group was shown to their rooms. Maiko instructed Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, and Sango to follow her, while the rest of them were to follow other servants, except Yuri and Sesshomaru; they already knew where their rooms were.

"This is instructed to be the monk Miroku's room and the taijia Sango's room." Maiko said as she opened the wooden door to see a large room.

"Wait, wait, wait." Sango said quickly. "I have to sleep in the same room as him? Alone?"

"Aren't you engaged to be married?" Maiko said skeptically.

"Well, uh…" Sango stuttered.

"Come on, Sango. You are supposed to marry him. What's wrong?" Kagome asked.

"I just… um…" Sango stuttered.

"Don't worry Sango. You trust him right?" Kagome asked as she placed a hand on her sister like friend's shoulder. Sango nodded. "Then you'll be fine. He might be a lecher, but he won't force you or anything." Kagome said with a smile. "Right Miroku?!" Kagome yelled into the room where the monk entered.

"You have my word!" Miroku yelled back.

"See." Kagome said with a smile. "It's not like you're bathing with him or anything." Kagome whispered. Sango blushed.

"I guess you're right. Thanks Kagome." Sango said as she went into her room. Kagome smiled. Maiko then closed the door and led the next couple down a different hall.

"Bathing together, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he bent towards her ear. Kagome just shrugged.

"I needed an example." Kagome said.

"Well here you go." Maiko said with a smile as she opened the door.

"Thanks Maiko." Kagome said with a smile as she and Inuyasha entered. Maiko smiled back and closed the door. "This is the same room I stayed in before." Kagome said as she went across the room and looked out the window to the large garden. Inuyasha went over to her and kissed her cheek lightly.

"That's good that you have such great memories without me." Inuyasha said as he went over to the bed and laid on his back while his calf and feet were off the bed.

"Inuyasha, that's true, but I have more memories of us together." Kagome said as she went over to the bed and straddled Inuyasha's leg. Inuyasha blushed slightly as Kagome shook her head. "Still embarrassed for us to get together?" Inuyasha smiled slightly and chuckled.

"Not anymore." Inuyasha said as he put his hands on her waist and sat up. He then placed a butterfly kiss on her lips. "That reminds me, you owe me." Inuyasha said.

"Sure." Kagome said as she kissed him again, deepening it by levels. Kagome licked his lips, asking for entrance, which Inuyasha granted. She then began to toy with his tongue, twisting and turning it in his mouth, and then she went on to licking his fangs as Inuyasha moaned into the heated kiss.

Now Inuyasha decided to slip his tongue passed his mouth and into Kagome's. He licked the recesses of her mouth from top to bottom, and side to side. Kagome chose then to pull her tongue back and close her mouth on Inuyasha's tongue and sucked on it slightly.

"You're feisty." Inuyasha said as his kisses went from her mouth to her cheek and then to her left ear, where he pulled her earlobe in between his teeth and nibbled on it. Kagome moaned slightly.

"You don't like feisty?" Kagome asked. "Do you want me to be a submissive bitch or something?"

"No, you're perfect the way you are." Inuyasha said as he sucked her pulse point.

"So are you." Kagome said as she found a furry white ear near her mouth and decided to experiment. Inuyasha's eyes snapped open as he felt Kagome's moist tongue on the inside of his ear. Inuyasha moaned into her neck.

"Kagome." Inuyasha moaned out. "Are you sure, me being half demon doesn't bother one bit?"

"If it did," Kagome said as she nibbled the tip of the triangular appendage. "Would I be here, or doing this?" Kagome asked as she pressed her body against Inuyasha's.

"I guess not." Inuyasha said as he nipped and licked down her neck to the collar of her own fire rat kimono. Kagome moaned out in the pleasure Inuyasha was making her feel. Kagome then switched ears and licked it fully. She then draped her arms over Inuyasha's shoulders so her fingers slightly touched and scraped across his back.

Inuyasha's hands unconsciously moved upward. One hand rested on the side of Kagome's breast while his thumb was under it, while his other hand slightly cupped the other. Kagome gasped in surprise and pulled back slightly. Inuyasha, being in a daze, didn't realize anything until he opened his eyes.

"Inuyasha." Kagome gasped. Inuyasha instantly pulled both his hands back.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I didn't…" Inuyasha started but lifted Kagome off of him and set her on the bed as he got up and walked over towards the window. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha repeated as his bangs covered his eyes.

"Inuyasha." Kagome said as she got up and walked over towards him. Kagome sighed. "That's not what I meant. I was just surprised, I didn't mind, or something." Kagome said shyly.

"I'm not trying to force you or anything." Inuyasha reasoned as he sat at the window and stared out. Kagome sat on his lap and gave him a butterfly kiss.

"I know. Besides, I don't mind. Did you hear that?" Kagome said as she went down and sucked on his pulse point. "I love you."

"I love you too. I don't want to ruin it." Inuyasha said as he bent his neck to the side to let Kagome have more space to explore.

"Nothing will ruin this. Trust me." Kagome said as she retreated and grabbed one of his hands with both of hers and started tracing circles with both of her thumbs on his palm. "Put your hands where you want. I'll only stop you when I think it's gone too far, okay?"

"Are you sure about this, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as she put his hand on her thigh.

"Is there a river near?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, I think so, why?" Inuyasha asked totally confused.

"I want to throw you in it." Kagome said.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at her with a questioning glance.

"Remember when I said if you asked one more time if I was sure, I would throw you in?" Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha nodded. "Well, you asked." Inuyasha just chuckled.

"Right." Inuyasha said. "Thank you." Kagome just rolled her eyes playfully and went back to licking and nipping the nape of his neck. Inuyasha allowed her to do whatever she wanted to do as he lifted his head to bare her more of his neck.

"Do you like submitting to me?" Kagome asked as she bit him slightly under his chin. Inuyasha moaned at the contact.

"After what I did, I'll do anything you want me to." Inuyasha answered.

* * *

"Sango, do you not like me?" Miroku asked as he looked out the window and down to where the previous battle between the family members was.

"Miroku," Sango started. "That's not it. I just… I'm not like Kagome."

"I know that you're not like Kagome." Miroku said.

"I'm not bold like her, or blunt. I'm just…" Sango stuttered. Miroku went over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know Sango. That's why I fell for you. If I wanted Kagome, I would've gone for her." Miroku said. Sango looked towards the ground.

"I'm sorry." Sango said quietly.

"Sorry about what?" Miroku asked.

"For causing all of this trouble, I… I really like you Miroku. I do, I just don't want to rush things." Sango said. "You understand, right?"

"Of course." Miroku said as he took Sango into his arms and hugged her. "Inuyasha and Kagome aren't rushing things. They're just joking around. Besides, don't compare us to them. We're different, in both good and bad ways." Sango hugged him back and nodded into his chest.

"Okay." Sango said as she looked up. Miroku leaned down and kissed her lightly.

"Why don't you say, we just hang around each other and enjoy company?" Miroku asked.

"I'd like that." Sango said.

"Want to go outside?" Miroku asked. Sango nodded. They left their room and walked down the many corridors to the main doors and went outside. There they sat down near a large garden and looked towards the sky as Sango leaned on Miroku, and Miroku placed an arm around her shoulders.

* * *

"Hi Shippo!" A little girl said.

"Hey Rin." Shippo said as he walked over to the girl who was playing with all of the inu-manta demons and the one neko-manta demon.

"Aren't these the cutest dogs and cat you've ever seen?" Rin asked as some of the two tail dog demons ran around her.

"Yeah, they are." Shippo said as he started to run with Rin and the others. Kirara was asleep near where Avion was perched, watching everyone frolic around in the open fields. "Hey, where's Jaken?" Shippo asked as he noticed the green imp wasn't with them.

"Some of the puppies pounced on him. Now he's out cold over there." Rin said as she pointed to the very edge of the clearing.

"Not a very strong person, is he?" Shippo said.

"No, not at all." Rin said as she smiled and started to play with some of the inu manta demons again.

* * *

"She's good for him. Besides I like her." Yuri said to Sesshomaru who was sitting in some kind of study.

"Yeah, good thing Inuyasha's in line now. That Kagome can do wonders to him." Sesshomaru said stoically.

"I know you like her too, admit it Sesshomaru." Yuri joked. Sesshomaru stayed quiet. Yuri just rolled her eyes. "I'm staying the night; I don't feel like going back to my place tonight." Yuri said as she headed towards the door.

"This is father's home. Do what you want." Sesshomaru said. Yuri just waved a hand that symbolized a 'good night'.

* * *

Inuyasha gave Kagome a few more butterfly kisses before stopping and looking deep into her eyes. Kagome lay beneath him on the bed as he straddled her waist, fully clothed of course.

"I love you. And I promise to protect you with my life." Inuyasha said as he panted.

"I love you too. And I'll do whatever you need me to." Kagome said with a smile, then leaned up and gave him one more kiss. "Why'd we stop?" Kagome asked.

"It's getting late. Do you want to bathe?" Inuyasha asked as he leaned all his weight on his forearms.

"Sure." Kagome said. Inuyasha got off of Kagome and sat at the edge of the bed. Kagome got up and fixed her kimono a bit. "I'll go get Sango." Kagome said as she walked towards the door, but was stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. Kagome looked back at Inuyasha in confusion.

"Don't go to their room." Inuyasha said.

"Why?" Kagome asked skeptically.

"Because, their scent his coming through that window. They're probably sitting outside." Inuyasha said as he led her to the window where they saw the sun setting. Inuyasha then pointed towards the garden. "There they are." Inuyasha said.

"Thanks Inuyasha." Kagome said as she kissed his cheek slightly. "Should I jump down?" Kagome asked herself.

"I don't think so." Inuyasha answered her.

"Why? You know I could handle it." Kagome said.

"Because I don't want you to hurt yourself." Inuyasha answered. "Here, I'll bring you to them." Inuyasha said as he picked up Kagome bridal style.

"But Inuyasha, you know I can handle it." Kagome said as she looked at him.

"Keh." Inuyasha said. Kagome shook her head.

"Okay, fine." Kagome said as Inuyasha jumped out the window and landed near the garden, startling poor Sango and Miroku. "Thanks." Kagome said as she kissed his cheek again.

"Hey Kagome, Inuyasha." Sango said as she looked at her friends.

"Hey, what have you guys been up to?" Kagome asked.

"Just hanging around." Miroku answered.

"And doing what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Watching the sun set." Miroku answered.

"Is that it?" Inuyasha eyed Miroku.

"Of course." Miroku said. Inuyasha just shrugged.

"Hey, Sango, do you want to go take a dip in the springs?" Kagome asked.

"Sure, Kagome." Sango said as she got up. "Where is it?"

"Um… I think it's this way." Kagome said as she led them around the corner of the walls and to another part of the outside of the castle. "Bye guys." Kagome called back.

"Bye." Inuyasha and Miroku said in unison.

"What have you been up to?" Miroku asked once he knew the girls were out of hearing range.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked as he sat down on the ground facing the sun set.

"Have you guys been in your room this whole time?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha tried his best to not let anything show on his face.

"Have you and Sango been out here the whole time?" Inuyasha countered.

"Okay, that's a good point." Miroku said. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing you need to butt into." Inuyasha said angrily.

"Testy." Miroku said. "Did you guys make out or something?" Miroku joked. Inuyasha blushed. "You did?!" Miroku asked as he saw his friends face. Inuyasha stayed quiet. "Wow, Inuyasha, didn't think you had it in you."

"Hey! What's that suppose to mean?!" Inuyasha said hotly.

"Nothing, my friend." Miroku said.

"So, what did you and Sango do?" Inuyasha asked.

"Nothing. Like I said, we just hung around the garden." Miroku said sincerely. Inuyasha then decided that he didn't want to know what happened if that was a lie. "We should probably go bathe."

"We are _not _following the girls." Inuyasha said sternly.

"Okay, but we haven't bathed in a while. We should go." Miroku said.

"There is another spring on the other side of the girls." A stoic voice said. Miroku and Inuyasha turned their heads to see Sesshomaru.

"Okay." Inuyasha said as he got up. "Want to show us, or do I have to sniff it out?"

"Sniff it out, little brother." Sesshomaru said. "I was just checking on who was out here."

"Why didn't you use your nose?" Inuyasha asked.

"You were the one that needed to bathe." Sesshomaru said. _'Besides, you have the priestess's scent all over you, little brother.' _Sesshomaru thought. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." Inuyasha said. "Come on, Miroku." Miroku followed as Sesshomaru went back inside.

Inuyasha finally sniffed out the other hot spring. The guys started undressing and stepped inside the warm water.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the right way, Kagome?" Sango asked as she followed her false sister.

"Uh…" Kagome said. She then spotted someone familiar walking out to retrieve some of the inu-manta demons. "Yuri!" Kagome yelled. Yuri looked their way and waved. Kagome and Sango ran towards her.

"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" Yuri asked. _'Kagome, did you make out with my little brother? His scent is all over you, and that's not just the mating mark talking.' _Yuri thought.

"We were just trying to find the springs. You wouldn't happen to know where they are, do you?" Kagome asked.

"Just over there to your left. It's in a boxed room with no roof." Yuri said as she pointed behind her.

"Thanks Yuri." Kagome said. "Do you want to join us?"

"Come on, it'll be great." Sango added.

"Sure." Yuri said. "Let me just round up these guys first." She said while pointing to the inu-manta demons.

"Okay. Hey, do you know where Kirara is?" Sango asked.

"Probably with Shippo and Rin playing with a few of my pack members." Yuri answered as she opened the door for all of the two tail dog demons to rush inside.

"Oh, okay." Sango said.

"Want to get going?" Kagome asked.

"Sure." Sango and Yuri said in unison. Yuri led them to the enclosed area. The girls undressed and stepped into the water.

"This feels nice." Kagome sighed out happily.

"Yeah." Sango agreed.

"You bet." Yuri said. "So, what were you guys doing this whole time?"

"Miroku and I just went to the garden and enjoyed the breeze. Nothing really." Sango said.

"That's all?" Kagome asked. "Nothing else?"

"No, we decided not to rush things." Sango said.

"Um… Sango… not to criticize, and not like I know you all too well, but haven't you guys been engaged for almost four months now? Shouldn't you be more, um, intimate?" Yuri asked. Sango looked at her like she was saying secret information. "Kagome told me." Sango then looked at Kagome.

"Oops?" Kagome said.

"Well, I don't know. It's just complicated with us." Sango said.

"And you don't think it's not complicated with me and Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. Yuri decided to keep her comment about Kagome quiet until after Sango was done talking.

"I just… I'm not… I'm no bold, or blunt. I'm just… me." Sango said.

"Sango that's not what we're saying." Yuri said.

"We're saying that, maybe you should explore a little more before you take a leap and marry him." Kagome said. Sango looked down and nodded.

"I guess you're right." Sango said quietly.

"But if you don't feel comfortable with it, don't rush things. Just do what you think is right." Yuri supplied.

"I guess I've just been holding back. I'm just afraid that he will just disappear." Sango said.

"Sango, he won't disappear. Besides, he loves you too much." Kagome said with a small smile.

"Thanks. I can handle things from here." Sango said. Kagome and Yuri smiled.

"That was easy." Yuri commented.

"Yup." Kagome agreed. Sango just looked at them, almost as if saying 'What do you mean by that?' with her eyes. Kagome just giggled. "Nothing Sango."

"So, Kagome, it seems that you've been busy." Yuri said as she leaned against the bolder behind her.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"You and Inuyasha." Yuri said bluntly.

"Yeah, what have you two done?" Sango asked. Kagome sunk into the water, getting her hair wet.

"Uh…" Kagome said with a slight blush once she emerged back up. Yuri and Sango eyed her. "We just…"

"Made out?" Yuri said. Kagome turned red.

"Maybe." Kagome said.

"Kagome, you are one to take things quite fast." Sango said. _'Or maybe I'm taking things too slow.' _Sango thought to herself. Kagome laughed nervously.

"Well…" Kagome said.

"I can smell him all over you, Kagome. You guys have been busy." Yuri said.

"Yuri!" Kagome said loudly.

"Kagome, you didn't… um… did you?" Sango asked shyly.

"No!" Kagome said. "We didn't take things _THAT _far!" Yuri just laughed.

"I'm glad for the both of you. You've made each other happy enough." Yuri said.

"Yeah, maybe I should just make out with Miroku and see where that leads me." Sango joked.

"Maybe you should." Kagome said seriously.

"Kagome I was kidding!" Sango said. Kagome just smiled as Yuri shook her head slowly.

"We've been in here for a while. Do you think we should get out?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah." Kagome and Sango said in unison. The girls then got out and put on the supply of white yukata's that were there.

* * *

Kagome entered her bedroom door with her clothes draped across her arm while she wore the white yukata. Kagome saw Inuyasha in a similar dressing as he sat near the window while his clothes were folded in the dresser with the door to it was opened.

"Hey." Inuyasha said as he turned his head to look at her.

"Hey. How long have you been up here?" Kagome asked as she folded her clothes and put them next to Inuyasha's.

"A little bit, I guess. You girls take forever to bathe." Inuyasha complained. Kagome went over to Inuyasha and sat down on his lap while she looked out the window and saw stars.

"It's so pretty." Kagome said. Inuyasha combed his fingers through Kagome's slightly damp hair and laid his head on her shoulder while he put his left arm around her middle.

"Come on." Inuyasha said as he stood up with Kagome in his arms.

"Where to?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha jumped onto the window sill and jumped up to the roof. "What are you doing?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha put Kagome down on the roof as he lay down.

"Aren't you joining me? You said it was pretty out here." Inuyasha said. Kagome smiled at that.

"Thanks for bringing me up here." Kagome said as she lay down next to him. Inuyasha put an arm out so Kagome could have a make shift pillow. Kagome chose to lie against his chest while his arm wrapped around her. Kagome played with his clawed hand as she stared at the dark sky with the speckles of light that were stars. Inuyasha leaned down and placed a kiss on her head. Kagome snuggled closer to him.

The two decided to stay for a while outside, just watching the stars.

'_This is pretty. No wonder Kagome likes it so much out here at night.' _Inuyasha thought as he heard her even breathing. _'She fell asleep.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked down at the sleeping girl on his chest and wrapped in his arm. Inuyasha slowly moved Kagome and sat up. He gathered her in his arms and jumped down towards their room.

Inuyasha then walked over to their bed. He balanced Kagome in one hand as he moved the covers over and place Kagome down. He covered her up and gave her a kiss on her forehead. Inuyasha walked to the other side of the bed and sat down.

'_Should I sleep next to her? Would she mind?' _Inuyasha asked himself. He decided to sit on the bed and sleep, just to make sure Kagome wasn't going to be mad at him when she wakes.

After a few more hours of silence, Kagome stirred in her sleep and cracked open an eye. She saw Inuyasha sitting up and lightly sleeping.

"Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping." Inuyasha answered simply.

"Why are you sitting up?" Kagome asked as she leaned on one elbow that was propped up on the pillow.

"I didn't want you to get mad if I slept next to you." Inuyasha said.

"Why do you think I'd be mad?" Kagome asked. "Besides, I don't mind. Now lie down and get some sleep. It's not every day that we're this safe."

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"Why wouldn't I be? You are my mate, besides we already talked about this." Kagome said. "Now go back to sleep, next to me." Kagome went back down into the covers and closed her eyes.

"Keh, I don't need sleep." Inuyasha grumbled a little.

"Then don't do it for you, do it for me. I don't want you to be exhausted." Kagome said.

"Alright." Inuyasha said as he lay on top of the covers.

"Now what are you doing?" Kagome asked as she cracked a brown eye, with a purple and golden ring, open.

"Lying on top of the covers so it doesn't seem like we're doing anything." Inuyasha said.

"Stop playing around. You're cold, I could see it." Kagome said.

"How can you see it? Human eyes can't see very well in the dark." Inuyasha noticed.

"Probably a trait I picked up from you." Kagome said as she closed her eyes again. "Now go under and sleep already."

"Thanks Kagome." Inuyasha said.

"Thanks for bringing me in here." Kagome said. Inuyasha didn't say anything and kissed her forehead. "I love you." Kagome said as she scooted closer to his warmth.

"Love you too." Inuyasha said as draped an arm around her.

* * *

'_That girl, Kagome, will have a lifeless corpse, while her soul wanders, trying to find her way back to her _precious _mate.' _A female spat in her mind. _'I'll get that little girl, and I'll test her to her limits.' _

* * *

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	27. Goodbye Soul

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha & co.**

_**New! New! New! Every tenth reviewer will get a special sneak peak at the summary and title of the next chapter! (This applies to all chapters)**_

* * *

Goodbye Soul

Kagome blinked her eyes open. She looked up and saw the sleeping face of her mate. A peaceful slumber over took him late that night. Kagome smiled at his face.

'_He looks so peaceful. I guess he hasn't had a decent nice sleep in a while.' _Kagome thought as she scooted closer to his warm body. Inuyasha unconsciously tightened his grip on her middle and pulled their bodies flushed with each other. Kagome's cheeks reddened a little, but didn't mind the contact. Kagome stared at Inuyasha's face without realizing it.

"Is there a reason for you to stare at me?" Inuyasha asked as he cracked a golden eye with a brown circle open. Kagome was startled out of her stupor.

"Guess not. You just looked really peaceful." Kagome answered as she stared at his eyes. Inuyasha opened both of his eyes and stared at Kagome's brown eyes with a purple and golden ring around the pupil. Inuyasha then leaned down and kissed Kagome on her forehead.

"I'm always peaceful knowing you're here with me." Inuyasha said. Kagome smiled. "How long have you been up?"

"Not too long." Kagome answered. She then turned around, so her back was facing Inuyasha, then looked out the window. "What time do you think it is?"

"I'd say the sun hasn't been up for too long." Inuyasha answered.

"Oh, okay then." Kagome said as she turned back around. Inuyasha wrapped both his arms around Kagome the best he could since they were lying on their sides.

"You don't want to get up do you?" Inuyasha asked.

"Nah." Kagome said with a playful wink. Inuyasha chuckled at that.

"I wouldn't mind waking up like this." Inuyasha said with a smile.

"Really now." Kagome said with something mischievous in her voice. "Are you saying you don't want to wake up like this?" Kagome asked as she pushed Inuyasha on his back and kissed him forcefully. Inuyasha was stunned but instinctively kissed back. Kagome then went down and kissed and nipped his neck. Inuyasha moaned a little bit. Kagome pulled back a little and laughed slightly. "Apparently you don't mind that either." Kagome looked into his eyes.

"Keh." Inuyasha said as he looked into her eyes and memorized each color and emotion swirling inside their depths. Inuyasha then leaned up and gave a gentle kiss to her lips and pulled her body down to lay on top of his. Inuyasha's hands were splayed across her back as Kagome's hands were clutched on his shoulder gently.

"What was that for?" Kagome asked as they pulled apart but their faces were still only a couple millimeters away from one another.

"To make sure this wasn't just a dream." Inuyasha said as his breath blew across Kagome's lower face. Kagome bent back down and kissed him gently again.

"Of course it's not. I'm right here." Kagome reassured. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." Inuyasha said simply as he hugged her to him. "I'm not going anywhere either."

"That's a good boy." Kagome joked as she smiled against his neck.

"Hey, I'm not a dog." Inuyasha said.

'_Remember our conversation? Think again.' _Inuyasha's conscience said to him in their mind.

'_Dog _DEMON!_' _Inuyasha yelled in his mind.

"You're part dog," Kagome said as she kissed under his chin then went on to sucking his pulse point. Inuyasha then nibbled on Kagome's ear and licked the outer shell. "And I love you the way you are."

"I never thought someone like you could exist." Inuyasha said into her ear as he puffed out hot breath into it as well. Kagome giggled at the contact of hot breath on her slightly damp ear. "What's so funny?" Inuyasha asked.

"Nothing, that just tickled." Kagome said as she raised her head and looked at his face. "And just so you know, I exist, don't worry." Inuyasha smiled a little then kissed her cheek.

"That's good." Inuyasha said then sniffed the air. "Breakfast is cooking." Kagome just laughed a little.

"That's _all _you think about, isn't it?" Kagome asked with amusement. "I suppose you want to go eat." Kagome started to get off Inuyasha and went off the bed to where she put her clothes. "Do you want to change first?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah sure." Inuyasha said as he sat up in bed. Kagome grabbed his clothes and threw it to him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Kagome said then grabbed her clothes. "Where do you want to change?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked as he stood.

"Well one of us can change in here while the other can go to another place and change there." Kagome answered simply.

"Why don't we just both change in here. You're wearing stuff under that yukata, right?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah."

"Then we'll turn our backs to each other." Inuyasha said simply.

"Are you sure you aren't hanging around Miroku too much?" Kagome asked suspiciously. Inuyasha sighed.

"I promise I won't look. It's just a waste of time to walk from one place to another. We're already mates." Inuyasha answered as he turned his back towards Kagome. "Just change."

"Fine." Kagome said as she turned her back towards him and started to strip down and put her white dress like outfit on then her grey sash and her grey leggings. Kagome then proceeded to put on her fire rat kimono on and tied that. She tied all of her weapons down and tied her hair in a low pony tail, like Sango's, with her old red scarf. Kagome adjusted the sword and Rykotsu and all of her poison and gas bombs. Kagome then put on her shoes and her forearm sword covers.

On the other side of the room, Inuyasha kept his word and didn't look. He then put on his inner white kimono on, and then tied his hakama (pants) over it. Then he put on his own fire rat kimono on top of the white one. Inuyasha placed Tetsusaiga in his sash.

"Are you done?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"Yeah, I just need to put on my necklace." Kagome said as she picked up her black velvet choker with the two amulets attached to it.

"Here," Inuyasha said as he walked over to Kagome.

"Huh?" Kagome said as she turned around to see Inuyasha right behind her. "Whoa, that was quick."

"Yeah well I'm a demon."Inuyasha answered. "Turn around." Kagome obligated but was slightly confused. Her hands were behind her neck holding the necklace. Inuyasha moved her hair over her shoulder and replaced her hands with his own then helped with the necklace. The couple then heard a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Kagome yelled.

"Hey." Sango said cheerfully.

"Someone's helpful this morning." Miroku said as he saw Inuyasha help Kagome with her necklace. "Did you help her get dressed too?" Miroku asked lecherously. Inuyasha growled as Sango hit him square in the jaw, and then he was shocked by spiritual energy coming from Kagome. Yuri then entered the room, only to see a knocked out Miroku and a slight smoke coming from him.

"Uh…" Yuri was speechless.

"Don't ask." Kagome said just as Inuyasha was done putting on her necklace.

"There." Inuyasha said.

"Thanks." Kagome said.

"Breakfast is ready, if anyone wants any." Yuri said with a smile as she smelt Inuyasha and Kagome's scent all over each other.

"Thanks Yuri." Kagome said with a smile.

"What have you guys been up to this morning?" Sango asked.

"Nothing really, slept, kissed, got dressed, and here we are." Kagome said. Inuyasha blushed slightly but didn't deny it.

"Did you guys get dressed together?" Sango asked as one of her eye brows rose.

"In the same room. Oh come on Sango, we're not perverts. We had our backs to each other." Kagome said. "Right, Inuyasha?" Kagome said as she raised her voice secretly saying 'if you looked, you'll die' to Inuyasha.

"I swear I didn't look." Inuyasha said truthfully.

"Good. See Sango?" Kagome said. Sango still looked curious but let it drop.

"He's telling the truth, Sango. It's in his scent." Yuri supplied for the girl.

"Thank you." Inuyasha said.

"Alright." Sango relented. "Let's go down to breakfast."

"And Miroku?" Yuri asked as she stepped out the door and looked back.

"Leave him." Inuyasha said as he stepped over the monk.

"You know, now that I look at it, I might have shocked him _a little _too hard with spiritual power." Kagome said a little sympathetically.

"Forget about him. He'll come too eventually." Inuyasha said as he slightly pushed Kagome out of the room followed by Sango. They left the door open and walked down the hall towards the dining room.

"Hey Sessh." Yuri said nonchalantly.

"Don't call me that, impudent brat." Sesshomaru said.

"Humph. Whatever, just because I beat you and took a part of your inherited land, doesn't mean I'm a brat. Besides, you didn't do anything to earn this land except for being in the blood line." Yuri said. Everyone just stared at the bickering brother and sister.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru called.

"Yes, my lord?" Jaken said as he came from the kitchen door.

"Escort my dear little sister out." Sesshomaru said. Everyone, except Yuri, stared in shock. Miroku came in just as that last statement was said and stood frozen at the door.

"Yes my lord." Jaken said. "Now come, you oddly colored dog." Jaken said, meaning Yuri's hair. She was the only one with black hair, because of her mother being a black furred dog demon, unlike her brothers where they inherited silver hair from their father. Everyone tensed up after hearing that coming from Jaken.

"If you're asking me, Sesshomaru, you're the brat." Yuri said as if nothing happened. The inu manta demons came in and surround Jaken, baring their canine teeth at him. Jaken sweated but stood his ground slightly shaking. The white haired full demon stood from his chair and stared down Yuri with an emotionless stare. "Afraid of me?"

"Why would I be afraid of a weakling like you?" Sesshomaru said.

"Because I beat you." Yuri said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Kagome cut in as she went and stood in front of the two feuding siblings. "Stop it!" Kagome yelled over their growls. Yuri's growling quieted down to a low growl while Sesshomaru's growl was still audible. "What's wrong with you?" Kagome asked hotly as she poked Sesshomaru in the chest.

"Kagome stop." Yuri said in a voice that didn't leave room for argument, then placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's not worth it."

"Sesshomaru you're a bastard that's afraid to have land taken away from _our own _sister." Inuyasha growled out. "What's wrong with you?"

"Yuri, you took in that half breed and raised him before you left. And before that you have the gull to take my land." Sesshomaru growled out.

'_I've never seen him so mad.' _Sango thought.

'_Well, I've never seen Sesshomaru insecure.' _Miroku thought.

"Because I'm the nice one, and now look at him. He's stronger than you'll ever be, if not by strength than everything else." Yuri said. "And strength is the weakest out of all of them. Will power is stronger than that. Sesshomaru, you are lord of this land, you should know this." Yuri turned around and headed towards the door then whistled to call her pack mates.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked. Yuri just shrugged.

"Sesshomaru obviously is bothered by me." Yuri said then turned slightly towards her older brother. "You know, father would be disappointed with you." Yuri then went out the door and down the corridor with her arms crossed.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome yelled angrily as she punched him in the jaw. His face was pushed to the side when she punched him. "Yuri, wait!" Kagome yelled as she ran after her new sister. Everyone glared at Sesshomaru saying he was a bastard.

"She's your sister; can't you let the grudge go?" Sango yelled as she ran after Kagome who ran after Yuri. Since Kagome was like her sister, Yuri was like another sister to her too.

"The hell, Sesshomaru?!" Inuyasha growled out. "Yuri has helped you in _your _wars and battles! You might hate me, but you have _no _reason to hate her too!" Inuyasha yelled. "She's right. Father would be disappointed in you." Inuyasha said dangerously.

"You didn't even know him." Sesshomaru said stoically as he sat back down.

"Just let the grudge go, Sesshomaru. What's done is done." Miroku said as he stood next to Inuyasha.

"Miroku it's different for dog demons. If the sibling just out right fights the other sibling just for land the punishment can be as severe as not allowing them back into the pack." Inuyasha explained. "What did Yuri do?" Sesshomaru stayed quiet. Inuyasha turned to a different suspect in the room. "Jaken, how did she get that land?" Inuyasha growled a warning that if he didn't get an answer then something bad will happen. Jaken looked at Sesshomaru then to Miroku then to Inuyasha.

"She asked Lord Sesshomaru then Lord Sesshomaru said that she'd have to fight him to get it and that's what they did." Jaken said quickly.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru growled out.

"She didn't break any laws Sesshomaru. You're the one that said she had to beat you and that's what she did! You could've said no!" Inuyasha yelled out. Sesshomaru growled loudly then stopped abruptly.

"Fine." Sesshomaru said stoically. "She didn't do anything wrong."

"Then what?" Miroku asked.

"It's a grudge, Miroku. He won't let things go that easily." Inuyasha said. "Let's follow the girls." Inuyasha went out the door but stopped. "Miroku go find Shippo, Avion, Kirara, and Keiko, will you?"

"Oh, yeah." Miroku said as he realized some of his friends were missing. "But you're the one with the nose."

"Fine, I'll find them. You go after the girls." Inuyasha relented then went to go look for the small group while Miroku followed where the girls went off to.

* * *

"Yuri!" Kagome yelled. Yuri stopped just when she was outside the doors and looked back.

"Yeah?" Yuri asked as if nothing had happened inside.

"He's an idiot. Don't listen to him." Kagome tried to reassure her. Yuri just smiled.

"Don't worry about me. He's always like this. It's just this grudge thing that he has going on." Yuri said. "He's my brother. I know how he is." Kagome sighed.

"There's something wrong with him." Kagome said.

"Always was something wrong with him." Yuri said. "Though it shouldn't affect us, like humans, but maybe his mother had some sake (Japanese alcohol… stuff) or something and you know…" Yuri said. Kagome giggled a little as Sango approached them.

"You're laughing. So everything is okay here?" Sango asked.

"We're fine. Don't worry about it." Yuri said with a smile.

"You make people feel better even when they're worried." Kagome said cheerfully.

"That's just me." Yuri said with a slight shrug. "Oh, here," Yuri said as she took Kagome's right hand and bit her index finger with one of her fangs.

"Ow!" Kagome said but didn't pull her hand away. "What'd you do that for?"

"As long as you're Inuyasha's mate, you have my protection as well. It's a sister mark. Not as serious as Inuyasha's but it's still there." Yuri said as she winked at Kagome. "You can call me if you need me; same thing goes with Inuyasha's mark. Though it doesn't give your exact location but it tells us that you need help. And it's vice versa, like if I need your help I can call you. Here, bite my finger and it'll be done." Yuri said as she gave Kagome her finger.

"My teeth don't break demon skin." Kagome said with a shrug.

"Right." Yuri said as she bit her own finger and gave the punctured index finger to Kagome.

"Inuyasha made the same mistake." Kagome said as she took Yuri's finger and licked the blood a little then gave the hand back. Yuri just giggled at that.

"That's cool." Sango said. "No one ever taught me that."

"Sorry I can't give you one." Yuri apologized. "I would, really."

"Don't worry about it. Kagome can call for you if we need help." Sango said with amusement. Everyone just laughed.

"Sesshomaru should give you one too, but he's just being an idiot." Yuri said.

"It's okay. Inuyasha takes pretty good care of me." Kagome said.

"Especially now." Sango added.

"Hey!" Kagome yelled playfully. Sango just laughed as Yuri rolled her eyes playfully at them.

"I should get going." Yuri said. "I have to go train these guys." Yuri pointed to the inu-manta demons.

"Okay, bye Yuri, have fun." Kagome said as she hugged her new sister good bye.

"Bye." Yuri said then hugged Sango.

"Bye." Sango said as they let go. Yuri whistled loudly but shortly then leaped into the tree in an extreme speed, which makes even Inuyasha seem slow. "She's fast." Sango commented.

"Yeah." Miroku said as he came behind the girls. Kagome and Sango turned around quickly and sighed in relief when it was only Miroku.

"Don't do that." Kagome said.

"Sorry." Miroku said. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Sesshomaru has always been like that to her. She's use to it." Sango said. "But I feel bad for her."

"Me too." Kagome said. "But as long as she's okay, we'll just deal with Sesshomaru."

"We took care of that. He just has this grudge against her that he won't put behind him." Miroku answered.

"Which brings me to this question, where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"He went to get Shippo, Kirara, Avion, and Keiko." Miroku said.

"We should get our weapons then." Kagome said to Sango. Sango nodded to her then walked inside to get their weapons.

"Miroku, do you want me to get your staff?" Sango asked.

"Yes please my dear Sango." Miroku said.

"Shut it." Sango said though there was no anger in her voice. The girls went inside, leaving Miroku to be outside alone.

Just then Inuyasha walked out with Avion flying over head, Kirara on one shoulder, Keiko in his arms, and Shippo running on the ground.

"Hey, you found them." Miroku said.

"Of course I did." Inuyasha answered as Kirara jumped down and Avion landed on his shoulder. "Where are the girls?"

"Yuri left, and Sango and Kagome went to retrieve their weapons." Miroku answered.

"Is Yuri okay?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, she said that this happens a lot." Miroku said. "Though I feel bad."

"Yeah, it's partially my fault." Inuyasha said.

"Just let it go Inuyasha. Don't be like Sesshomaru. Like I said, what's done is done. Nothing can be changed now." Miroku said.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right." Inuyasha said as Kagome and Sango walked out with their weapons and Kagome's synch bag in tow.

"Here Miroku." Sango said as she handed the staff to him.

"Thanks." Miroku said. Avion then flew to Kagome and landed on her shoulder.

"Here," Inuyasha said as he gave Keiko to Kagome's arms and took the bag from her.

"Thanks." Kagome said. Inuyasha then sniffed the air and smelt a small trace of blood from Kagome.

"Kagome are you bleeding?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome looked confused then looked at the finger Yuri bit.

"It's just from this little mark. No big." Kagome said as she showed Inuyasha the sibling mark.

"Oh, alright then." Inuyasha said as he let it drop.

"What's that Kagome?" Miroku asked. Kagome went on to explain the details about it. "That's nice of her."

"Yep." Kagome said with a smile then sensed an odd but familiar aura in the forest and instantly frowned and turned towards it. Inuyasha saw the frown.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked.

"Um… Inuyasha… If I were to say that… um." Kagome stuttered.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"If I were to say I knew Kikyo was alive since I came back to the group, would it affect anything?" Kagome asked. Everyone just stared at her.

"So when you came back, you knew she was alive?" Inuyasha asked a little confused.

"Well, I knew she was when I just finished my miko training." Kagome explained.

"So she's alive?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't know before that, so don't be mad." Kagome said.

"I'm not." Inuyasha said with a reassuring smile. "And no it won't change anything. But how do you know she's alive?"

"Remember that time she took part of my soul so she could live?" Kagome asked.

"Oh yeah, the time with Urasua (I don't know how to spell that. Oops)." Shippo said.

"Yeah, that time. Well, if Kikyo actually died, that part of my soul would come back to me, but it never did. So she's alive." Kagome said.

"Why are you bringing this up now?" Inuyasha asked. Just then something that was invisible appeared around Kagome and wrapped her up with their bodies. "Kagome!"

"Soul Collectors!" Miroku yelled as he saw the blue slithering dragons wrap around Kagome.

"Keiko, land on the ground." Kagome said as she dropped Keiko to the ground as she was lifted in the air. Avion tried attacking the spirit demons and managed to kill one, but was stopped.

"Avion stop." Kagome said. Everyone looked at her curiously as she floated in mid air.

"Kagome, why?" Sango asked. Kagome was looking in the direction she knew Kikyo was at.

"She's calling me there." Kagome said without looking at them. "I don't know what she wants but we are settling this." Kagome said.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said. "I'll go with you." Kagome just shook her head no.

"No don't Inuyasha. This is between me and her about who actually gets to keep the soul that we share." Kagome said.

"But Kagome," Inuyasha started to say but was stopped when Kagome was put down and put a hand up.

"Don't. This has gone on for too long." Kagome said as she started walking towards the forest. Keiko tried to follow but Kagome stopped and looked at her and kneeled down. "Keiko, I'm going to need you to stay here with the others, okay?" Kagome asked. Keiko didn't want to stay, but that was an order from her master, so she relented and walked back towards the others. Avion was the only one that was allowed to follow, but Avion was a part of Kagome, so it made sense. Kagome took a breath and let it escape in a sigh. "See you guys later." Kagome said then turned around and started walking towards the forest following the Soul Collectors.

"Kagome… Good luck." Sango said quietly as she watched her false sister walk away. Miroku placed a hand around her shoulder to reassure her. Inuyasha just stared at Kagome's retreating back, then picked up Keiko and held her in his arms.

"Kagome, you better come back." Inuyasha said quietly. Shippo then jumped up on his shoulder and hugged his neck.

"Don't worry, she's strong." Shippo tried to reassure. Inuyasha just nodded once.

"Trust her." Miroku said quietly.

"I do." Inuyasha said.

"Good." Sango replied with a sad smile then looked towards the forest again to see that Kagome was already out of sight.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she walked deeper in the forest. Kagome followed the Soul Collectors with a bored expression on her face.

'_Can't she just come and get me? She always does this stupid thing with these stupid Soul Collectors. Make them fly around and make them noticeable to say 'here I am; now you have to come to me'. God I hate that.' _Kagome thought angrily as she walked.

'_Calm down Kagome, we're here.' _Avion thought to her.

'_Oh, thanks.' _Kagome thought back.

'_That's why I'm here.' _Avion said. Kagome sighed.

"What, Kikyo?" Kagome asked across the clearing.

"Well well. Kagome, you've come." Kikyo said in a monotone voice.

"Oh let's see, it's either I come willingly or your soul collectors will drag me here." Kagome said irritably.

"Testy." Kikyo said. Kagome sighed.

"Sorry." Kagome said.

"Whatever." Kikyo said.

'_Bitch.' _Kagome thought.

'_But not Inuyasha's.' _Avion thought to her.

'_Avion!' _Kagome scolded though tried to keep her face emotionless. Kagome felt a tug on her soul and shook out of her stupor. "Kikyo, what are you doing?" Kagome said as she pulled back on her side of the line.

"I'm taking my soul back." Kikyo said simply.

"No, Kikyo. This is my soul! Not yours!" Kagome yelled but was startled to see a spiritual ball coming at her. This knocked Kagome back to where she came from and unbeknownst to her, she was only a few feet away from the others. "Hey! That's uncalled for!" Kagome yelled as she put a hand where the ball hit her chest.

"You took Inuyasha away from me! I'm taking one thing back and that's my soul!" Kikyo yelled as she threw another spiritual ball at Kagome. Kagome saw that coming and jumped back and then up. When Kagome saw her friends, she instantly put up a barrier around them.

'_The hell? Did I get pushed back this far?' _Kagome asked herself then turned back to Kikyo. "The hell Kikyo? Me take Inuyasha away from you?!" Kagome yelled back as she landed in front of the group while keeping the barrier up. "Inuyasha can do what he wants; he isn't forced to be with either of us!"

"He promised to protect me." Kikyo said simply as if it would be an answer to everything. Kagome just cocked an eyebrow.

"Um, okay, but what does that have to do with anything?" Kagome asked.

"He should keep his promises, but didn't. You chose the wrong person to be with." Kikyo said.

"Hey!" Inuyasha yelled from the barrier.

"Inuyasha stop, I'll handle it." Kagome said without taking her eyes off of Kikyo. "Just so you know Kikyo, he can't protect someone that disappears on him."

"He should've tried harder." Kikyo said. Kagome growled.

"You're an idiot." Kagome said simply.

"What?" Kikyo asked menacingly.

"He did try! He left everyone else so he could help you!" Kagome yelled back.

"Bitter memories, Kagome?" Kikyo asked as she noticed the emotions on Kagome's face. Kagome closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Everyone inside the barrier tensed.

"You know Kikyo; I could say the same to you." Kagome said while her eyes are still closed. "But this tugging of my soul has to stop!" Kagome yelled as she snapped her eyes open and pushed Kikyo back from her soul. Kikyo stumbled back.

"Bitch, that's my soul!" Kikyo yelled back.

"You died fifty years ago!" Kagome yelled. "This is my soul now."

"You shouldn't even be here, in our time." Kikyo said.

"Neither should you." Kagome answered back. Kikyo then signaled the Soul Collectors to grab Kagome. Kagome noticed this and looked back at the castle behind her and her friends. _'Kikyo's looking to fight me. I have to get away from the castle and everyone.' _Kagome thought quickly then growled out. "Damn it." Kagome said quickly as she jumped away from the Soul Collectors and ran towards the forest.

"Running away?" Kikyo asked as her soul collectors lifted her to the air and waited until Kagome stopped.

"Kagome's getting away from the castle." Miroku noticed.

"Yeah." Sango agreed. Inuyasha looked back then towards where Kagome went.

"I'm following her." Inuyasha said simply as he stepped out of the barrier, which was only a blocking barrier, it wasn't meant to keep people inside.

"Wait, is that a good idea?" Shippo asked.

"I don't care." Inuyasha said simply as he saw Kikyo go towards Kagome and ran off following her. Sango and Miroku nodded to each other and followed on Kirara. Flashes of pinkish white colors were seen from afar.

"Kikyo stop it!" Kagome yelled.

"I'm taking my soul back, why should I stop!?" Kikyo asked hotly.

"It's my soul now!" Kagome said as she dodged another arrow and jumped into a tree. "You died fifty years ago, and in my time you died five _hundred _and fifty years ago!" Kagome yelled back as Inuyasha jumped into the same tree. Kagome looked confused at him. "I told you not to follow."

"I'm not leaving you alone if you're fighting." Inuyasha answered.

"But Inuyasha-" Kagome started but got silenced by Inuyasha's hand.

"Don't. I'm your mate, and I love you." Inuyasha said simply. Kagome just nodded a little then looked at Kikyo's dazed face. Kagome took her chance and tied her hair in a high pony tail and took off her fire rat kimono. Inuyasha took it from her.

"Thanks, love you too." Kagome said as she kissed his cheek slightly then jumped down from the tree. "So, Kikyo, what do you want to do?" Kikyo snapped out of her stupor. "I helped you and I've tried to be nice, but all you do is try to kill me and be a bitch, now what?"

"You've never helped me." Kikyo spat.

"You're wrong. Remember that time in the cave?" Kagome said.

"I told you to leave me." Kikyo said.

"If I left you, you wouldn't have even made it to Mt. Hakurai." Kagome shot back. "You'd be dead." Inuyasha looked stunned as he gave Sango Kagome's fire rat robe.

'_She never told me about something like that.' _Inuyasha thought, but didn't dwell on it too long.

"Bitch, just give me back my soul!" Kikyo yelled as she pulled on Kagome's soul hard. Kagome grunted a little but shot her hand forward and started to clutch it into a fist slowly. Kikyo stopped suddenly and took deep hard breaths.

"I can take your soul easier than you can take mine. It is part of my soul anyways." Kagome said as she clutched it a little further. Kikyo fell to her knees and clutched her chest while she looked at Kagome. Kagome fisted a little more until it was millimeters from completely closing but let go. Kikyo breathed easier. "Stay away from me and my friends Kikyo." Kagome said as she turned her back to Kikyo and started walking to her friends. Suddenly Kagome heard a spell being chanted and turned to Kikyo with wide eyes.

"Now Kagome, your soul will wander while your corpse sits in Inuyasha's arms." Kikyo said darkly.

"What!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Kikyo, that's a bad idea! Everyone could be killed!" Kagome warned but it was too late, Kikyo finished the spell. Kagome's body glowed brightly as her multiple soul orbs shot out of her body. "Run!" Kagome turned back to her friends and yelled to them. They didn't move. A tear slipped down Kagome's cheek. "GET GOING!" Kagome out right screamed as she sliced through the air with her hand. A large amount of spiritual power was shot out and knocked everyone far away from the battle field.

After a few minutes of flying through the air, the group all landed hard on the ground and shook out of their stupor.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Miroku got up and put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"She did it to protect us." Miroku said. Just then Avion flew to them and landed near Inuyasha.

"What's going on?" Inuyasha asked frantically. Avion looked sad and showed them what was going on through telepathy.

Kagome was sparking with spiritual energy as more and more of her soul left her and shot to the sky. Kikyo disappeared from the scene with her soul collectors, considering she would die from this as well.

"Good bye." Kagome said quietly as the last remnants of her soul left her. Kagome's eyes turned blank, then bright red like a demons. Spiritual energy crashed out of her body and shocked the demon blood that was in her veins. A horrific scream of pain was heard even where the group was thrown. The picture went on and on.

"What's going on?!" Inuyasha asked frantically as he looked up to see spiritual power crash through the forest in frenzy.

"The spell that Kikyo used was to take Kagome's soul out of her body and put her in a different form, but her memories are intact, don't worry. And now that her spiritual power isn't being controlled properly and kept inside, it's shocking the demon blood that she got from you. She's in a lot of pain." Avion answered solemnly.

"How do we help her?" Sango asked.

"Someone has to store the spiritual energy. But with her power it could be difficult." Avion said.

"What about her soul?!" Inuyasha asked hotly.

"We have to find her new form and put her and the body near each other. But she could be anywhere." Avion said.

"Can't you contact her?" Miroku asked. Avion shook her head as another scream was heard.

"She doesn't have her spiritual powers anymore. It's like I'm not even her spiritual helper anymore." Avion said.

"What's going on?" someone said from the sky.

"Yuri." Sango said. "It's Kagome."

"What's wrong with her?" Yuri said as covered her ears from the horrible scream. "Why aren't you helping her?!"

"We can't." Avion said then went on explaining everything.

"This whole place is going to collapse if we don't do something soon." Yuri said.

"Kagome." Inuyasha whispered. Yuri looked sadly at her brother and hugged him slightly from his seat on the ground.

"Shh. I'll do something." Yuri said in a promising voice.

"How?" Miroku asked.

"I'll explain later." Yuri said as she and Inuyasha flinched in pain. The others noticed.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked.

"With the marks that connect us to Kagome, if the pain becomes unbearable a little bit of it will come through the connection and tell us." Yuri said sadly.

"It's hurting her a lot." Inuyasha said without taking his eyes off of the sparking forest.

"Oh Inuyasha." Sango said solemnly.

"I'll be back." Yuri said as she rushed off in a direction. Sango kneeled down next to Inuyasha as she half hugged him. Miroku had a hand on the hanyou's shoulder while Shippo rubbed a small hand on his knee. Keiko and Kirara sat on his lap while they smelt the sadness and pain coming from him.

* * *

Yuri ran at full speed to the castle. She then barged in the door and ran towards Sesshomaru's study. To no surprise he was sitting there with the bottle she needed.

"This is what you need, little sister?" Sesshomaru asked as he held the empty bottle up to her from his seat.

"So you hear her too?" Yuri asked as she grabbed the bottle. "Calling me little sister again?" Yuri asked back as she ran out the door to outside. Yuri then looked at the burst of spiritual energy and heard the screams. She gulped.

'_Here goes nothing. It doesn't help that I'm a full demon.' _Yuri thought. _'Well, my speed does help me a little.' _Yuri then took a deep breath and ran at full speed to the main source of the power. Yuri jumped left and right to avoid bolts of spiritual energy, but was caught in by one on her face on her right cheek. Yuri winced in pain but kept going with the bottle in hand. Finally after what seemed like forever of jumping and running, Yuri found Kagome's back turned to her screaming in pain while her hands clawed into the dirt. Yuri winced in pain from the mark and from the loud scream.

Yuri walked up to Kagome. Kagome whipped her head around sensing someone. Yuri was taken back to see Kagome's eyes a bright red with blue pupil, purple demon marks on her face and fangs. If you looked lower, her hands had claws.

'_This is Inuyasha's blood alright.' _Yuri thought as she was shocked by the spiritual power again in the back. Yuri touched the lower part of the hour glass shaped bottle to Kagome's forehead. The spiritual power was slowly getting sucked into it.

After a while of silence and burning pain, the bottle was sparking with the energy, and though it was in a bottle, it still burned the hand Yuri was holding it with. Once the spiritual power was gone, the screaming stopped and was replaced with loud snarling noises coming from Kagome.

Kagome swiped her new claws at Yuri and caught her left cheek. Yuri grabbed her hand with her available left hand as her right hand got burned badly.

'_Damn, this girl's spiritual power is stronger than I thought. She keeps it so well hidden.' _Yuri said as she winced in pain. Kagome then used her other hand and swiped down across the arm that was holding her. Yuri yelped slightly in pain and let go. _'Now what? I can't put the bottle down or else it won't have someone holding the power inside. Damn this hurts a lot more than I thought it would.' _Yuri said as she panted slightly from pain. _'How do I do this? I could call Inuyasha here by our sibling bond, but I don't want him to see her like this.' _Yuri thought. Kagome and Yuri stood in a battle stance ready for anything the other throws at them.

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**YAY! ANOTHER CHAPTER! And yup, another cliff hanger. :P**

**Sorry if Kikyo is OOC but… I couldn't really figure out how to put that… so… it turned out like that.**


	28. Demon Me, Demon You

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha. (Do I have to write this every time?) **

_**New! New! New! Every tenth reviewer will get a special sneak peak at the summary and title of the next chapter! (This applies to all chapters)**_

**A/N: Just to make things clear, Kikyo would've gotten killed if she got hit with Kagome's out of control spiritual power. And a few people asked if Kikyo was going to die… I haven't figured out if I want her to die, so you'll just have to keep reading and find out! ;)**

* * *

Demon Me, Demon You

Kagome swiped her new claws at Yuri and caught her left cheek. Yuri grabbed her hand with her available left hand as her right hand got burned badly.

'_Damn, this girl's spiritual power is stronger than I thought. She keeps it so well hidden.' _Yuri said as she winced in pain. Kagome then used her other hand and swiped down across the arm that was holding her. Yuri yelped slightly in pain and let go. _'Now what? I can't put the bottle down or else it won't have someone holding the power inside. Damn this hurts a lot more than I thought it would.' _Yuri said as she panted slightly from pain. _'How do I do this? I could call Inuyasha here, but I don't want him to see her like this.' _Yuri thought. Kagome and Yuri stood in a battle stance ready for anything the other throws at them.

Kagome growled loudly at Yuri as she focused her red eyes on Yuri's golden ones. Yuri just stared back at the feral Kagome. Kagome saw Yuri's attention go to some other thought that she had. She then launched herself at Yuri and managed to slice at her right wrist, which was dangerously close to the bottle that hosted the whirly spiritual power.

"Kagome!" Yuri yelled as she pushed the demon turned miko against a tree and looked her in the eye. "Stop it!" Yuri said loudly as a tear gathered in her eye. Yuri panted as she pushed Kagome harder into the tree as Kagome's growls and snarls grew louder. Kagome tried to kick Yuri in the shin but Yuri just jumped up and grabbed both of Kagome's wrists with her left hand. Kagome just struggled harder. _'I'll take her back to Inuyasha.' _Yuri thought as she dragged the snarling Kagome behind her. _'Maybe Tetsusaiga could work.' _

* * *

"Look! The spiritual power has subsided." Miroku noticed.

"Yeah, but what happened to it?" Sango asked as she placed a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder as she stood up from her crouching position.

"Yuri said she was going to do something, but how?" Shippo said.

"Kagome, Yuri… no." Inuyasha whispered.

"Inuyasha," Sango whispered in a sad tone as she knelt beside him and looked at his face. "I'm sure they're fine." Sango said trying to be tough.

"I'm going after her." Inuyasha said.

"Which her?" Shippo asked.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said as he stood up and sniffed the air for a little bit. _'Yuri's blood.' _Inuyasha thought. "Yuri needs help. She's bleeding." Inuyasha said as he stared off into the direction where the scent was coming from.

"You got it." Miroku said nodding his head.

"Let's go." Inuyasha said as he rushed off. Kirara transformed and let Sango, Miroku and Shippo to climb on while Avion flew beside them and below near Inuyasha, Keiko ran side by side with him. The group took off in a fast pace to find their makeshift family.

* * *

Yuri dragged Kagome in the direction she knew Inuyasha and the others were. Kagome growled a warning at Yuri while Yuri did the same in return. Kagome then quickly leaned over and bit Yuri in her arm. Yuri gave a startled yell as she looked back at Kagome who was biting her arm. Yuri snarled at her and pushed her hard against the tree.

"Yuri!" someone yelled as a warning. Yuri whipped her head around to see Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha." Yuri said while letting her snarl die down.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. Yuri looked at what she was doing. She had her clawed hand wrapped around Kagome's neck to hold her there but not to choke her. "You can't do that to my mate!"

"Inuyasha you don't understand," Yuri tried to reason.

"Get away from her!" Inuyasha yelled as he rushed towards Yuri. Kagome gave a loud growl that made Inuyasha whip his head to her. "Wh-what?"

"Give me Tetsusaiga." Yuri said as she panted slightly from all the pain that shot up her right arm as she held the bottle filled with spiritual power.

"Oh my god, Kagome." Sango said in horror as she looked at her friends blood red eyes with a blue pupil and the demon markings on her cheek. Miroku laid a comforting hand on Sango's shoulder as Sango placed her hand over her mouth.

"Yuri, what happened?" Inuyasha asked.

"Her human blood was taken out of her and so was her soul." Yuri strained out. "Look, can we talk about this later?! We have a situation here!"

"Uh, yeah." Inuyasha said a little scared for Kagome.

"Give me Tetsusaiga." Yuri repeated.

"Won't that hurt you?" Inuyasha asked as he took Tetsusaiga out of his sash.

"Fine, give it to Kagome, just hurry!" Yuri yelled as she strained to keep Kagome in place. Inuyasha seemed hesitant but complied seeing that this was the only way. Yuri quickly let go of Kagome's neck and let Inuyasha take over.

Inuyasha grabbed both of Kagome's hands and placed them on Tetsusaiga's sheath. Kagome screamed as the sword shocked the demon blood. Inuyasha looked on with concern.

"I'm sorry Kagome." Inuyasha said solemnly as he looked at the blood red eyes of his mate close shut in pain. "Hang in there." Kagome snarled in pain. As quick as the shock was initiated, it was over and Kagome fell forward from unconsciousness. Inuyasha easily caught her and let go of Tetsusaiga so it fell to the ground with a clatter. "Kagome."

Sango walked up to the couple and put the fire rat kimono that Inuyasha gave to her when Kagome took it off to fight Kikyo, on Kagome. Inuyasha gave her a thankful look though it held sadness. Yuri panted and leaned back heavily against a tree trunk. Everyone looked in her direction and finally saw how wounded she looked.

"Yuri," Sango said with concern as she walked over to the inu youkai. Yuri smiled weakly, but then flinched when the bottle holding Kagome's spiritual power shocked her right hand and arm with purifying energy. "Let it go!" Sango said in concern.

"Can't. Without someone holding the power inside the bottle, everything will just happen all over again." Yuri said weakly between pants. She then looked towards Inuyasha and Kagome to see how they were doing. What she saw was Inuyasha gently hugging Kagome while stroking her hair. Yuri smiled.

"What are you going to do with that?" Miroku asked as he referred to the bottle.

"I'll give it to the person who made it and can control it." Yuri said simply as she pushed herself off the tree.

"Who's that?" Shippo asked.

"Totosai." Yuri answered simply.

"But you're hurt badly." Sango said as she placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder.

"I'm fine; besides, I can't do anything until I give this bottle to him." Yuri said. "Inuyasha," Yuri called. Inuyasha turned his head towards her. "I'm going to need you to bring Kagome."

"What?" Inuyasha growled. "Why would I do that?"

"Because right now her body is pretty unstable and besides, Totosai can take care of her body." Yuri said.

"And why should I give him _my _mate?" Inuyasha asked in a dangerous tone.

"Inuyasha, she's running off of your blood. She can and probably will act up and kill anything in her path if we don't stabilize the blood, and Myoga could do that, and he's probably at Totosai's." Yuri explained sympathetically. "Remember, her body has never had demon blood run her entire being." Inuyasha stayed quiet as he looked down at Kagome's limp body. "If you don't think I know how it feels to lose a mate, you're wrong. You know that and I don't want it to happen to you." Yuri said quietly.

"Yuri." Sango said sadly for her.

"Fine." Inuyasha relented as he picked up Kagome bridal style. "Let's go." Yuri nodded as she struggled to stand up straight. Sango saw her struggle and placed an arm around her to steady her.

"Easy." Sango said. Yuri smiled.

"Akane!" Yuri yelled. After a few moments a two tailed dog demon appeared in its larger form, like Kirara's. "Don't worry Sango, Akane can take me." Yuri said as she petted her beloved dog demon. Some other inu-manta demons came out and surrounded the group. Yuri then climbed on Akane with her legs to one side.

"We're coming along." Miroku announced. Inuyasha and Yuri nodded their head. Inuyasha looked sadly at the limp body of his mate in his arms.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha." Yuri said as Akane walked over to him.

"It's not your fault, besides, you helped her." Inuyasha said quietly, then started to walk towards Totosai's cave. Keiko and Avion jumped on Akane as the transformed inu-manta demon took to the skies. Kirara then transformed and allowed Sango, Miroku, and Shippo to ride on her back.

* * *

'_Where am I?' _Kagome thought as she slowly opened her eyes and saw her surroundings. Trees and more lush forest extended beyond her eyes. Kagome slowly lifted her head off the ground and moved her right forearm to lift herself up. What Kagome saw really shocked her. _'Oh boy… Inuyasha isn't going to be happy about this.' _Kagome thought as she stood up on her, now, four paws. _'This would be really cliché if I was a dog, but to bad I'm not.' _Kagome sighed.

* * *

Sparks of light was seen in the sky as the bottle with spiritual power shocked Yuri's right hand even more. Yuri winced in pain.

"You okay?" Sango asked as Kirara flew towards Akane. Yuri let out a smile.

"Let's put it this way Sango, I'm a full blooded demon holding pure spiritual power in a bottle." Yuri said as she grew weaker.

"Yuri, let me take that from you, you're going to kill yourself." Miroku said.

"Sorry Miroku, but this is too much even for you to handle. Just let me do this, we're almost there anyways." Yuri said as she panted.

"But-" Sango said but was cut off by Yuri putting up her left hand.

"Don't." Yuri said simply.

"Yuri, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get that bottle?" Miroku asked.

"Well, Totosai made the bottle incase our family ever needed it against an attack from the South. The South had a powerful priestess that helps protect the humans, but we never harmed them. Though she died, and it turned out to be that miko, Kikyo." Yuri said. Everyone, except Inuyasha who was running on the ground, looked at Yuri in shock. "They didn't really like us that much, so Totosai prepared us for a possible attack. But it turned out that Inuyasha got to her first and they both died."

"I see, so who kept it this whole time?" Miroku asked.

"Sesshomaru, though it was locked away in the depths of 'junk' per say." Yuri said with a shrug. The two humans nodded as Shippo looked down at Inuyasha.

"Hey, Sango, Miroku, is Inuyasha okay?" Shippo asked innocently.

"I don't know. I'm going to go talk to him." Sango said.

"Sango!" Yuri called. Sango looked at her with a confused expression. "Don't; just let him be alone for now. He just lost his mates soul." Yuri said sadly.

'_Yuri's thinking of her dead mate. I feel bad for her.' _Sango thought. _'If anyone knows how Inuyasha feels right now, it's Yuri.' _"Alright." Sango said simply. Yuri smiled back.

* * *

Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome's flaccid body as he ran towards Totosai's volcanic cave following Yuri and the others.

"Trying to kill your own mate?" a small voice said. Inuyasha stopped quickly in his run.

"What?" Inuyasha asked stupidly as he looked down. He saw Kagome's face with a small smile gracing her lips.

"I said, are you trying to kill your own mate?" Kagome said as she slowly opened an eye. Kagome's eyes were now golden with slight red swirls. When Inuyasha looked further up her head, he saw dog ears, like his, except they were black.

"Ka-Kagome?" Inuyasha stuttered as he stared in shock.

"I'm not Kikyo." Kagome growled. "Then again, I'm not exactly 'Kagome' either." Kagome said.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked as his fear rose slightly.

"I am your blood in Kagome's body, of course." Kagome said. Inuyasha stared at her. "So, back there, are you trying to kill me or something?"

"N-no, I just…" Inuyasha said though still in shock. "I just wanted you back."

* * *

"Hmm? Guys look." Miroku said as he looked down and behind him. Everyone looked at him then to where Miroku was looking.

"Inuyasha stopped." Sango stated the obvious.

"Kagome woke up." Yuri said with confusion as she listened to them with her demon hearing, but then flinched as the bottle shocked her again. "You guys go check on what's up, I have to take this damn bottle to Totosai."

"Sure, but don't push yourself." Sango warned.

"Don't worry, I won't." Yuri said with a slight smile as Akane flew towards Totosai's.

"I wonder what's going on." Miroku wondered out loud.

"Kagome did wake up though." Shippo said as he watched Inuyasha and Kagome interact.

"Let's go see." Sango said as she directed Kirara towards them. The others inu-manta demons scattered, half went with Yuri, and half followed Inuyasha. Miroku got off Kirara with Shippo on his shoulders and walked towards Inuyasha. Sango and Kirara flew to them. "Inuyasha?" Sango asked cautiously.

"Sango." Kagome said as she looked towards her. Sango gasped at the sight of her friend.

"Kagome?" Sango asked. "Is that you?" Just then Miroku looked on and saw Kagome.

"Not exactly, I'm Inuyasha's blood inside Kagome's body." Kagome said. "Inuyasha, can you put me down?"

"Uh, yeah." Inuyasha said as he leaned down and placed her legs on the ground.

"Thanks." Kagome said as she dusted herself off.

"Kagome, you have dog ears." Shippo said as he looked at the black ears intently.

"Keh!" Kagome said which surprised everyone.

"Maybe you are Inuyasha's blood." Miroku said. Kagome just crossed her arms in her kimono and looked away.

"Well I ain't Kikyo's." Kagome said irritably.

"Irritated already?" Miroku asked.

"Feh!" Kagome said.

"Yep, definitely Inuyasha's blood." Everyone said and nodded except Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha asked as his anger rose.

"How the hell should I know?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha went over to her and grabbed the collar of her kimono. Kagome grunted slightly from Inuyasha's harsh treatment.

"You're her body, tell me where she is!" Inuyasha yelled.

"If I knew, would I be here? I would be joining back with her so I can have a soul again!" Kagome yelled back.

"Inuyasha stop it." Sango said as she put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"She has a point." Miroku said. Inuyasha let go of Kagome's collar.

"Just because your mate doesn't have a soul, doesn't mean I'm not her." Kagome said as she adjusted her collar. "Besides, this is the blood I drank from you." Inuyasha growled but stopped and realized she was right.

"Fine." Inuyasha said grumpily.

"Keh, idiot." Kagome grumbled.

"So, 'Kagome', are you okay?" Sango asked.

"I'm fine," Kagome said. "Though it breaks my heart that my own mate tried to kill me." Kagome said sarcastically.

"Look, I did what I had to!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Would you look at that, Inuyasha finally has his own Inuyasha." Shippo said quietly. Everyone, except Inuyasha and Kagome, sighed.

"Fine," Kagome answered Inuyasha. "Whatever."

"Okay, that's enough." Miroku said calmly as he walked in between his two friends. "We obviously have a weird situation here."

"You think?" Inuyasha said sarcastically. "Stupid monk." Inuyasha grumbled.

"No need for names." Miroku said.

"Feh." Inuyasha said.

"Look, Inuyasha, this is hard for all of us." Sango explained.

"I'm right here." Kagome said as she got annoyed at her friends. Everyone sighed.

"What do we do?" Shippo said solemnly.

"We look for my soul." Kagome said as she looked off in the distant. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Where do we start?" Inuyasha asked.

"We can start by figuring out what this is all about." Miroku said.

"How? Who's actually knows what's going on?" Sango asked.

"I do." A feminine voice said from the sky.

"Avion." Shippo said as he saw the spiritual bird. "Keiko, too." Shippo said as he saw the inu-manta demon while she was surrounded by the other inu-manta demons that belonged to Yuri.

"Where'd you guys go?" Sango asked as Avion flew towards Kagome's shoulder while Keiko landed in Kagome's arms.

"We made sure that Yuri at least made it half way." Avion said simply.

"Woof." Keiko agreed.

"She made it okay, right?" Kagome asked.

"Yep, she's hanging in there." Avion answered.

"Okay, that's good to know." Miroku said. "But what about the spell?"

"Well the spell is a special spell that grabs the soul of the person it is cast upon. Only someone who truly hates the person and has enough practice can perform it. There is no way to counter it." Avion said solemnly.

"Okay, so it snatched Kagome's soul and put it where?" Sango asked a little confused.

"Well, she is put in a makeshift body of any living creature. She can be a demon for all we know, or a fish." Avion said.

"Alright but where is she?" Shippo asked.

"Anywhere in this country." Avion said with a hint of sadness.

"How do we find her?" Inuyasha asked.

"There is going to be one thing that is the same about her, though you have to figure that out." Avion said.

"Does her makeshift body have her memories?" Sango asked worriedly.

"Yes, that's why it's easy to put the body and the soul back together, considering the soul will just go to their home or the previous spot. But it takes a lot of energy and skill to perform such a spell." Avion replied.

"So what do we do now?" Sango asked. "Should we wait for Kagome to find us, or go find her?"

"I'm going to go find her." Kagome suddenly said after a long silence on her part. "Or me, for that matter."

"Me too." Inuyasha said as he went to stand next to Kagome.

"Now you act like someone who cares." Kagome said as Keiko jumped out of her arms sensing the slight tension, while Avion flew and landed on the ground near Keiko and Kirara.

"I've always cared for you." Inuyasha said as he turned towards her. Kagome blushed as did Inuyasha after he said that.

"Keh." Kagome said half heartedly.

"What about those two?" Miroku asked Avion as he turned towards the couple.

"Well, Kagome right now is nothing but a body running on blood. But she is connected to Inuyasha's soul at this moment, which is how she is breathing and walking." Avion explained.

"Okay, so basically, we've got two Inuyasha's except one of them is a female and is in Kagome's body?" Sango asked.

"Pretty much." Avion said.

"So if Inuyasha dies so does Kagome's body but her soul would still be lost and looking for her body." Miroku said. "I understand."

"When Kikyo casted the spell, she probably was just thinking that Kagome's body wouldn't be mobile." Shippo said.

"Probably." Miroku said as he turned around and looked at Inuyasha and Kagome. The couple had a scowl on both of their faces. "Wow, it's like Inuyasha versus Inuyasha in a female form."

"Oh boy, this might not go too well." Shippo said as he shook his head from side to side.

"You'll never know. Maybe Inuyasha will figure out what he puts Kagome through every day." Sango said with an amused smile.

A little ways away, Kagome and Inuyasha had their backs turned to each other with their arms crossed across their chest. Kagome looked up at the trees when something red caught her eye. Kagome walked towards the tree and jumped to get it off the tree. Kagome rubbed the red apple on her fire rat kimono sleeve and took a bite. Kagome walked to Inuyasha as he turned around to see where she went. Kagome lifted the apple up to Inuyasha's mouth and waited.

"You didn't have breakfast. Here, take a bite or two." Kagome said as she still held her hand in front of his mouth with the apple. Inuyasha smiled then took a small bite to the apple then chewed and looked down at her as she took a bite of her own.

"Thanks." Inuyasha said. Kagome smiled with her lips as she was in the process of chewing.

"Aw." Sango whispered. "That's sweet."

"Yeah, I guess that 'Kagome' picked up on Inuyasha's soft side." Miroku said. Inuyasha would've heard this but was too entranced by Kagome's soft smile to realize. Inuyasha shook his head from side to side to clear his vision, only to see Kagome waving her hand in front of his face with a concerned look.

"You okay?" Kagome asked as she took another bite of the apple.

"Yeah." Inuyasha answered as he took Kagome's wrist and brought the apple to his mouth and bit down.

"Hey," Kagome said with a slight giggle. Inuyasha just smiled with his lips. "Fine." Kagome relented. "Miroku, Sango, Shippo, you guys want an apple? I can go look for more in that tree." Kagome said as she pointed towards the tree where she got the apple from.

"I'll go get some." Inuyasha said as he started walking towards the tree as Kagome finished her apple. She then dug a small hole in the ground and placed the apple seeds and what not inside it and buried the thing. Inuyasha jumped into the tree branch and started looking. "Kagome,"

"Yeah?" Kagome said as she looked towards him.

"Catch this will you?" Inuyasha said as he threw one apple after another. Kagome, now being a hanyou, caught them easily.

"Here Sango," Kagome said as she threw an apple towards her. "Miroku, Shippo." Kagome smiled as she threw an apple to each person.

"Thanks Kagome." Everyone said in unison. Kagome smiled.

"Hey, what about me? I was the one in the tree." Inuyasha grumbled as he walked up to Kagome and placed an apple in her hand.

"Thanks Inuyasha." Everyone grumbled. In turn, Inuyasha grumbled back. Kagome noticed this and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Feh." Inuyasha said.

"Keh." Kagome said as she turned her back towards him and bit into her second apple. Inuyasha looked at her then bit into the apple he got for himself.

"I've got to get use to that." Miroku said.

"You won't have to get use to anything! We'll find Kagome's soul and she will be back to normal!" Inuyasha said angrily.

"I'm right here." Kagome grumbled. Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders fully with his left hand and partly with his right, considering he was holding an apple which was half eaten.

"Don't you want your soul back? Come on Kagome, be selfish once and want your soul back." Inuyasha said as he looked into her now golden eyes. Kagome gave a small smile and nodded.

"I do want my soul back." Kagome said quietly.

"And we'll do everything we can to find it." Sango said encouragingly.

"Yeah, don't worry, we have your back!" Shippo said happily.

"Thank you." Kagome said as she looked at everyone. They all had an encouraging look in their eyes. "Besides, for now, I am selfish." Kagome said as she looked at Inuyasha. "I am you."

"Yeah…" Inuyasha said then thought for a moment. "Hey!" Kagome and the others, with the exception of Inuyasha, laughed.

* * *

"Just a little farther Akane." Yuri said. "Sorry I had to make you carry me." Akane just gave a whimper and rubbed her head on the hand that was on top of it. Yuri smiled. "Thank you." _'I wonder how Avion and Keiko made it back. I hope they didn't get themselves in trouble. But then again, they are strong, and the rest of my inu-manta demons are with them.' _Yuri thought as a volcanic cave came into view. Akane landed and roared slightly signaling that there were people visiting. Yuri went to the cave entrance and looked around. "Totosai! Myoga!" Yuri called.

"Who's there?" An elderly voice said.

"It's me, Yuri!" Yuri yelled but then winced in pain as her arm was burned once more.

"Ah, Yuri, it has been a while." Totosai said as he emerged from the darkness in the back of the cave.

"Lady Yuri!" a flea yelled as it bounded over to her.

"Myoga, nice to see that you aren't with the one you were assigned to by father." Yuri said sarcastically.

"Well, you know how Master Inuyasha gets sometimes." Myoga said as a bead of sweat formed at his temple.

"Afraid to get killed?" Yuri asked with a slight smile. Myoga laughed nervously then looked down at Yuri's right and left arm from his perch on her shoulder.

"Lady Yuri! What happened?" Myoga asked then noticed something. "The bottle!"

"Oh yes, the bottle I made for your father all those years ago. Why are you using it now?" Totosai asked as he saw Yuri wince in pain.

"And whose spiritual power is in it?" Myoga asked.

"It's a long story, can you just please take it?" Yuri asked as she fell forward on her knees.

"Oh yes, the bottle." Totosai said as he grabbed the bottle from Yuri and quickly placed it in a large vase filled with water.

"Thank you." Yuri said.

"We should tend to your wounds." Myoga said.

"That's okay, Myoga, I can tend to them myself once I get back home." Yuri said.

"Now, what happened?" Totosai asked as he sat down near the vase which held pure water that can sustain spiritual power.

"Well the priestess Kikyo is back from the dead and casted a spell on Kagome." Yuri said simply hoping that it explained at least half of what happened.

"Okay, yes we know that Kikyo is back." Myoga said. "But what spell was casted on Lady Kagome?"

"The spell where it will take the soul of the victim and place it in a different form of the living, and then that would leave the body unattended and lifeless. Since her body had nothing to control it, the spiritual power acted up. Kagome is strong indeed and almost wiped out a portion of the land and almost killed herself in the process." Yuri said.

"How is it that she almost killed herself?" Myoga asked.

"Well, the demon blood she got from Inuyasha kind of took over her body and she turned full demon. Besides, spiritual powers can harm humans too." Yuri said.

"Where is her body now?" Totosai asked.

"She woke up as a half demon, with ears and our golden color eyes." Yuri said.

"That's not… suppose to happen." Myoga said nervously. "But then again, it has never happened to a mated person."

"What do you think, Totosai?" Yuri asked.

"I will keep the spiritual power," Totosai said. "But you keep an eye out for Kagome. If her demon blood takes over again, bring her here."

"Good idea." Myoga and Yuri said in unison.

"What's a good idea?" Totosai asked as he scratched his bald head with a finger. Myoga formed a drop of sweat as Yuri sighed.

"Of course." Yuri said. "Thanks guys. I'm going to go check on them."

"Bye Lady Yuri." Myoga said.

"Do you want to see your true 'Master'?" Yuri asked with a little sarcasm in her voice.

"N-no… Not really." Myoga said nervously.

"I think you do." Yuri said as she grabbed Myoga between her left hand claws.

"But Lady Yuri, that's not necessary." Myoga said as sweat poured out of his little body.

"Nope, I think it is." Yuri said with a grin that showed her fangs. "Later Totosai!"

"Bye." Totosai said as he looked at the vase that held the spiritual power. _'I need a bath.' _Totosai thought as he looked out of his cave longingly.

* * *

'_One step, two step, three step, on my four paws.' _Kagome thought in a tune. Kagome then stopped and looked around at her surroundings only to find mountains and more mountains. _'I was only wandering for a few… hours…' _Kagome thought as she looked confusedly at where she ended up. _'Okay, I'm in the mountains, on four paws… oh boy. This place kind of looks familiar though. But then again, all mountains look the same to me.' _

Suddenly Kagome heard a roar beside her and whipped her head around. There in front of her was a large hawk demon with acid green eyes and brown feathers.

"You will do for lunch." The hawk said sinisterly. The youkai then flapped its wings as gushes of wind flew violently at Kagome. Kagome got flung back and hit the vertical surface of a wall of a mountain with a yelp.

"Leave her alone!" a male said as he came in front of Kagome and swiped his claws at the hawk demon. Kagome tried to see who her savior was but everything went black before her vision was focused. As her head dripped droplets of red blood into a small puddle, as the man fought to save her life.

* * *

Kagome hummed a tune as she walked along a dirt path with the others in front of her. Kirara, Keiko, Avion, and Shippo were ahead of everyone playing a small game of tag. Inuyasha was slightly in front of her while Miroku and Sango held the lead behind the playing manta demons, kitsune, and spiritual bird.

"So…" Sango said slowly as she looked back. "What exactly are we looking for?" Inuyasha then looked behind him at Kagome. Kagome just shrugged.

"Anything that acts like the normal me?" Kagome said a little unsure of herself.

"And that would be?" Inuyasha asked. "An annoying little brat?" Kagome glared at him.

"Osawari!" Kagome yelled. A loud thud was heard when Inuyasha's face met the ground. Inuyasha groaned. "You know if you think that I'm _that _bad you and I don't even need to be near each other let alone be mates!" Kagome yelled then bounded off quickly towards the forest. "You bastard!"

"Kagome!" Sango yelled after her but didn't follow. "Look what you did!" Sango yelled down at Inuyasha who was sprawled on the ground in an indentation of his body. Inuyasha groaned.

"You don't have one nice bone in your body if you treat your own mate like that." Shippo said as he walked up to Inuyasha.

"Why you little runt." Inuyasha said menacingly as he slowly got up to a kneeling position then lifted his hand up and fisted it, ready to strike the kitsune. Miroku put his staff in front of Inuyasha, holding the hanyou back.

"You shouldn't treat her like that." Miroku said.

"Like you treat Sango any better." Inuyasha grumbled. Sango turned red in both anger and embarrassment.

"This isn't about her and me." Miroku said warningly.

"Keh." Inuyasha said.

"She called you a bastard Inuyasha. She has never done that." Sango said suggesting something.

"So?" Inuyasha said.

"Don't get your pride in the way. If you want to lose her, then it's fine with me, but I'm not letting her feel guilty about it." Miroku said.

"She's probably out there crying right now and obviously not paying attention to her surrounds!" Sango yelled. Inuyasha just looked down.

"You know, sometimes you wonder how Kagome holds out. If it was me, I would've given up by now and left a long time ago." Miroku said.

"I guess I should look for her." Inuyasha said quietly.

"Don't guess. Do want you want to." Sango said. "But it's not only hurting you." Inuyasha covered his eyes with his bangs as he stood up from his seat on the ground. Inuyasha then jumped towards where Kagome went off to.

"That's a good boy." Miroku whispered once he knew Inuyasha was out of hearing range.

"Mew." Kirara said as she cocked her head.

"Woof." Keiko said as she went over to Kirara and started pawing at her in a playful manner. Shippo looked at his manta youkai companions.

"They're right, might as well hang around for a while. This could take a _long _time." Shippo said. The two humans sighed and nodded their heads. The group headed towards a patch of shade under some trees.

Just then a large object was seen from the sky flying over them. The group looked up in time to see that it wasn't a threat.

"Hey guys." Yuri said as she jumped off her inu-manta demon, Akane.

"Hey Yuri." The group said in unison. Keiko then walked up to her former owner and whimpered as she looked at both of Yuri's arms.

"Don't worry about it, Keiko." Yuri said as she bent down and petted Keiko with her left hand.

"Yuri," Sango said as she got up. "Let me take care of those for you."

"I don't want to be a burden to you." Yuri said.

"You're not. Besides, you are part of our little family now." Sango said as she got the first aid kit from Kagome's small duffel bag.

"Yes, let us take care of your wounds." Miroku said. "By the way, what are you doing here?"

"What, I can't visit some friends and family?" Yuri said a little sarcastically.

"No, no, of course you can." Miroku said quickly as he sweated a little. Yuri laughed.

"Don't worry about it." Yuri said as Sango bandaged her wound. Bandages were aligned from top to bottom of her arm and a patch on her left cheek, but no one knew about the burn on her back. "I was sent here on a 'mission' or a task."

"And what is this 'mission' or task?" Shippo asked timidly as he walked up to them.

"I was ordered by Totosai to keep an eye out for Kagome. Her body has never run itself on demon blood before, so she could get herself killed." Yuri said.

"Oh." Miroku said.

"There, all done." Sango said as she looked over her bandaging work proudly.

"Thanks." Yuri said.

"Sure thing." Sango said as she put the first aid kit away.

"By the way, where are Kagome and Inuyasha anyways?" Yuri asked.

"They had a fight." Shippo said simply as he played with Kirara, Keiko, and Avion.

"I'm thinking Inuyasha said something stupid." Yuri said.

"Yup." The group said at the same time.

"Well, at least we convinced him to go fix it." Miroku said. Everyone nodded. "Should we go spy?" Sango grabbed his ear.

"No." Sango said sternly. "At least give them a moment alone for once."

"Yes Sango." Miroku said as he relented. Yuri shook her head.

"You guys are so entertaining." Yuri said as she watched the group interact.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Miroku asked.

"No, nothing, never mind." Yuri said quickly with amusement in her voice.

"Well, Master Inuyasha is certainly still himself." A small voice said from Yuri's shoulder.

"Myoga?" Miroku asked.

"Oh yeah, Myoga's here." Yuri said with a smile.

"Thanks for telling us." Sango said sarcastically.

* * *

Inuyasha jumped left and right in the dense forest as he searched for his mate. He followed her scent, which lead him everywhere and nowhere all at once.

'_Damn, where'd she go?' _Inuyasha thought as he sniffed the air again. He then turned right and found a small pond there. As he looked further across the water, a figure sat with their feet in the water. _'Kagome?' _Inuyasha thought as he walked around the large pond and saw her. She looked lost and had a faraway look on her face.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked testily as she smelt his scent in the nearby shrubbery.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly as he stepped out from behind a tree.

"Leave me alone." Kagome said as she stared into the water. Inuyasha walked over to her and sat down while rolling up his pant legs. He let his feet sink into the water as he stared at Kagome's reflection. She had her bangs covering her eyes.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said again.

"What!?" Kagome asked obviously annoyed as she whipped her head to his direction.

"I-I didn't mean it." Inuyasha stumbled to say as he saw the sadness and anger in her eyes.

"I don't know if I should trust that statement." Kagome said testily as she looked the other direction. "You say things like that so many times; I'm starting to think it goes further than that."

"No, Kagome. I just…" Inuyasha started. "That's just who I am." Kagome stayed silent. "I'm sorry I'm not who you want me to be."

* * *

**WOOHOO! ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETE!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I LOVE THEM! :D**

**I hope I didn't disappoint people with this chapter. I didn't like it that much myself. **


	29. Surprise, Surprise

**Disclaimer: Lalala… Don't own Inuyasha…. **

* * *

Surprise, Surprise

"Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly as he stepped out from behind a tree.

"Leave me alone." Kagome said as she stared into the water. Inuyasha walked over to her and sat down while rolling up his pant legs. He let his feet sink into the water as he stared at Kagome's reflection. She had her bangs covering her eyes.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said again.

"What!?" Kagome snapped, obviously annoyed as she whipped her head to his direction.

"I-I didn't mean it." Inuyasha stumbled to say as he saw the sadness and anger in her eyes.

"I don't know if I should trust that statement." Kagome said testily as she looked the other direction. "You say things like that so many times; I'm starting to think it goes further than that." Kagome said though she can smell the truth leaking from his scent.

"No, Kagome. I just…" Inuyasha started. "That's just who I am." Kagome stayed silent. "I'm sorry I'm not who you want me to be." Inuyasha started to get up. Kagome quickly grabbed his wrist.

"No." Kagome said. "I love the way you are." Inuyasha started to sit back down with the persistence of Kagome tugging on his arm.

"What's wrong then?" Inuyasha asked as he sunk his feet in the large pond again.

"I just needed a reason to get away." Kagome said as she looked down at the water.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because…" Kagome started. "I just need everyone to get away from me." Kagome said as she held her head in one of her hands as her other hand clawed the ground.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked in concern as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Get away." Kagome strained out. Inuyasha tried to look in her eyes but couldn't see them. Inuyasha then sniffed the air and felt a demonic aura rise.

"You can't control your blood anymore." Inuyasha whispered as he picked Kagome up and placed her between his legs leaving their feet in the water.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you getting away?" Kagome asked as she tried to get away.

"Because I will never leave you." Inuyasha said then grabbed her left hand and pulled it back to rest it on Tetsusaiga's hilt. After a little bit, Kagome's breathing went back to normal. "I love you."

"How did you know what to do?" Kagome asked as she looked back at him.

"It's my blood. I've been through it." Inuyasha said with a little sadness laced in his voice. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"Thank you." Kagome said as she leaned her head on his shoulder while her hand still rested on Tetsusaiga under Inuyasha's hand. Inuyasha's other arm went around Kagome's stomach to rest on the other side. "Love you." Inuyasha leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"If you need it just tell me." Inuyasha said, referring to Tetsusaiga. Kagome nodded.

"Thanks." Kagome said as she turned her head and rested her cheek on his chest.

"You know I would do anything for you." Inuyasha said as he laced his left hand fingers with hers and let go of Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha then looked down and saw a guilty face. "Now what's wrong?"

"I just… I just feel like I'm using your life." Kagome said quietly. "I'm living off of the blood you gave me and now I'm linked to your soul. I'm sorry." Inuyasha tightened his hold on her.

"Don't be. I don't mind anyways." Inuyasha said as he bent down and kissed her lightly. Kagome pulled back with a small smile.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked.

"Perfectly sure. Stop worrying about it." Inuyasha said. "What do you want to do?" Kagome shrugged.

"I don't know." Kagome said. "What do you want to do?" Inuyasha smiled wickedly. "I don't like that look."

"Okay fine." Inuyasha relented easily as he kissed her cheek.

"You wanted to do that?" Kagome asked thinking something beyond a kiss on the cheek.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Inuyasha said playfully. Kagome rolled her eyes jokingly.

"You know, I guess I wouldn't mind." Kagome said. Inuyasha looked confused.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked before Kagome forcefully kissed him pushing her tongue into his mouth. Inuyasha was shocked but fell into the kiss. After a while of kissing Kagome pulled back and let both of them catch their breaths.

"Is that what you wanted?" Kagome asked as she leaned her forehead against Inuyasha's. Inuyasha just smiled slightly and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"I'll take what I can get." Inuyasha said. Kagome quirked an eyebrow in slight confusion but shrugged it off.

"I love you; you don't have to say that." Kagome said as she laced both of their hands together.

"I don't want to push you into anything." Inuyasha said as he stared lovingly into Kagome's now golden eyes.

"You won't." Kagome said as she pushed Inuyasha to lie on the ground and brought their laced hands above his head. Inuyasha suddenly flipped them so he was on top and Kagome was the one lying down. The water splashed at their sudden movements, getting the rest of their legs wet.

"I'm the dominant one, bitch." Inuyasha said with a smile. Kagome laughed slightly then it gradually grew into an all out laugh. Inuyasha looked confused. "Did I say something?"

"N-no." Kagome strained out as she continued to laugh. "It's just something that Avion said to me this one time."

"Oh, and what did that bird say?" Inuyasha asked as he squeezed their laced hands that were above Kagome's head.

"I don't think you want to know." Kagome said with a wide smile.

"Why not?" Inuyasha asked as he gave a small smile.

"It's not important." Kagome said.

"Doesn't have to be."

"It's stupid."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said with slight anger.

"Well…" Kagome dragged out the word as she looked to the side of her.

"Just tell me." Inuyasha said a little annoyed. "It can't be that bad."

"Okay, well… what happened was that when Kikyo and I were arguing in the forest, I called her a bitch in my mind. Since Avion and I have telepathy, well not at the moment, but anyways, she read my mind then said 'but not Inuyasha's'." Kagome said with a blush as she continued to look to her side. Inuyasha stayed quiet so Kagome decided to look up at his face. "I told you it was stupid." Kagome said as she saw the impassive look on his face. Inuyasha started to laugh slightly.

"You _are _my bitch." Inuyasha said as he kissed her lips softly.

"You call me that one more time and you'll be the bitch." Kagome said jokingly though she knew 'bitch' meant female dog and somewhat an endearing term for inu youkai's. Inuyasha smiled slightly then bent down and buried his face in the crook of Kagome's neck.

"Bitch." Inuyasha said quietly in a joking manner. Kagome gave a mischievous smile and flipped them back over so she was on top of him.

"Ha ha." Kagome said mockingly. Inuyasha smiled again then leaned up and kissed her soft lips.

"I have a surprise at the village for you." Inuyasha said suddenly. Kagome looked confusedly into his eyes.

"A surprise?" Kagome asked. "What is it?" Kagome said in excitement. Inuyasha laughed.

"Calm down." Inuyasha said.

"Tell me." Kagome said happily.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you would it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well…" Kagome said quietly. "No…"

"Didn't think so."

"Come on!" Kagome said as she hit his chest lightly. Inuyasha laughed slightly at her eagerness.

* * *

The small group of Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Yuri, Myoga, Kirara, Keiko, Avion, and Akane sat peacefully under the shadows of a tree while waiting for their friends to return.

"I wonder what's taking so long." Shippo asked a little tiredly. "They've been gone for a while."

"They're probably working some things out." Yuri said as she petted Akane in her smaller puppy form, who sat in her lap.

"Shippo's right though, it has been a while." Sango said a little worried. "You don't think something bad happened do you?"

"No, they're probably 'making up' right now." Miroku said with a hint of perverseness.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled as she hit him with her fist. Miroku fell over to his side.

"Ow! Sango." Miroku groaned. Sango just turned her body away from him.

"Shut up." Sango said irritably. "They aren't like that."

"I'll go check." Myoga said excitedly. Before anyone could say anything, Myoga bounded off towards the couple who sat near the pond.

"Myoga!" Yuri scolded but it fell to deaf ears. "That damn flea is going to get himself killed by Inuyasha."

"Yup." The group agreed in unison.

"Say, Sango, would you like to join me in a walk through this lovely forest?" Miroku asked as he got up.

"After what you said, I don't really want to take the chance." Sango said a bit angrily.

"Come come Sango, I didn't truly mean it." Miroku said. Sango glared at him.

"Go on Sango, it seems like you want to get up and move around from my point of view." Yuri said.

"Yeah, besides, you can protect yourself from Miroku. Just knock him out again." Shippo said. Sango sighed.

"Fine, I'll go with you." Sango relented. "Anyone else?"

"Nope, you two go ahead." Yuri said. Sango sighed again.

"Alright, but Miroku, if you try anything you won't be seeing light any time soon." Sango threatened. Miroku held up both his hands saying he got the point.

"Agreed." Miroku said nervously then went to get his staff from leaning on a tree. Sango got up on her feet and followed Miroku as he walked to the opposite direction of Inuyasha and Kagome.

"That was interesting." Yuri said.

"Don't worry about it. They're always like that." Shippo said. Yuri quirked an eyebrow but let it slip out of their conversation.

"I wonder how Myoga's doing." Yuri said suddenly.

"He's small. I bet he sees a few things that are going on." Shippo said then looked towards where Keiko and Kirara were pawing at Avion in concern. "Avion, what's wrong?" Yuri looked towards Shippo after that comment.

"Avion," Yuri said as she got up and went over to the bird.

* * *

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and focused her vision. Kagome found that she was lying on some dried hay in a damp cave near running water.

'_Where am I?' _Kagome asked in her mind. Kagome then looked towards her sides and found wolf demons watching her.

"Hey, boss, the new wolf is awake!" a wolf demon yelled to the entrance of the cave which was covered by the flowing water of a waterfall.

"That's good." A male said as he entered the cave.

'_Koga.' _Kagome thought as she started to stand from her lying position.

"Here," Koga said to Kagome while throwing a piece of some unidentifiable raw meat at the ground for her. Kagome backed up a few steps to get away from the flying meat. "Eat up." Kagome looked at Koga then at the meat.

'_I guess I'm a little hungry, but this is gross. Oh well, my new wolf digestive system should be able to handle it.' _Kagome thought then looked up at Koga and gave a small bark saying thank you.

"You know, you don't see many black wolves like her. Where exactly did you find her?" a different male wolf demon asked.

"She was being attacked by a hawk demon when I found her." Koga said nonchalantly.

'_I'm right here, I can hear you!' _Kagome said angrily in her wolf mind. _'I might be a black wolf but that doesn't mean I'm stupid!' _Kagome continued to eat her raw meat. _'You know, this meat isn't half bad. Still kind of disgusts me, but, I'll live with it.' _

"Okay guys, I'm going out on patrol. Ginta, Hakkaku," Koga said as he neared the exit of the cave.

"Yeah?" Ginta and Hakkaku said at the same time.

"Watch the new wolf. Take her out to patrol with you later." Koga ordered.

"Okay." They said at the same time again.

'_Oh boy, such obedient dogs… or wolves… whatever, at least I like them enough.' _Kagome thought as she finished her meal and started cleaning her face with her tongue and front paw. _'Wonder what Inuyasha and the others are up to.'_

* * *

Inuyasha sat up, while bringing Kagome with him. Their feet stayed into the ponds cool water as they both smiled.

"Come on, Inuyasha please tell me." Kagome whimpered as she gave Inuyasha a 'puppy look' that consisted of a pouting lip, begging golden eyes, and drooping ears while her hands were bunched up at Inuyasha's chest. Inuyasha just smiled and kissed Kagome on the cheek.

"That's cute." Inuyasha said. "Act like the female dog you are, pout."

"Keh." Kagome said then instantly went back to her pout.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whined. "Stop that."

"Why?" Kagome asked innocently as she leaned a little closer. Inuyasha sweated a bit.

'_Damn, she knows that I can't resist that look for long.' _Inuyasha thought as he placed his hands behind him and leaned on them for balance. "Because it doesn't matter what you do, I'm not going to tell you until we get back." Inuyasha said stubbornly.

"Aw, why not?" Kagome pouted as she sprawled her hands on Inuyasha's chest and turned her body so that she was straddling him. "Are you saying you don't like me?" Kagome said in a husky tone as she leaned her face near the top of his head towards his ears. Kagome's hot breath puffed across the furry appendages. Inuyasha shivered.

"Of course I like you, I'm just not-" Inuyasha stopped suddenly as Kagome took the tip of his ear into her mouth and nibbled on it slightly. Kagome then sucked on the ear slightly then licked the outline of it. Inuyasha groaned slightly at the contact. "Kagome…" Inuyasha moaned out but couldn't say more as he dazed over.

"Hmm?" Kagome hummed into his ear. "You don't like this?" Kagome asked huskily as she licked the inside of his ear before moving to the next one. _'His ears are always his weakness, sometimes you wonder how sensitive these things are when they react with a mate, or in this case me.' _

"You know, Kagome," Inuyasha said before he moaned again as Kagome's teeth nibbled his dog ear. "I could do the same to you."

"And you are powerless to do it." Kagome said as she took his whole ear in her mouth and reached a hand down to slightly touch his lower stomach. Inuyasha moaned as he felt a hot temperature engulf his right ear, whereas Kagome's hand streaked a hot flame towards where it rested. Inuyasha summoned up his strength that wasn't in a daze and flipped them so Kagome landed on the ground while Inuyasha looked down at with a smirk. "Well then," Kagome said.

"Look who's powerless now." Inuyasha taunted.

* * *

"Avion." Yuri said as she got up to go to the spiritual bird. "What's wrong?" Yuri asked as she saw the spiritual bird lie on the ground weakly.

"I don't know, she just slumped forward and fell." Shippo said as concern laced his voice.

"Woof." Keiko said sadly as she rubbed her head against Avion. Kirara went up to them and lay down close to Avion's fallen body and lent her warmth, though Avion didn't need it. Avion didn't even produce body heat.

"What's wrong?" Yuri asked again as she laid a hand on Avion's body. Akane came over and rubbed her head on Avion's side as well.

"I'm over due for a recharge of spiritual energy, but Kagome doesn't have her spiritual powers at the moment." Avion strained out.

"Oh I get it; you don't have an energy source anymore." Yuri said. Avion nodded weakly. Yuri thought for a moment then decided what to do. "I'll take you to Totosai's. He holds Kagome's spiritual power and besides that, you would be safe there. Kagome will kill me if something happens to you." Yuri said as she started to pick up Avion, though her arms stung as her wounds felt contact.

"I'm sorry." Avion said. Yuri looked down as Akane grew to her larger size and Yuri climbed on.

"Don't be, it's not your fault." Yuri said with a small sad smile on her lips. "Let's go Akane." Yuri said to her faithful inu-manta demon then looked back towards the three remaining group members. "Shippo, Keiko, Kirara, are you guys going to be okay here?" Shippo puffed out his chest then thumped his little fist on it.

"You bet. I can protect Kirara and Keiko!" Shippo said proudly. Kirara and Keiko cocked their heads and looked at each other but shrugged the comment off and let Shippo have his way. Yuri smiled.

"I know you can." Yuri said encouragingly. "I'm going to get Avion back to Kagome's spiritual power." With that, Akane took off and back towards Totosai's cave.

"I wonder what the others are doing." Shippo said after a moments of silence.

"Mew." Kirara said as she curled up and rested her head on the ground on top of her paws. Keiko went to the side of Kirara and did the same. Though the two two-tailed demons had their eyes closed, they weren't sleeping. Shippo sighed and sat down against the tree and closed his eyes.

'_This is going to be a long day.' _Shippo thought as he fell into a light sleep.

* * *

Miroku and Sango wandered about the forest for some time now and Sango was getting more and more anxious as to why Miroku dragged her along.

"Miroku," Sango said.

"I have a surprise for you." Miroku said suddenly as they neared a clearing.

"Huh?" Sango asked as she stopped walking and turn towards him.

"At the village. I have a surprise for you, dear Sango." Miroku said as he slightly touched Sango's cheek.

"Oh, what is it?" Sango asked.

"Ah, my dear Sango, it wouldn't be a surprise if I were to tell you." Miroku said softly.

"And why did you get me a surprise?" Sango asked suspiciously. Miroku's eyes, which were filled with happiness, turned to sadness. "Miroku?" Sango asked as she saw his eyes.

"To say I'm sorry for what I did." Miroku said sadly.

"What did you do?" Sango asked in confusion.

"That time in Kaede's hut," Miroku started as he looked down at their feet. "I… um… went too far with the groping and Kagome pulled me out and gave me a talk." Sango thought for a while as Miroku grew more nervous.

"Oh, that time." Sango said as something clicked in her mind.

_Flashback_

"_Yes we are. What's the story between those two?" Kagome asked as she looked at Sango and Miroku, with Sango deliberately scooting away from Miroku and Miroku sporting one hell of a lump on his head. _

"_Miroku groped her breast." Kaede said boringly. Kagome groaned out in annoyance and tiredness of his actions. _

"_He'll never learn." Kagome said._

"_I can hear you." Miroku said._

"_Good! Maybe then you'll grow a brain!" Kagome yelled at him. "Oh, here Sango." Kagome said as she unstrapped Hiraikotsu from her back and placed the bone boomerang against the wall. _

"_Thanks."Sango said quietly and angrily, though she wasn't angry at Kagome. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and leaned on her toes to get her mouth near his ear. Inuyasha bent down a little to let Kagome have better access. _

"_I'm going to talk to Miroku and kill him. Can you eat Kaede's food? Besides she already made it and it would be rude." Kagome whispered. _

"_Feh." Inuyasha said as he stood up tall again._

"_Cool, thanks." Kagome said as she leaned back and went over to Miroku. He looked up at her from his seat on the floor, clear confusion written on his face. Kagome quickly grabbed his ear and dragged him out._

"_Ow! Kagome! That's connected you know!" Miroku yelled. Kagome threw him against the fence in front of them._

"_The hell is your problem!?" Kagome yelled. "You can't do that to Sango! I'm surprise she still wants to marry you." _

"_Well…" Miroku said._

"_You don't have an answer do you!" Kagome yelled at him some more. "Sure you grope her, but I think you've taken it too far this time." Kagome said sternly. _

"_You're right." Miroku said._

"_I know I'm right." Kagome said as she turned her back towards the fence and leaned back on it. "You apologize to her." _

"_I will." Miroku said a little ashamed._

"_I mean, during battle?! Come on Miroku!" Kagome yelled._

"_It wasn't necessarily battle." _

"_We were _training _for it!" Kagome yelled louder, then sighed. "Miroku, Sango isn't going to put up with this forever." _

"_I know." Miroku said solemnly._

"_Why do you do it?" Kagome asked as she turned her head towards him, with her arms crossed in front of her. _

"_It's part of my bloodline." _

"_Okay." Kagome said slowly. "I know you can control it, so control a little." Kagome said as she pushed off the fence and walked back to the hut, without even looking back at Miroku. Miroku sighed._

'She's right. Thank you Kagome.'_ Miroku thought as he followed her in, preparing an apology._

_Flashback End_

"Miroku, you didn't have to get me something." Sango said.

"You deserve it after what I did." Miroku said. Sango smiled then leaned up and gave him a quick kiss. Miroku was shocked but managed to kiss back.

"Thank you." Sango said. "What is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you." Miroku said.

"Fine." Sango grumbled.

"Let's go back to the others." Miroku suggested. Sango nodded as they started walking back.

* * *

Slight rustling was heard as an object moved though out a bush. Myoga panted and sniffed the air trying to locate the scent of his master and his master's lady.

'_Where did they go?' _Myoga asked in his mind. Myoga then caught onto their scent as it was laced with arousal. _'Master Inuyasha, you naughty boy.' _Myoga thought lecherously as he snickered. He then turned a corner and found Inuyasha flip over so that Kagome was beneath him.

"Look who's powerless now." Inuyasha taunted.

'_Master Inuyasha, are you showing who is dominant in the relationship?' _Myoga watched in amusement behind the bush. Inuyasha then leaned down and kissed Kagome briefly. Myoga gulped. _'This should be fun to watch.' _Myoga laughed slightly behind the bush.

* * *

Kagome laughed slightly from beneath Inuyasha as they panted and tried to catch their breaths.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.

"It's just everything has happened so fast, sometimes it's hard to keep up." Kagome said.

"Do you want me to stop?" Inuyasha asked. "Because I will if you want me to." Inuyasha said as he got off of Kagome. Kagome grabbed his hand as he fully sat up.

"No, it's not that." Kagome said as she sat up as well and gave him a kiss.

"Then what?" Inuyasha asked in concern.

"You're a better mate than you make yourself out to be." Kagome said as she hugged his arm and leaned on him.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, you make yourself look tough, but I think you're sweet. But don't ever change. I love you for you." Kagome said honestly.

"Thank you." Inuyasha said.

"For?" Kagome asked as she looked up at him.

"For not making me change." Inuyasha said as he leaned down once again and kissed Kagome fully on the lips. Kagome blinked in surprise a few times, but slowly dissolved under the sweetness of the kiss. Kagome's eyes drooped close as she started to kiss Inuyasha back. Inuyasha pulled away in a soft manner, letting their lips linger.

"Why would I make you change?" Kagome asked a rhetorical question, not expecting an answer. "I love the way you are." Kagome leaned over and kissed Inuyasha's cheek. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome tightly as Kagome did the same, but not as tight. Inuyasha leaned into Kagome's neck and started licking and sucking at her pulse point. Kagome shuddered in delight. "Inuyasha," Kagome moaned out.

"Yes?" Inuyasha asked as he lightly kissed her neck lovingly. "Do you want me to stop?"

"N-no." Kagome said as she closed her eyes and tilted her head so Inuyasha had more access to her neck. "That just feels good."

"Good." Inuyasha said as he brought his hands to rest on her waist. Kagome raised her arms and put them over Inuyasha's shoulder and connect her hands to each other. Inuyasha nipped at the middle of Kagome's neck.

"Well well, Master Inuyasha, looks like you are enjoying yourself." A voice said giddily. Inuyasha stopped suddenly and snapped his eyes open. Kagome quickly pulled herself from Inuyasha's grasp and blushed heavily. Inuyasha blushed as he let Kagome go and look around for the voice.

"Why you-" Inuyasha growled out as he narrowed his eyes to his nose where a flea was sucking his blood. Myoga pulled his mouth out of Inuyasha's skin and swallowed the blood in his mouth.

"Why hello, Master Inuyasha, your blood is delightful today." Myoga said right before he got squashed between his master's hand and his master's face. "And to think I came all this way." Myoga floated down to Inuyasha's opened hand. Inuyasha growled.

"What the hell do you want, Myoga?" Inuyasha growled out.

"I came to check up on you, of course." Myoga said matter of factly as he popped back to his original round self. Inuyasha looked at him suspiciously.

"Who dragged you here?" Inuyasha asked. Myoga sweat dropped.

"Why Master Inuyasha, how can you say that?" Myoga said in mock shock. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow as he stared down at Myoga with eyes that were slits.

"Did Yuri bring you here?" Kagome asked suddenly as she came up behind Inuyasha and leaned over him to see what was up. Myoga's sweat dropped faster.

"Uh, well… Lady Kagome…" Myoga thought quickly. "You look lovely as a hanyou, Lady Kagome." Kagome quirked her eyebrow as well as she saw Myoga stumble.

"Nice cover." Kagome said as she stood up straight and looked around. Inuyasha still held an audible growl.

"Yuri definitely dragged you here." Inuyasha said as he sniffed the air. "Hey, do you guys smell something?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha with confusion written across her eyes, then sniffed the air.

"Yeah, I think it's some kind of miasma." Kagome said then sniffed again to make sure.

"Cover your nose." Inuyasha said as he got to his feet and place his arm over his nose. Myoga went onto Inuyasha's neck and hid in the tangles of Inuyasha's hair. Kagome did as Inuyasha said and placed an arm to cover her nose.

"What do you think it is?" Kagome asked though her voice was slightly muffled behind the sleeve of the fire rat kimono.

"I don't know," Inuyasha said then quickly turned to look at Kagome as she grunted. Kagome got hit with something and flew back towards a tree and crashed into it. Kagome flew across the field so fast that if Inuyasha were to have blink, he would have believed Kagome turned invisible. "Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he started to run towards Kagome's fallen body as the tree lay next to her on the ground. Suddenly a quick and white fog engulfed the field. Even Inuyasha's demon sight, he couldn't see through it. "Myoga, what's going on?" Inuyasha asked.

"This is a demonic fog. Its purpose is to separate mates for a time being and change their life around." Myoga said as he peaked through Inuyasha's hair.

"What!?" Inuyasha yelled out as he started to frantically look for his mate. "Kagome! Kagome!"

* * *

Kirara yawned as she lifted her head from its resting place on top of her paws. Kirara opened her red eyes as she looked around. Keiko was in a light sleep and can be awoken anytime to anything, while Shippo was in a deep sleep. Keiko's ear, that was pointed not the one that was lying against her head, twitched as she heard Kirara move. Keiko opened her purple eyes and looked at Kirara silently asking what was wrong. Then Keiko and Kirara turned their heads towards the opposite side of where Miroku and Sango have taken off. Towards Inuyasha and Kagome.

The two manta youkai's felt a demonic aura arise from deep within the forest. Kirara stood up and walked a few yards away from Keiko and Shippo. Kirara burst into flames as she transformed into her larger state. Her fangs grew as her body did the same. Shippo stirred in his sleep as he sensed Kirara transform. Shippo opened his green eyes as he yawned and covered his mouth with his small hand.

"Kirara?" Shippo asked. "What's wrong?" Keiko looked at Kirara as she stood up and looked towards the direction the demonic aura was coming from. Keiko gave a small nod and a bark as she took off towards it, saying in their own language to have Kirara wait there for the others as she went to see what was going on. Shippo then sensed the demonic aura as well and shivered. "Do you think they're okay?" Shippo asked. Kirara just gave a whimpered reply. Shippo stood up and waited for Miroku, Sango, and Yuri to return to go help. _'I hope Inuyasha and Kagome are okay. I should go after them.' _Shippo thought and started to walk until Kirara's enlarged paw was placed in front of his small body. Shippo looked up and saw that Kirara didn't want him to go and get himself killed. Shippo sighed but relented and waited.

* * *

Miroku and Sango walked through the forest silently. Miroku had his hand on Sango's back while his other hand held his staff. Sango was walking with her arms to her side, free from carrying any weapons considering she left it back with Kirara and the others. Miroku stopped suddenly. Sango took a step but stopped afterwards.

"You sense it too, Sango?" Miroku asked as he stepped up to her. Sango nodded.

"It's coming from where the others are. Maybe farther." Sango said as she looked intently ahead of her. "Let's get going." Sango said. Miroku nodded.

"Yes, the others could be in trouble." Miroku said as the couple started to run towards where their make shift family was.

Sango jumped through a bush and directly went to her weapon that was against a tree. After her weapon was in her hand she looked around and found a transformed Kirara and a worried Shippo. Sango stripped down to her demon slaying outfit that was underneath her kimono. Miroku then came out and looked at the scene.

"Where are Yuri, Avion, and Keiko?" Miroku asked as he panted slightly.

"Yuri went to go give Avion to Totosai because she needed a recharge of spiritual power, and Keiko went to go see what's up with the demonic aura." Shippo answered.

"What are we waiting for?" Sango asked impatiently as she climbed onto Kirara's back. Miroku nodded and climbed onto Kirara's back as well. Kirara waited until Shippo got on and took off towards the skies. After about a minute of flying the group got surrounded by a smoky fog.

"What's this fog?" Miroku asked.

"I don't know." Sango said as she placed her poison mask on her face and tied it behind her head. "But cover your mouth or something." Sango said as she looked back then down at their demon friends. "How are you guys holding up?" Sango asked.

"We're fine. The fog or smoke or whatever isn't affecting us very much." Shippo said. "Although it gives me a weird scratchy feeling in my nose." Kirara growled in agreement.

"Hang in there, Kagome and Inuyasha might need our help and fast." Sango said as they drew closer to the scene.

From the air, the four of them saw a fog filled clearing. The large pond located there was turning slightly darker from the lack of shining sunlight reflecting off of it.

"Kagome!" a voice said from below.

"Listen." Miroku said as he looked down from his seat on Kirara.

"Is that Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she looked around trying to find at least a figure in the fog.

"I wonder if Myoga is caught in all of this." Shippo said quietly.

"Myoga? That's right, he came after them." Sango said as she contemplated things in her mind. "We have to hurry, it sounds like something's wrong."

"You're right." Miroku said. "Let's hurry and find at least one of them." Sango and Shippo nodded. Kirara was listening in so she knew what to do and swooped down.

* * *

Kagome groaned as she opened her eyes slightly, only to see pure whiteness. Kagome blinked her eyes, thinking that it was just from the hit her head had received when she got launched into a tree. Kagome was confused to say the least.

'_What? So it's not my eyes.' _Kagome thought. _'It must be that fog. But what hit me and made me collide with a tree.' _Kagome looked behind her and saw chipped wood and no trunk of the tree. _'And make my body hit it so hard that the tree fell over.' _

The new half demon slowly got to her feet with a pounding headache. Kagome stumbled a bit at the intensity of it. Kagome groaned.

"I should find Inuyasha." Kagome said to herself softly as if to remind herself. It's a known fact in the future that if you say things out loud, the person is more likely to remember it. Well, that's what Yuka said. Kagome staggered a bit but got her balance under control.

Kagome then saw a flash of red in her line of vision. Kagome squinted her eyes so she could make you who stood there.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked the figure.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked back as he followed the voice. "Thank god you're okay." Inuyasha said as he walked up to her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing happened to me. You're the one that got launched into a tree." Inuyasha said as he just stood in front of her with an impassive look. Kagome stayed quiet.

'_Is something wrong? He's acting a little… a little like Sesshomaru.' _Kagome thought. "I-I guess." Kagome stuttered. Inuyasha stepped forward and hugged Kagome tightly. Kagome struggled a bit in his uncomfortably tight hold. "Inuyasha." Kagome strained out, her breath leaving her from the tight grasp.

* * *

Yuri held Avion protectively in her arms as they flew on Akane towards Totosai's cave for a second time that day. After a long while of flying through the air, Yuri finally caught site of the volcano that housed the sword smith.

"Finally." Yuri sighed out. Akane let out a sigh as well. "I feel like it's been days considering this is the second trip here, huh Akane?" Yuri said as she petted her loyal friend. Akane gave a low growl of satisfaction. "That a girl." Yuri then looked down in her arms. "Hey Avion, how are you doing?"

"I've been better." Avion strained out.

"Save the last strength of yours, don't talk to me anymore." Yuri said as she slightly petted Avion in from the head and down her spiritual powered body. Avion's glowing pink spiritual powered body lost its glow as it got dimmer and duller every second Avion lost power. "Hang in there." Avion nodded.

After a few more minutes of flight, Akane finally descended down to the volcanic floor. Akane found the three eyed cow of Totosai's grazing on some grass that was placed in a trough. Yuri quickly got off Akane and took Avion into Totosai's cave.

"Who's there?" An old voice asked from within the cave.

"It's me, Yuri!" Yuri yelled. "I have a problem."

"It's always that way with you and your family. You always only come visit me when you have a problem that needs to be fixed." Totosai said as he came out. "Never to only say hi."

"I'm sorry, Totosai, I promise that I'll come visit every once in a while." Yuri said in a slight rush. "But I still have a problem."

"Yes yes, what is it?" Totosai asked. "Oh look, it's that bird that Kagome has with her."

"Yeah well, Avion needs a recharge of Kagome's spiritual power, but Kagome doesn't have her spiritual power and now she's a half demon and Avion is really weak, please help." Yuri said in such a rush that she slurred a few words.

"Slow down." Totosai whined. "I'm only an old man." Yuri took a deep and let it out slowly.

"I'm sorry, Totosai." Yuri said. "Well, Avion needs a recharge of Kagome's spiritual energy or she will be very weak. Can you please help?" Totosai thought for a moment.

"Well, if the spiritual power is in the barrel, I can control it from within. But if it were to leave the barrel, that would bring destruction to my home." Totosai said sadly.

"So, does that mean that you can't help?" Yuri asked afraid to hear the truth.

"I'm afraid not." Totosai said as he looked at Yuri's sad face as it fell to Avion's weak body. "But she will be safe if you keep her here."

"Really?" Yuri said as her face brightened a little.

"Yes, now leave her near the barrel." Totosai said.

"Thank you." Yuri said then turned to Avion and lifted her body up to eye level. "Do you want to stay here or go back?"

"I'll stay; I don't want to be in the way." Avion said weakly with a small smile. Yuri hugged the bird.

"I'm sorry." Yuri said. "Be good, okay?"

"Yeah." Avion said. "Usually Kagome's the one to tell me that."

"Well, she's not here right now, so I'll take care of you if she's not around." Yuri said with a smile. "Besides, we're family now." Avion nodded. Yuri settled Avion down near the barrel and gave a quick hug to Totosai. "Thanks Totosai." Totosai just stared with a blank look on his face. Totosai then turned around and looked at the spiritual bird.

"What was your name?" Totosai asked. Avion sighed, feeling a little bit better being close to the energy source she loved.

"Avion, sir." Avion said politely.

"Ah yes, now if you don't mind, I'm going to take my bath." Totosai said as he left the cave.

'_Does he even have warm water in that tub of his? Let alone it being clean water.' _Avion thought to herself as she watched him leave.

* * *

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled into the white fog.

"Master Inuyasha, be careful!" Myoga screamed. "If you step back any more then you will fall into the pond!" Inuyasha quickly looked back and saw the dull water that use to glisten in the sun. Inuyasha growled out.

"Kagome! Kagome, can you hear me!?" Inuyasha yelled out to the middle of nowhere. Inuyasha started walking into the direction that he thought Kagome would be.

"Careful, Master Inuyasha, you know as much as I do that not even a demon can see through this smoke like fog." Myoga said from behind Inuyasha's hair.

"Shut up! I'm finding my mate before this 'changes our lives' thing takes place!" Inuyasha growled out as he continued to walk aimlessly.

* * *

Kagome struggled in Inuyasha's tight embrace. Kagome tried to look up to Inuyasha's face but couldn't even move a muscle, let alone breath.

"In-Inuyasha," Kagome strained out as she ran out of her last breath. Inuyasha's right hand crept up to her shoulder and stayed still for a moment. _'What is he doing? I can't breathe.' _Kagome thought as she felt dizziness come over her mind and body.

Suddenly Inuyasha's clawed hand clamped around Kagome's neck and lifted her up in the air. Kagome stared wide eyed at Inuyasha as Kagome tried with both of her hands to pry Inuyasha's one hand off from her neck and drop her to the ground. Kagome thrashed her legs at Inuyasha but missed badly. Kagome's vision blurred.

'_Are you betraying me? Has this all been a lie?' _Kagome thought sadly as her last remnants of a small breath left her body.

* * *

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I LOVE ALL THE REVIEWS! AND I LOVE MY READERS! (Friend way of course)**


	30. Yes, No, Maybe So

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha co. **

* * *

Yes, No, Maybe So

"Kagome! Kagome, can you hear me!?" Inuyasha yelled out to the middle of nowhere. Inuyasha started walking into the direction that he thought Kagome would be.

"Careful, Master Inuyasha, you know as much as I do that not even a demon can see through this smoke like fog." Myoga said from behind Inuyasha's hair.

"Shut up! I'm finding my mate before this 'changes our lives' thing takes place!" Inuyasha growled out as he continued to walk aimlessly.

* * *

Kagome struggled in Inuyasha's tight embrace. Kagome tried to look up to Inuyasha's face but couldn't even move a muscle, let alone breath.

"In-Inuyasha," Kagome strained out as she ran out of her last breath. Inuyasha's right hand crept up to her shoulder and stayed still for a moment. _'What is he doing? I can't breathe.' _Kagome thought as she felt dizziness come over her mind and body.

Suddenly Inuyasha's clawed hand clamped around Kagome's neck and lifted her up in the air. Kagome stared wide eyed at Inuyasha as Kagome tried with both of her hands to pry Inuyasha's one hand off from her neck and drop her to the ground. Kagome thrashed her legs at Inuyasha but missed badly. Kagome's vision blurred.

'_Are you betraying me? Has this all been a lie?' _Kagome thought sadly as her last remnants of a small breath left her body.

* * *

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled as Kirara touched down to the ground.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled into the opposite direction of Miroku.

"Myoga!" Shippo yelled next. "Keiko!" As the group yelled the names of their friends, slight shuffling from all directions was heard. Shippo whimpered and hid behind Kirara's leg. Kirara growled menacingly as the shuffling grew closer.

"Be on your guard." Miroku said as he held his staff across his body, ready to attack. They group of four walked forward until the shuffling grew louder.

* * *

Kagome lay limp in the hold on her neck. Her head lolled to the side as her hands were lying impassively on her captor's arm, not struggling to get free anymore, while her legs dangled above the ground. Her eyes closed in blissful unconsciousness, away from the pain of no oxygen.

Her captor had a hard stare as he held her above the ground, not moving, just holding her, sometimes unconsciously tightening his hold on the girl's neck. Fangs peeked out from the silver haired, golden eyed hanyou as he grinned at the motionless girl in his grasp.

* * *

Yuri climbed onto Akane for the fourth time that day and took off into the skies, giving a second glance towards the volcanic cave.

"I kind of wonder what the others are up to, don't you Akane?" Yuri asked as she petted her loyal friend. Akane gave a small bark as she agreed with her master. "Let's hurry back then, shall we? Are you up to it?" Yuri was met with a speed change for an answer. Akane now flew faster than she was a moment ago. Yuri laughed slightly.

Minutes passed as the two travelled in the air, heading to their original location. Yuri was lightly petting Akane on her head every once in a while, encouraging her to keep going, while Akane enjoyed the feeling of her master's hand rubbing her head in a loving motion.

Yuri's hand stopped its soothing motion suddenly as they neared the clearing where the group was located. Off to their left, a large smoke like fog engulfed a large portion of the forest including its large pond.

"Akane, let's go check it out." Yuri commanded as Akane changed courses and headed towards the fog. _'That demonic aura… it's familiar…' _Something snapped in Yuri's mind. _'Did he return to get revenge on me by fighting my friends?' _Yuri stared worriedly into the fog that not even demonic eyes can see through. "Akane, let's hurry."

Akane roared in response and sped up towards the offending demonic aura that threatened their friends and make shift family.

* * *

Inuyasha looked around frantically as he tried to find his current mate. He turned a full three sixty degrees (360°), his eyes going one direction then the next in a flash. Inuyasha's eyes flashed red, though they didn't stay that color. His fangs then grew to its demon size as did his claws, though his eyes stayed the shining golden color they always were.

"M-master Inuyasha…" Myoga said nervously as he eyed Inuyasha intently. Inuyasha growled ferociously. _'Is Kagome's life in danger right now? Is that why he's changing?' _Inuyasha's eyes then began to bleed red.

"Kagome." Inuyasha growled out as he ran forward towards where he thought he saw Kagome fly threw when she was attacked and flew towards a tree. The fog covering all his demon senses didn't help his mood right then.

* * *

Kagome walked alongside Ginta and Hakkaku as they set off to patrol the southern border of their land. Kagome walked peacefully as she looked up into the bright blue sky, watching the clouds shift.

'_I miss them.' _Kagome thought. Suddenly Kagome felt as though someone was holding her neck in a vice grip, unable to breath. _'What the…? Why can't I breathe?' _Kagome thought frantically as she fell into a lying position on the ground and struggled to breath. Ginta and Hakkaku looked back to see what was wrong. They gasped as they saw their new comrade on the ground trying to breathe.

Ginta and Hakkaku ran back to the black's wolf fallen body. Ginta checked to see if there was physical bodily harm while Hakkaku listened intently on any vital organ changes with his demonic hearing.

"What's wrong with her?" Ginta asked after he checked her whole body and found nothing wrong.

"It sounds like she's having trouble breathing." Hakkaku said as he sat up straight and looked at Ginta worriedly. "What do we do?" Ginta thought frantically to answer the question.

"Check inside her mouth, let's see if she's choking on something." Ginta said as he grabbed the snout of the black she wolf and then her jaw and opened her mouth as wide as it would go. Kagome was still struggling to breathe when Ginta grabbed her mouth and opened it.

'_Stupid spell, it's probably connecting me to my body… Wait, then what's going on? Do they need help?' _Kagome thought as she watched Ginta and Hakkaku look in her mouth and down her throat.

"Nope, there's nothing there." Hakkaku said sadly. "What do we do now?" Ginta and Hakkaku thought frantically to try and save their comrade.

'_Oh yeah, they don't know it's me and that this is a spell casted by Kikyo.' _Kagome thought as she pulled her snout away from Ginta's hands and tried to breath.

"Her breaths are getting shorter." Ginta noticed. Hakkaku and Ginta sweat ran down their faces as they were backed into a corner.

* * *

The small group gasped at what they saw faintly in front of them. Kirara stopped her growling as she saw what was going on. Everyone's eyes were wide as they stared. Sango shook her head in disbelief as tears gathered in her eyes.

"No…" Sango said quietly as she tightened her grip on Hiraikotsu. Kirara growled slightly.

"Inuyasha…" Miroku said as he took a step forward. Inuyasha had his hand in a vice grip against Kagome's neck as she lay limp, suspended in the air, by Inuyasha's hand with blood dripping from her neck where Inuyasha's claws pierced her skin. "Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled at the silver haired half demon. Inuyasha looked towards the group and smiled evilly.

"How dare you do this to her?!" Sango yelled as she raised Hiraikotsu, preparing to launch it, until Miroku stopped her. "Miroku let me kill the bastard!" Sango said as she struggled with Miroku's grip.

"If you throw that, you'll hit Kagome too, or she'd be dragged along with _him_." Miroku said as he tried to avoid saying his former friend's name. Sango listened then let her hand relax back against her body.

"Then make him let go." Sango said sadly. Miroku nodded.

"Hey," Miroku said trying to get his attention. "Let her go." Inuyasha just gave an evil smirk, showing his fangs. "Damn you!"

* * *

"Master Inuyasha, where are we going?" Myoga asked as he hung onto Inuyasha's hair for his life. Inuyasha was running at a speed that rivaled any full blooded demon.

"I'm finding my mate, where else?" Inuyasha said with his voice an octave lower.

"Damn you!" Inuyasha heard this phrase as he approached an unknown location. Inuyasha slowed down and listened.

"You better let her go!" A female voice said. Inuyasha listened intently as he walked towards the voices. After a few feet of walking, outlines of people started to show in his vision.

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he saw what was in front of him. To him it looked like he was holding a dead Kagome by the neck while Miroku was trying to make him let go, and Sango stood with her hands around Hiraikotsu tightening. Kirara and Shippo stood not too far away and growled at him. Inuyasha's eyes bled red at the site.

"LET HER GO!" Inuyasha yelled as he lunged forward.

* * *

"LET HER GO!"

Miroku heard from his side. He turned suddenly along with everyone else excluding Kagome. A flash of red and silver passed their line of vision as it rushed towards the culprit who held Kagome in his grasped. In a blink of an eye, three yellow slashes were seen coming from the speedy object. The slashes were directed to Inuyasha's arm that was holding Kagome.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled as she saw her friend fall from Inuyasha's grasp. As if everything went in slow motion, the picture in front of her was starting to clear up. Kagome was laying limp in Inuyasha's arm while the other Inuyasha looked at his arm that was cut off. "What the…?"

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha turned with his blood red eyes towards Miroku.

"Take care of her." Inuyasha said as he handed Miroku Kagome. "I'll take care of _him_." Inuyasha spat as he looked at the other Inuyasha.

"He's not bleeding." Sango said quietly as he stared at the Inuyasha who got his arm cut off by the Inuyasha with red eyes. Miroku stared at Inuyasha's red eyes, then slowly took Kagome from him.

"Is that the real you?" Miroku asked quietly.

"Yeah, I don't know who _that _is, but I would NEVER hurt Kagome." Inuyasha said as he turned back to face his current opponent.

A sudden gust of wind passed by the group, making them shields their eyes from any dry dirt or dust from getting in. The white fog slowly cleared away. The Inuyasha with a severed arm disappeared into the dust in the wind. The group looked on in confusion.

"Wh-what happened?" Shippo asked quietly.

"It was an illusion." A female voice said from behind them. The group turned around and saw Yuri walking up to them with her claws glowing a pure white. Yuri's was controlling the wind that swept away the illusions.

"What's wrong with your claws?" Sango asked.

"Whenever I control an element my claws would glow the color of the element. Like air would be white, water would be blue; fire is red, getting the trend?" Yuri said. "But I have more pressing matters at hand right now and a bone to pick."

"I'll kill whoever did this!" Inuyasha yelled as his eyes started to return to its normal golden color, though his demon markings and fangs and claws stayed the same.

"No." Yuri said simply.

"No? Look what he did to Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as his eyes pulsed red.

"He came after you because he wants me." Yuri said simply as she started to walk forward with Akane, in her larger form, following close behind.

"Do you know this demon, Yuri?" Miroku asked. Yuri stopped dead in her track.

"This demon despises the West, we kicked him out so the villagers weren't in danger and disasters he was causing would settle. For that he hated our family." Yuri explained without looking back. "When my mate and I came out here, waiting for an upcoming battle, he decided to strike back. We were both badly wounded but Hideaki jumped in front of the attack that was suppose to strike me.

"The attack got launched through his stomach." Yuri gave a pregnant pause before continuing. "We don't know where the demon went, but he left. Probably sensing something was coming. The battle came about an hour later. I was able to heal myself pretty quickly, but Hideaki had trouble. He died protecting me and the rest of our pack." A tear down Yuri's face and landed on the dry dirt ground. "His goal is to kill all of us, starting with the mates that we choose." Yuri said as she shook slightly. "He's making us suffer, which to him, is worse than death.

"And he's right." More tears slid down Yuri's face and onto the ground as she struggled to say the last sentence.

"Yuri," Sango said sadly. Inuyasha's eyes, claws, and fangs went back to normal, though the demon markings rested on his cheek bone.

"If you don't mind, I have something to pick with him." Yuri said as she fisted her clawed hands tightly. Inuyasha walked up to his half sister as she started walking off.

"You're not going alone." Inuyasha said. Yuri stopped.

"He wants me. You have nothing to do with this." Yuri said sternly.

"Nothing to do with this?" Inuyasha asked. "I have everything to do with this!"

"You weren't there!" Yuri yelled as she whipped around. Tear stains ran down her face. "I was the one to make the decision for him to relocate. He wants me dead; he just used you to get to me. He would have used Sesshomaru too, but he never had a mate." Yuri said. "If he wanted you, Kagome would be dead."

"She's not dead?" Inuyasha asked as he looked towards Miroku who held Kagome.

"No." Yuri said quietly. "She might not have a soul right now, but whatever happens to her body, happens to wherever Kagome really is." Yuri gave Inuyasha a little time to digest the new information. "But she's barely hanging on. Take her to my land; herbs that you can use should grow there. Ask one of the inu-manta demons, they should know what to do. Whatever you do to help this side of Kagome, will help the other side as well."

"What do you mean 'ask one of the inu-manta demons'?" Miroku asked.

"Just ask. Like Kirara, they understand." With that, Yuri began walking with her head down towards the demon that plagued her dreams. Her red and black dress kimono flowed through the wind as the tight pants that went to her knees kept her legs warm.

"Good luck." Inuyasha relented. _'It is her problem. Not mine, but…' _Inuyasha thought then looked back at Kagome who lay limply in Miroku's arms. _'Kagome comes first right now.' _Yuri kept walking with her hands fisted at her side as she heard Inuyasha's last sentence.

Inuyasha walked up to Miroku and took Kagome from him. Inuyasha situated Kagome in his arms carrying her bridal style. He then placed her head on his shoulder.

"Has anyone seen Keiko?" Inuyasha asked as he noticed that the female two tail dog demon wasn't with them.

"She came into the fog before us." Shippo said from his spot on Kirara's head.

"Uh oh." Sango said wide eyed. "Inuyasha, you take Kagome to the west, we'll look for Keiko. Take Kirara." Kirara nodded, hearing her command and walked up to Inuyasha.

"Shippo, why don't you help us look for Keiko." Miroku suggested. Shippo nodded and hopped off of Kirara.

With commands said and done, Inuyasha ran with Kagome in his arms towards the West followed by Kirara who flew in the air. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo went off looking for the missing inu-manta demon, while Yuri and Akane went to fight the demon that made their lives turn from good to bad.

"So, where do you think she is?" Shippo asked as they walked about in a circle.

"Uh…" Miroku and Sango said at the same time. Just then something caught Miroku's eyes.

* * *

"Oh god, what do we do?" Hakkaku said frantically. Ginta clapped his hand together.

"I'll go run and get Koga!" Ginta said.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to carry her _to _Koga?" Hakkaku asked.

"Oh yeah." Ginta said as he bent down and picked up the black furred wolf. Kagome breathed heavily in Ginta's arms. "Let's go." Hakkaku nodded and ran after them with their demonic wolf speed.

About half way there, Kagome's eyes became the deep dark brown they used to be as they cleared up from the foggy haze she was in from no oxygen. Kagome then realize what was going on as she bounced in Ginta's arms as he ran with her turned upside down.

Kagome barked a little to catch the two wolf demons attention. After about a few minutes of no answering, Kagome started to growl out in annoyance. Kagome whimpered as she struggled out of Ginta's grasp. Ginta looked down at the wiggling wolf he was carrying in his arms, suddenly gasping as she fell out of them.

The black wolf, also known as Kagome, quickly flipped around and landed on her four paws. Ginta and Hakkaku looked down to see the wolf land gracefully on the ground, grateful that she wasn't hurt.

"What happened? One minute she's struggling to breath, and the next she's fine and happy." Hakkaku said as he walked up to his comrades.

"Yeah," Ginta said. "I'll ask." Hakkaku nodded his head. Ginta then began to bark out words in the wolf language. "Are you okay?" Kagome looked surprised for a minute but it quickly disappeared.

'_Oh yeah, he speaks wolf.' _Kagome thought. _'When did _I _start speaking wolf? Oh well, no time to dwell on that.' _Kagome thought of a way to answer their question, deciding that if Koga found out, it would not be a pretty fight between him and Inuyasha, maybe even Kikyo. But Kagome never lied. "Um, Ginta, Hakkaku, to tell you the truth," Kagome started nervously as the two wolf demons listened intently. "I'm Kagome."

"Kagome!?" Ginta and Hakkaku said shocked.

"Yeah." Kagome said dragging the word.

"H-How?" Hakkaku asked as he knelt down next to her.

"Well…" Kagome said as she thought of a way to put things. "Someone kind of put a spell on me and sent my soul into a different body form. And it just so happens that I became a wolf."

"Who put the spell on you?" Ginta asked next.

"Kikyo." Kagome answered simply as she sat down, dog style of course, and started to lick her paw and clean her face.

"That dead priestess?" Ginta asked. Kagome nodded her head as she put her paw down and wagged her tail a bit.

"Wait, but what happened back there?" Hakkaku asked as he pointed back to where they came from.

"Well, my soul isn't in my body, but my body is somewhere probably with the others. It seems like they're in trouble and someone was choking me." Kagome said with sadness lacing her voice and aura. "I really hope they're okay."

"We can take you to them." Ginta suggested as he saw his 'sister' in her saddened state.

"No, I'll go after them myself. Besides, it'll be a few days walk from here." Kagome said guessing where the locations of her friends were. "I'll set out tomorrow,"

"If that's your decision." Hakkaku said.

"Please don't tell Koga about this. I don't want him to follow." Kagome said looking at them with pleading eyes.

"Sure Kagome, we'll try." Ginta said with a smile. Kagome smiled back in her wolf form, but the smile quickly changed into a frown. Kagome growled and lunged behind the two wolf demons.

* * *

Yuri walked into the open field of the forest. A vast creatures shadow lurked from around the trees.

"I know you're there, you bastard, so come on out." Yuri said sternly as Akane went and stood next to her. A dark chuckle was heard echoing across the forests grounds.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Yuri the female inu youkai, coming to protect her half brothers mate." The demon said in a low musky voice. "Don't want the same fate for that girl as…hmm… let's say Hideaki?" Yuri growled loudly as her eyes flashed red for a moment.

"Don't you _dare _say his name!" Yuri said darkly.

"Letting anger take control of your demonic blood, are you now Yuri? You've grown weak." The demon said as he still lurked in the shadows.

"Why don't you come here and say that to my face." Yuri said as listened to her senses that told her he was to the left.

"Now, now, why would I do that?"

"So you know you're going to die?" Yuri said as she secretly and subtly prepared an attack.

"No, it is you who will die."

"Then come out." Yuri said getting impatient.

"Why don't you come here?" Yuri growled even louder, if that was possible.

"Fine, I'll make you come _out!_" Yuri finished with a yell as she threw fire ball after fire ball to her left. The forest lit up in flames as the red and orange colors spread amongst the green, overpowering natural beauty.

"You know, it's not good to play with fire." The demon said suddenly from the right side. Yuri scoffed.

"Yeah, well, I don't play." Yuri said as she narrowed her eyes. "Let's fight." Yuri waved her hand in a 'come here' motion. The demon roared as he came out of the forest. The demon was large with two horns on top of his head, and two bright orange eyes. It stood on four feet with deadly long claws attached to them. Warts and pimples poked out from its green skin all over the creature's body. A flat face stared at Yuri deadly.

"I'll send you to where I sent your mate all those years ago." The demon said. "To the netherworld!" The demon lunged at Yuri with rapid speed. Yuri just stared impassively at the gruesome demon in front of her.

"No, not this time Toshi." Yuri said to the demon now known as Toshi. "I'm here to get my revenge." Yuri said darkly as she lunged at the demon at the last possible second and caught one of his legs by her claws that made a big gash. Toshi emitted a loud cry of pain.

"Damn you dog wench!" Toshi yelled.

"If you would've left me and my family out of this then I wouldn't have to kill you!" Yuri yelled equally as loud.

"Well you made me relocate from my home." Toshi said as he swiped at Yuri. Yuri stared at the orange eyes of the demon not noticing the attack, but feeling a bit guilty.

* * *

Inuyasha ran ahead of the fire neko manta demon with Kagome in his arms. Kirara ran behind the couple, keeping a look out for danger that lurks in the depths of the forest. Inuyasha only had one thing in mind as he ran around the trees of the forest, heading in one direction and one direction only.

'_Kagome, hang in there. Please hang on.' _Inuyasha begged in his mind as panic started to surface into his face. Inuyasha then started to recall the position he had saw her in, then started to think of things through her point of view. _'Shit, she might get the wrong idea when she wakes up.' _Inuyasha thought. _'I hope she has faith in me and trusts me. I would never do that to her, no matter what.' _Inuyasha thought sadly.

Kirara roared out as they neared a suspicious aura that was blocking their path to Yuri's sanctuary. Inuyasha stopped and looked ahead of him while Kirara stepped up and stood protectively in front of her friends. Kirara and Inuyasha growled out a warning to the enemies.

Suddenly, one by one, different color eyes ranging from red to silver popped open with a pair to accompany the first. The small, but ferocious, eyes looked at the threesome intently.

* * *

"Keiko!" Sango chimed in as her voice echoed through the clearing.

"Hey Sango, look at that." Miroku said as he pointed towards the large pond.

"Yeah?" Sango asked as she looked towards where Miroku pointed and saw splashing water. "What's that?"

"Hey, do you hear splashing water?" Shippo asked as he popped out from behind them. The two humans jumped a bit in shock, but quickly recovered.

"Yeah, look over there." Miroku repeated himself as he point with his staff.

"Should we go see?" Sango asked.

"Yes, but better be on your guard." Miroku warned as they quietly crept up to the source of the splashing water.

The small group got to the edge of the water and saw the splashing become larger as they neared. Everyone sighed in relief as they saw a large fish struggling, but something was off in that picture.

"Wait, Miroku a fish shouldn't be struggling in water." Shippo said innocently as he watched the fish struggle with something.

"You're right, Shippo." Miroku answered.

"I wonder what's wrong with it." Sango added as she watched intently on the spot where the fish was.

"Yeah, well, we don't have time to dwell on it. Keiko is still lost." Miroku said. Suddenly the group heard a yelp from the water. The small group of three whipped their heads around, almost giving themselves whiplash. Blood was spreading from the central part of where the fish was located. A small head with tan fur poked out of the water.

"What's that?" Shippo asked as his demonic sight caught the object in his line of vision.

"Wait a minute." Sango said as she eyed the spot where blood was coming from and spreading fast. "Isn't Keiko's fur that same tan color?"

"Once I think about it, it is." Miroku said. A whimpered echoed through the clearing as the splashing settled a bit. The large fish came out of the water with two tails in its mouth, though it wasn't an ordinary fish. It seemed to have grown fangs and is trapping the poor creature with two tails in its mouth like a cage. Everyone gasped at the new development.

"I know demons eat demons, but I'm not letting that… _thing _eat what might be Keiko!" Sango said as she dropped her Hiraikotsu on the ground. Sango then dove into the water and stayed under for a good while.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled as he was finally pulled out of his stupor. "Sango, be careful!"

"Sango!" Shippo yelled as he saw vaguely where she was heading.

Sango swam underwater for a bit until she was about half way to her true destination, to the fish with its odd fangs around another demon. She finally came up for some much needed air and took a big gulp before making her way towards the fish.

"Be careful Sango!" Miroku yelled with concern. He then reached into his robes and pulled out a few sutra's, waiting for a good time to attack the demon, or if it were to be another evil creature in its jaws, demon**s**.

The taijia swimming in the water pulled out her sword and held it in her hands ready to strike the fish demon and make it let go of the other demon, suspecting it was their two tail dog demon, Keiko. Sango finally made it to where the fish was and slashed down. The fish saw his opponent and promptly swam down and emerged behind Sango.

"Sacred Sutras!" Miroku yelled from the shore. The magic paper surrounded with spiritual power flew towards the back of the fish demon and attached itself on its head. The demon didn't even give a sound of pain as it was shocked with spiritual power and turned into the dust in the air.

An object fell out of the aquatic demons mouth as it disappeared. A tan colored object floated in the water then started to sink into the never ending depths of the large pond. Sango gasped as she saw the last of their beloved friend, Keiko, sink into the water. Sango quickly sheathed her sword and dove down to retrieve their two pound friend.

"Miroku, do you think Keiko's okay? She can't fight in water, she's a fire demon." Shippo said worriedly.

"I don't know, Shippo. But let us pray that she is." Miroku said without looking at the fox demon as he eyed the spot where Keiko sank into the water and where Sango dove into the water to get her. The blood that seeped into the water seemed to have spread out among the large water area and has faded into a slight red tint into the waters color.

Sango swam down after Keiko. As she watched her friend sink deeper, her determination rose as she tried to catch up with her falling friend. Sango finally caught up and caught the demon in her arms. What she saw shocked her to no end. On Keiko's side was an immense gash of missing flesh from where the fish demon has bitten her. Sango, losing oxygen fast, swam back quickly to the surface and went to towards the shore where Miroku and Shippo waited for their return. Sango finally got back to shore after what seemed like hours of swimming.

"Sango, are you okay?" Miroku asked as he helped Sango out of the water.

"Yeah, but Keiko has a problem." Sango said as she showed Miroku the damage on Keiko's body. Miroku gasped at the hole in Keiko's side.

"We have to get her help." Miroku said. "On top of that, she's a fire demon. She was weakened in the water."

"Let's go." Shippo said frantic to save his friend. He started running towards where Inuyasha had taken off earlier with Kagome in his arms and Kirara close behind them.

"What about Yuri?" Sango asked as she started off after him with Miroku next to her.

"She wants to do this alone, but I'll stay and see if she's okay." Miroku offered as he veered off his path towards the sister of his dear half demon friend.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled after him as he ran the other direction.

"Don't worry, I'll be back!" Miroku yelled without looking back. _'Did I just make the right decision? Should I leave Sango to defend herself when she goes back to the others?' _Miroku thought as he slowed his pace and looked back. _'Yuri wants to do this alone, but…' _Miroku looked at Sango as she stared worriedly at him with Keiko in her arms and Shippo a few feet away waiting. Miroku looked one way then back. _'Sango comes first. No doubt.'_

Miroku ran towards Sango and grabbed her hand and ran towards Shippo. Sango gasped at the sudden tug on her arm and gripped Keiko a little harder than she intended to.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled as he dragged her along.

"Come on, Keiko needs help fast." Miroku said.

"What about Yuri?" Sango asked in confusion as he let go of her arm. Shippo came up and jumped on Miroku's shoulder.

"You come first Sango." Miroku said. Sango blushed at what Miroku admitted. "I'm making sure you get to the others safe and in one piece." Sango stayed silent as she let things process.

'_He's making sure I'm safe. Maybe I should take things a little faster, like Kagome said.' _Sango thought to herself as she blushed at the thought of everything.

* * *

"You're going down, Toshi." Yuri said as her claws grew red as flames engulfed her hand. Yuri shot out her hand and slashed at the horrifying demon. Toshi backed up and drew in a big gulp of air. Toshi then spit out a green gas that surrounded the clearing. Yuri covered her nose with her sleeve while her claws changed from a flame red to a mellow blue color. Suddenly some of the water from the large pond came and crashed down into the green skinned demon as Yuri moved her hand down.

Toshi slumped to the ground as the water came in contact with him. The waters weight was too much, even for a large demon like him. Toshi slowly got up and looked deeply into Yuri's eyes.

"You are hell bent on revenge, aren't you?" Toshi asked as he stood tall in front of the dog demon once again.

"As dumb as you are, I'd expect that you had at least known that." Yuri said through gritted teeth though her face was emotionless.

"Would you like to join him?" Toshi asked as he pounded one of his four feet into the ground, hard. The Earth shook lightly but stopped. Yuri look confused at what he was doing, but it suddenly came clear when an earthquake like feeling swept over the area. Yuri stumbled a bit and was about to fall into a pool of the toxic gas that Toshi had spit out moments ago when Akane flew down and caught Yuri by the back of her kimono in her mouth. Yuri sighed out in relief.

"Thanks Akane." Yuri said as she made her way onto Akane's back. Akane roared slightly in appreciation for the thanks. Akane and Yuri then became serious as they neared the demon that killed their second leader and mate. Toshi laughed slightly at the sight in front of him.

"Still depending on others to help you, Yuri?" Toshi asked with a laugh. Yuri growled at his comment.

"At least I have people to depend on, Toshi. At least I'm not the one to live alone!" Yuri yelled as Akane let her off on the ground.

"Have you forgotten, Yuri? You are alone. Your mate is dead." Toshi said with a sinister smile. The comment stung Yuri in her bare heart. She wanted to cry, wanted her mate back in her arms.

'_Now's not the time.' _Yuri concluded in her mind as she forced her tears back. "At least I had a chance. At least I still have family." Yuri said with her head down, bangs covering her eyes. "I'm never alone, truly. I have my pack, my two brothers, and their friends and pack." Yuri said almost emotionlessly. "I'm never truly alone. But you are."

"Why you impudent wench." Toshi growled out. "I'll kill all of them so you can suffer!"

'_Is that all he wants to see? Me suffer?' _Yuri asked herself. Yuri then thought of the sentence that was last spoken by him. "What did you say?"

"I'll kill them all!" Toshi said as he prepared to strike. Yuri's head snapped up as her eyes flashed momentarily red.

"You don't fuck with them!" Yuri yelled as fire came from her claws. Yuri then lunged at the demon and slashed him across the face with her lightning speed and strength. Toshi roared in pain as he slightly stumbled back.

"Damn you!" Toshi yelled as he slashed at Yuri's back. Akane stepped in and bit the demon on the side of his neck. Yuri moved out of the attack, but still got nicked by Toshi's large and long claws.

'_Damn, the old wound on my back from the spiritual power from Kagome reopened.' _Yuri thought as blood seeped out of her back. Yuri then looked at her hands and saw blood run to them as it spilled from her arms. _'I guess the wounds on my arms have reopened too.' _

A loud roar was heard as the green skinned demon flung the two tail dog demon off its neck and across the clearing.

"Stupid dog." Toshi grumbled as he went to stare at Yuri. He saw Yuri kneeling on the ground, covered in her blood that seeped out. "Covered in blood already? That's a pity; I was just about having fun torturing you. Well, I guess you'll die like your former mate." Toshi lunged at Yuri. "Die with a hole through your entire stomach!"

"Blood Daggers!" Yuri yelled as she flung triangles of blood at Toshi. All of the red triangles blinded Toshi's vision and cut through him. Toshi yelled in pain as the daggers hit every part of his body. Yuri then took out one of the spikes that held her hair half up. The spike transformed into a metal sword. "You'll regret messing with me and my family." Yuri seethed as she lunged forward. Toshi's eyes suddenly flashed a white color. Yuri saw the change but didn't stop her attack.

Yuri lifted the sword above her head, getting ready to end the battle, when a figure appeared in front of her. Yuri stopped suddenly and stared wide eyed of a figure of a man. A man with black hair with a streak of silver tied in a low pony tail at the nape of his neck. The man lifted his head. There Yuri saw the eyes of every dog demon with a humanoid form, golden eyes. Yuri let her arm fall and let the sword pin to the ground.

"Very good." Toshi said sinisterly as he watched the two intently.

"Yuri." The man said lovingly, though the love was hollow.

"Don't say my name." Yuri said sternly as she eyed the man.

"You do not love me anymore? Have you found another?"

"I do, I do love you, and I never will stop. And I haven't found another." Yuri said. "But you are but an illusion of him."

"Does it hurt to say my name?" Yuri took a breath.

"You're not him. Therefore I cannot call you by his name."

"Then who do I look like to you?" The man asked as he stepped forward and slightly touched Yuri's cheek with his hand. Yuri grabbed the hand by his wrist.

"You look like Hideaki." Yuri said simply.

"Yes, you're former mate, Yuri. Don't you miss him?" Toshi asked as he came up to the two. "I will let you keep him if you bring me one thing."

"And what's this 'one thing'?" Yuri asked.

"Bring me the female half demon." Toshi said with an evil smile.

* * *

Kirara growled as more pair of eyes watched them. The colors ranging from red to silver, stared at them intent on waiting for the first move.

"Get out of our way!" Inuyasha yelled at them. The multitude of eyes looked back and forth between everyone in their group. Suddenly howling was heard, each second it increased in volume. Inuyasha looked confused as ever while Kirara's growl was settling down, though neither of them letting their guard down.

A rustling in the bush in front of them brought them to attention as a cute green eyed inu manta demon appeared. The female two tail dog demon had golden fur with tan paws and ears, while the tip of her tail was black. Green eyes stared at Inuyasha then to Kirara and finally settling on the limp half demon in Inuyasha's arms. The inu manta demon barked at them signaling to follow it.

Inuyasha chose this time to sniff the air. Inuyasha sighed in relief as he recognized the scents.

"It's okay, Kirara," Inuyasha said as they followed the green eyed dog demon. "This is Yuri's pack." Kirara instantly sopped growling and took a sniff of the air for herself. Kirara let herself change back into her smaller form and followed.

After a while of walking into the depths of Yuri's territory, the group of Inuyasha, Kirara, and Kagome, who still lay limp in Inuyasha's arms, found that they were led to a wooden hut that was well constructed. The green eyed dog demon led them inside and promptly set up a futon so Inuyasha could lay Kagome down. With the help of a few other inu manta demons in the facility, the futon was set up and Inuyasha put Kagome down.

"Um… We were supposed to ask what herbs to use," Inuyasha said to the green eyed dog. The green eyed inu manta demon cocked her head to the side and listened. "Yuri said to ask one of you to help get herbs to help Kagome." Inuyasha tried again. Kirara meowed in agreement. The green eyed inu manta demon barked to the rest of them in the hut. They all ran outside and left Inuyasha, Kirara, and Kagome alone in the hut. Inuyasha looked in the corner and saw a few pieces of wood.

Inuyasha put the wood in the fire pit and had Kirara start a fire for them. The sun set was soon and the temperature was about to drop. Inuyasha then went over to Kagome and brushed away a stray strand of hair that was across her face. Inuyasha looked at her lovingly though worry etched its way to the surface.

The green eyed demon came back into the hut with herbs in its mouth. Inuyasha looked at her then slowly took the herbs from her. Just then another inu manta demon, who transformed into a larger size, came in with a bucket of water, and two more came running in and heading towards the back and grabbed what seemed like a pot.

"You want me to boil it?" Inuyasha asked. The green eyed demon barks in agreement. "Okay." Inuyasha took the bucket of water from the transformed inu manta demon and then took the pot from the other two dog demons. Inuyasha placed the pot over the fire then poured the water into it.

Once the water was boiled, Inuyasha placed the herbs in the pot and waited for the herb to seep into the water and mix together. The two dog demons that retrieved the pot went off and found some bandages for Kagome's neck where there were puncture wounds. The green eyed demon went off and found a cup. Inuyasha took it and poured some of the herb flavored water into it. Inuyasha then went over to Kagome and placed the cup down.

The two dog demons that retrieved bandages handed Inuyasha the wrappings. Inuyasha took it from them and began to clean Kagome's neck from the blood with some herbal water. Then he began to wrap Kagome's neck in the bandages. Kirara curled herself up next to Kagome's side and rested her eyes. He then went over to pour out the blood mixed herbal water and poured some new water into the clean cup. Inuyasha then proceeded to pour the water down Kagome's mouth and down her throat. With that, Inuyasha waited.

'_Please Kagome, wake up. I'm so sorry.' _Inuyasha thought sadly as he watched over his mate. The inu manta demons left the hut to leave the three alone, feeling a slight tension in the air.

Kagome fluttered her eyes.

'_Kagome?' _Inuyasha lurched forward and looked down at his mates face.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! **

**CAN YOU PLEASE CONTINUE READING AND REVIEWING? PWEASE?**

**Sorry if this chapter isn't very good. It's 4am in the morning and I am really, really tired. **


	31. Hello Goodbye

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, never did and probably never will. **

* * *

Hello Goodbye

Miroku ran towards Sango and grabbed her hand then ran towards Shippo. Sango gasped at the sudden tug on her arm and gripped Keiko a little harder than she intended to.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled as he dragged her along.

"Come on, Keiko needs help fast." Miroku said.

"What about Yuri?" Sango asked in confusion as he let go of her arm. Shippo came up and jumped on Miroku's shoulder.

"You come first Sango." Miroku said. Sango blushed at what Miroku admitted. "I'm making sure you get to the others safe and in one piece." Sango stayed silent as she let things process.

'_He's making sure I'm safe. Maybe I should take things a little faster, like Kagome said.' _Sango thought to herself as she blushed at the thought of everything. _'This might be hard.' _

Keiko groaned slightly in pain from Sango's arms. Sango looked down at the two tail dog demon who had blood stains on her tan fur.

"We should hurry. She's lost a lot of blood." Miroku said as he ran alongside the taijia. Sango nodded and quickened her pace a little. After what seemed liked hours of running, the group found their way back into a familiar forest ground.

"Finally." Sango sighed out in exhaustion and excitement.

"Guys look!" Shippo yelled from his perch on Miroku's shoulder. The small group looked in front of them and saw many colored pairs of eyes ranging from red to silver. Sango and Miroku skidded to a stop as they looked at all of the eyes that were watching them intently.

"Who are they?" Miroku asked. Shippo sniffed the air.

"I think…" Shippo started to say then sniffed the air again. "I think that these are Yuri's pack mates." Miroku nodded in understandment. The large group was meant to protect the land and see to intruders that happen to cross by while their master was out.

"We mean you no harm. We are friends of Inuyasha and Yuri." Miroku tried to reason.

"Keiko is hurt and she needs medical help." Sango supplied afterwards. Two different roars were heard as two inu manta demons transformed into their larger state, like Kirara. The two transformed two tail dog demons jumped out of the bush and landed in front of the group then kneeled down, signaling that they should get on.

Miroku and Sango complied without question and climbed onto the back to the two dog demons, each on a different one. Once situated, the two dog demons took off towards the skies. The group stayed silent as they waited to give medical care to their friend and to meet up with the rest of their little group.

They flew over tree after tree for what seemed like a lifetime as they watched Keiko's ragged breathing and pain wrenching sounds.

"Come on Keiko, hang in there." Sango whispered to the inu manta demon in her arms.

"There!" Miroku yelled from the other transformed dog demon. Sango and Shippo looked at where they were headed and saw a hut in their view.

"Please hurry." Sango pleaded to the dog demon that was graciously carrying her. The dog demon roared and sped up. The dog demon carrying Miroku did the same as they followed the lead. The group then descended down towards the hut, then the two transformed dog demons roared to catch the attention of the other inu manta demons roaming around the area.

All of the dog demons with colored eyes looked up at their transformed comrades then looked at the humans and their former colleague, Keiko, hurt in Sango's arms. Once the group recognized the situation, a bustle of activity was heard around them. Two tail dog demons scattered around, gathering supplies and other necessities.

Sango and Miroku jumped of the dog demons. They were led by a green eyed dog demon into the hut, where, unbeknownst to them, Inuyasha, Kagome, and Kirara resided. Miroku entered the hut first, with Shippo on his shoulders.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said as he saw his friend sitting next a limp Kagome. Inuyasha looked up to acknowledge his friend. "How's Kagome?"

"She hasn't woken up yet." Inuyasha said.

"Did you give her the medicine?" Sango asked next as she stepped into the hut and placed Keiko on a small matt and started cleaning her wounds.

"Yeah." Inuyasha said simply, his eyes not leaving Kagome's peaceful face. Once Sango was done bandaging Keiko, she looked over to Miroku and Shippo who nodded their heads.

"Well, we'll just get out of here." Sango said as she got up and went over to the door. "Watch Keiko for us?"

"Sure." Inuyasha said. Sango smiled then left the hut with the others. Kirara woke up from her light slumber and followed the group out.

Once outside, Kirara jumped onto Sango's shoulder and started to rub her head on Sango's cheek. Sango lifted a hand and petted Kirara.

"I hope Kagome's okay." Sango said a little worriedly.

"Yeah, me too. But she's a strong girl, I'm sure she'll pull out of this." Miroku said encouragingly as the group sat in a circle around a fire that the other dog demons have created for them.

"The sun is setting." Shippo noticed as he looked up into the sky from his new position, sitting next to Sango. "What about Yuri?"

"Oh Yuri." Sango said with sadness and worry lacing her voice. Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a warming smile.

"I'm sure she is fine too. Have faith in her." Miroku said as he looked off into the distance. Sango smiled back then looked into the fire while unconsciously stroking Kirara's fur.

* * *

'_What's wrong? She was fluttering her eyes a few moments before Miroku and Sango came.' _Inuyasha thought worriedly to himself as he looked at Kagome's emotionless face. Keiko whimpered slightly in pain from the other side of Kagome. Inuyasha looked at the dog demon then got up and picked up a type of liquid in a cup.

Inuyasha went over to the two tail dog demon and placed the cup near her mouth. Keiko opened her purple eyes slightly then looked up at Inuyasha.

"Hey, you're awake." Inuyasha said quietly. "Drink this; it'll make you feel better." Keiko looked up at Inuyasha confusedly, considering this was the first time she became conscious since the attack. Keiko pushed back the confusion and started to stand a little but winced in pain.

Inuyasha placed the cup of herbal liquid on the ground and helped Keiko stand carefully. Once situated, Inuyasha gave the cup to Keiko and had her lick up the water and drink it. Once Inuyasha thought it was enough for Keiko's little body, Inuyasha placed the cup down a little ways away from Keiko and helped her lie back down.

"Rest." Inuyasha instructed kindly as he petted Keiko on the head once then went back over to Kagome. Keiko rested, as instructed, then quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Kagome, Ginta, and Hakkaku were walking on the rocky hills of the mountains as the retreated back to the cave after their look out period was over. Kagome looked over to the horizon and watched as the sun set.

'_I still feel horrible.' _Kagome thought. _'I feel like every breath I take gets smaller and smaller.' _Kagome suddenly felt a warmth rush over her body. Kagome shivered at the sensation then took a calming breath. _'What the-? I feel better.' _Kagome looked confusedly at the ground.

"Yes, we're back." Ginta said cheerfully, effectively snapping Kagome out of her thoughts.

"I'm heading in." Hakkaku announced as he went over and parted the waterfall to enter the cave.

"Me too." Ginta said as he walked over to where Hakkaku went. "You coming?"

'_In a minute.' _Kagome barked out in her wolf language. Ginta nodded then left to go inside. _'What happened?' _Kagome asked herself as she went over to the pool of water and looked at herself. _'My reflection looks the same. Well, the same since I switched bodies.' _Kagome studied herself a little bit more. _'Well, whatever happens to my body, happens to me, I guess. So maybe they gave me something. I wonder why whatever happens to me, doesn't happen to my body.' _

With the last thought done, Kagome went into the cave then shakes herself to get the water off of her fur. A large fire pit was centered in the middle while everyone sat around it. The wolves are off to the side of the cave, helping pick off dirt and unnecessary objects off the others fur. Kagome went over to the wolves and sat down.

'_I'll set out tomorrow. No use in hanging around here.' _Kagome thought as she looked towards where the waterfall was covering the caves entrance. Just then, Koga stepped in with a few boars in hand.

"Okay, everyone, dinner time." Koga said as he went over to the fire pit and started to chop up the boar meat.

'_That's so gross.' _Kagome thought as she saw blood pour out of the poor animals that so happen to get near Koga.

Each member of the wolf pack got a portion of meat and started to eat. Kagome looked down at her food and slowly eating it, not really interested in food, though forcing herself to eat as to not to starve and die. After dinner, Kagome went to her sleeping quarters, or in this case, a corner, and lay down. Once a few minutes of pure thinking passed, Kagome finally began to feel a little groggy from exhaustion.

'_I hope I see the others soon. I miss them.' _Kagome thought before she drifted off into a dream state.

* * *

The setting sun deposited an orange glow into the clearing, where two beings and an illusion stood. Yuri had an impassive look on her face as she stared at the green skinned, two horned, orange eyed demon.

"Then who do I look like to you?" A man asked as he stepped forward and slightly touched Yuri's cheek with his hand. Yuri grabbed the hand by his wrist.

"You look like Hideaki." Yuri said simply.

"Yes, you're former mate, Yuri. Don't you miss him?" Toshi asked as he came up to the two. "I will let you keep him if you bring me one thing."

"And what's this 'one thing'?" Yuri asked as she let go of the offending hand that touched her.

"Bring me the female half demon." Toshi said with an evil smile.

"Female half demon?" Yuri asked, still having an impassive look.

"Yes, the one that is mated to your half breed brother." Toshi said with a smug grin.

"You know, she is a 'half breed' too." Yuri said.

"Yes, but she is delectable." Toshi licked his lips.

"And what are you going to do with her once you have her?" Yuri asked.

"Well, it seems like you've made your choice to bring her to me." Toshi said with a smirk. "There's no point in letting you change your mind."

"I will change my mind if you don't tell me." Yuri said.

"Fine, fine," The demon relented. "I will have my way with her then I will devour her." Yuri lifted a fine brow.

"Very well," Yuri said as she turned her back towards the two and started to walk slowly. "I will retrieve her." Akane whimpered slightly in confusion as Yuri started to walk away. Akane followed obediently, though she was against this whole thing.

After a few yards of walking, Yuri and Akane finally made it out of the demons hearing range and into the shadows of the trees.

* * *

Inuyasha stared intently on the still unconscious Kagome as he idly played with her hand. Inuyasha then brought her hand up to his face and kissed her palm.

'_Kagome, wake up please.' _Inuyasha pleaded in his mind. _'I know you can. You're stronger than this.' _Kagome fluttered her eyes, then cracked a golden eye open slightly, then the next. "Kagome," Inuyasha said as Kagome groaned as she opened both of her golden eyes fully.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked a little groggily.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he leaned over her. "Are you okay?" Kagome turned her head to the side and saw Keiko lying peacefully with bandages around her body. Kagome suddenly rolled to the side, jumped up, and grabbed Keiko in her arms. "Kagome?" Kagome placed a hand on her neck as if someone was still choking her, but she found bandages instead.

"What… bandages?" Kagome said to herself.

"Yeah, you were hurt, so I bandaged them for you." Inuyasha said as he stood up and took a cautious step towards his mate. "Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked.

"But you were… why…?" Kagome stuttered a bit. Inuyasha looked confusedly at her. After a moment he understood.

"Kagome, I wasn't the one doing that to you. You have to believe me." Inuyasha said as he lifted a hand as if trying to take her hand though he was half a room away from her.

"How do I know that isn't a lie?" Kagome asked.

"You don't believe me?"

"You've lied to me a whole lot of times, how do I know that you aren't lying now?" Kagome said loudly.

"Kagome, I haven't! Where are you getting this from?" Inuyasha said also raising his voice.

"And what did you do to Keiko?!" Kagome said as she clutched her beloved inu manta demon to her chest.

"Keiko was hurt by another demon! I didn't do it!" Inuyasha tried to reason.

"How can I trust you?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha growled slightly.

"You have never stopped trusting me until now, what's wrong?" Inuyasha asked with a calming tone.

"When you were about to kill me, you were happy to see me leave." Kagome said as she backed herself into a wall.

"I would never do that, let alone be happy for your death." Inuyasha said as his eyes showed sincerity. "Kagome,"

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered out. "But you-"

"I love you." Inuyasha said suddenly, cutting Kagome off. Kagome had tears brim her eyes as she looked towards the exit of the hut. Kagome bolted through the doors with Keiko in her arms. "Kagome!" Inuyasha ran after her.

* * *

Outside, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara, with many other inu manta demons running around, sat around a fire. Their heads snapped up as the heard yelling in the hut situated near them.

"What was that?" Shippo asked as he perked up his senses.

"I don't know." Sango said as she started to get up from her seat on the ground. Suddenly a red blur rushed out of the hut and collided with Sango. The two landed with a grunt to the ground.

"Sorry," Kagome said quickly. "Take care of Keiko." Kagome handed Keiko to Sango then rushed off. Sango looked down at the two tail dog demon, who has woken up from all the commotion, and then looked towards where Kagome was running off to.

"Uh…" Sango muttered out as she slowly got up, careful of Keiko.

"That was interesting." Miroku said as he went over to Sango and picked up Keiko then helped Sango up.

"Thanks." Sango said as she took Keiko again.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Said hanyou rushed out of the hut and over to his group of friends. "Did you see Kagome?"

"Yeah, but what's going on?" Sango asked.

"I don't know, she just freaked out." Inuyasha said. Sango and Miroku nodded to each other.

"She's probably just confused. I'll talk to her." Sango said then handed Inuyasha Keiko. "Take care of her for Kagome."

"But Sango-" Inuyasha started but was stopped by Miroku's hand on his shoulder.

"Let her be. It's probably a lot to take in." Miroku said, referring to Kagome. Inuyasha just nodded then took Keiko inside for some much needed rest.

"Poor Kagome and Inuyasha." Shippo said as he went up to Miroku's shoulder.

"Yeah, they've gone through a lot." Miroku said. "Let's just hope Sango can get through to her." Shippo nodded.

"Miroku, this might e a bad time but…"Shippo started to say.

"What is it Shippo?" Miroku asked.

"What's for dinner?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Right, I'll go look for what's gathered in this place." Miroku said. "Want to come, Shippo?" Shippo nodded his head. With that, they were off looking for what Yuri stored for food.

* * *

"Kagome?" Sango asked into the forest, looking for her friend. "It's me, Sango." Sango was greeted with silence. "Kagome?" Sango asked again as she went around a tree. There she found Kagome leaning against a tree with her head on her knees. Sango cautiously walked up to the half demon as to not startle her.

"Sango," Kagome said quietly though it was also muffled by her bowed head. Sango had to strain to hear her.

"Yeah?" Sango asked as she sat next to her friend.

"I just made a big mistake, didn't I?" Kagome said sadly. Sango was shocked to say the least.

"Oh, Kagome," Sango said. "Don't worry, you didn't know and just freaked out." Sango put a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I'm such an idiot." Kagome said as she lifted up her head then rested her chin on her knees. "First off I don't know where I am, then I blame things on Inuyasha again."

"Kagome you're just confused." Sango tried to reason but Kagome just shook her head no.

"I'm surprised that he still wants me around let alone be his mate." Kagome said as tears leaked down her cheek. Sango was at lost for words for a moment but recovered.

"He wants you around and he still wants you as his mate because he loves you, Kagome." Sango said. "And I don't think anything can change that." Kagome sniffled a bit.

"Thanks Sango." Kagome said with a small smile. "Sorry for knocking you down earlier."

"Don't worry about it." Sango said as she started to get up. "Do you want me to get Inuyasha?" Kagome just shrugged.

"It's up to him." Kagome said quietly as she looked off in front of her. Sango nodded then left.

'_I'll get Inuyasha. You need reassurance right now.' _Sango thought as she walked back to the others. As Sango got back to where they were first situated, she found the grounds empty and silent with only the flames of the two fires from inside and outside of the hut. _'Where'd everyone go?' _Sango asked herself then walked into the hut and only found Inuyasha occupying it with Keiko sleeping off the pain in her side.

"Well?" Inuyasha asked once Sango took a step inside.

"I think you should go see her." Sango answered.

"Good." Inuyasha said a little gruffly and got up from his seat near the fire abruptly. Sango grabbed his arm before he could make it out.

"You aren't going to do anything rash are you? Or talk some sense into her?" Sango asked. Inuyasha just looked at her. "She already got her sense back and feels really bad about all of it."

"What do you know?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, she's surprised that you still want her to be your mate." Sango said.

"Damn, stupid girl." Inuyasha said as he pulled his arm out of Sango's grip and went outside.

"Don't yell at her!" Sango yelled after him as he rushed into the forest, following Kagome's scent. Sango sighed then sat next to Keiko and waited for Miroku and the others to come back.

* * *

Yuri walked deep into the forest before abruptly stopping from Akane stepping in front of her and growling slightly.

"What is it, Akane?" Yuri asked. Akane whimpered a bit to not let Yuri do anything to Kagome. Yuri cracked a smile. "Don't worry, Akane, I'm not getting Kagome, I would never do that." After hearing that Akane's ears perked up. "I'm getting ready for battle." Akane looked confused for a moment before following Yuri back to where they came from, the clearing.

The duo walked back to the edge of the forest, where they saw the green skinned demon waiting with the illusion of Hideaki standing below him. Yuri quickly jumped to a branch above her and eyed her enemy carefully.

"That Yuri should be back by now." Toshi said to the creature below him.

"You're right, I'm back." Yuri said from the forest.

"Good, now bring the delicious half demon girl here." Toshi said as he licked his teeth.

"And will I get Hideaki?" Yuri asked though she had no intention of giving Kagome to them or taking the imposter. Not like Kagome was there anyways.

"Sure." Toshi said smugly.

"Okay then here's the _girl!_" Yuri finished in a yell as she launched herself from the tree branch and straight through the horrifying demon. Yuri landed on the other side breathing a little heavily from all of the blood that she lost as her old wounds reopened once again. _'Damn, I'm losing too much blood. These wounds aren't healing well since there's still spiritual power in my body.' _

Toshi doubled over as his heart was pierced through. Before his final breath Toshi sent a glare at Yuri and swiped his claws into her back as she was panting from the dizziness she got from all of the blood she lost. As Toshi's claws almost came in contact with Yuri's flesh, Akane jumped in front of her master and took the blow.

"Damn inu manta!" Toshi said in a whispered yell as he became dust in the wind. The illusion of Hideaki went along with his master as the ashes floated in the air. Akane fell to the ground with her own blood splattered on her and around.

"Akane!" Yuri said weakly as she fell to her knees and clutched her head with her right arm that was also bleeding from earlier wounds. Both of Yuri's arms were bleeding along with her back from the bolt of spiritual power that hit her. Yuri slowly crawled to her loyal companion who had slashes across her middle. "Hang on, I'll get you back home, then we'll both be fixed up." Yuri said. "I'm so sorry, Akane." Yuri's tears finally fell down her cheeks and onto Akane's unconscious form.

Yuri looked around her then gathered the ebony colored two tail dog demon with bright blue eyes in her arms, then started to walk back into the forest with slight difficulty.

'_Damn, this is harder than I thought.' _Yuri thought as she struggled to walk back. _'Thank you, Akane, if you didn't block that attack, I could've died. Now you and I both will survive, these injuries are better than the ones we got that day in war when Hideaki really… died.' _

* * *

Inuyasha ran towards where Kagome's scent led, which should lead him to Kagome herself. Inuyasha stopped briefly and sniffed the air to catch her scent again, then sniffed again as something odd caught his nose.

'_Why do I smell tears?' _Inuyasha thought. _'Is she crying?' _Inuyasha didn't dwell on the thought and ran towards the scents focal point. Once the scent became strong enough, Inuyasha slowed his pace and looked around the forest. "Kagome?"

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Yeah, it's me." Inuyasha said as he stepped around a tree. "There you are." Inuyasha said with a small smile.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as she launched herself at him, effectively knocking both the half demons down to the ground with a grunt at impact.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked worriedly as he wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Kagome sobbed into Inuyasha's chest.

"Sorry for what?" Inuyasha asked as he stroked her hair. Kagome fisted Inuyasha's kimono top in her hands.

"For not believing you." Kagome said quietly as her voice was muffled by Inuyasha's fire rat fur.

"Shh, it's okay. Don't worry about it, you were just confused." Inuyasha tried to soothe. Kagome shook her head as she started to get up.

"No," Kagome said as she sat up and looked away. "I'll just get out of your way then, I don't think it's a smart idea for me to hang around anymore. Besides, you probably don't want me as a mate anymore." Inuyasha sat up quickly and grabbed both of her hands in his and tugged her forward so she fell to his chest.

"Don't say that, you stupid girl." Inuyasha said as he hugged Kagome to him tightly. "I want you around, I always have. Don't worry about all the stuff that went on before, you're safe and alive and that's all that matters to me."

"But Inuyasha…" Kagome started softly.

"No buts, I love you, Kagome. I really do, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy." Inuyasha said confidently. Kagome started to cry into Inuyasha's shoulder once again.

"I'm sorry," Kagome said.

"Stop saying that." Inuyasha said as he pushed her off a little bit and looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry too."

"What are you sorry for?"

"For not protecting you." Inuyasha said as he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers then opened his eyes. "Stop crying, you have nothing to cry about." Inuyasha said softly as he wiped away a tear with the pad of his thumb.

"You're just being too nice about this." Kagome said. "What made you change?"

"You." Inuyasha said simply with a smile. "You always bring out the better side in me." Kagome wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck and rested her head on his shoulder while Inuyasha wrapped his arms tightly around Kagome's waist.

"I love you." Kagome said.

"I love you too." Inuyasha said as he lightly kissed the side of her head.

"Are you sure about this, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked quietly as she slumped her body against Inuyasha's. Inuyasha tightened his hold on Kagome as he nuzzled his nose into the crook of her neck, as Kagome did the same.

"Never been so sure of anything else." Inuyasha said honestly. Kagome smiled inwardly when those words left his mouth. Just then Inuyasha was about to inhale Kagome's sweet scent, but something else was in the air. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Kagome asked before she sniffed the air herself. "Yeah, it smells like… blood."

"Yeah." Inuyasha said standing up while holding onto Kagome and making her stand as well. "Let's go check it out." Kagome nodded and started to walk forward with Inuyasha by her side.

* * *

Sango sat quietly in the hut watching as the fire burned in front of her eyes. She then looked off to see that Keiko has woken up from her slumber.

"Keiko, you wouldn't happen to know where Miroku went off to, do you?" Sango asked as she watched Keiko whimper slightly and cock her head cutely to the side of her head. Sango sighed. "I didn't think so." After a few minutes of silence, Sango started to drift off into a light sleep when she heard Keiko growl slightly in worry at what's outside. "Keiko? Who's out there?"

Sango slowly got up and peered through the closed shoji door covering. Sango looked left and right but found nothing but the darkness and the small amount of light that the crescent moon gave out.

"Sango!" A squeaky male voice yelled out from her right side. Sango whipped her head to the right and found a small fur ball running towards her.

"Shippo." Sango noticed as he jumped into her arms as she stepped out of the hut. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's…. It's…." Shippo stumbled out as his eyes filled with tears.

"It's what? Is Miroku hurt?" Sango asked, worry taking over her entire body. Shippo shook his head no, which made Sango feel a little better but not fully. "Then what?"

"It's Yuri. She's hurt pretty bad." Shippo said as tears leaked from his eyes. Sango's eyes widened slightly as she looked over to where Shippo came from.

"Shippo, get medical supplies ready." Sango ordered as she set the fox demon down, and then ran towards the direction where a lot of commotion was going on. _'Seems like all of the inu-manta demons are with her. Is it that serious?' _Sango thought as she ran into the dark night.

* * *

"Hang in there, Yuri." Miroku comforted as the female dog demon leaned against his frame for support. Just then, the two dog demons that carried Miroku and Sango to the hut rushed to their master's side and transformed simultaneously. Miroku placed Yuri on one of the transformed dog demons while he carried the injured Akane in his arms. "Okay, let's get her to the hut!" Miroku commanded the many dog demons. The smaller, untransformed, dog demons looked at each other but quickly dispersed and went towards the hut in lightning speed.

Miroku looked confused for a moment but shrugged it off. Miroku made a slight grunt noise as the other transformed dog demon made him fall on her back so she could carry him back. Miroku gave a nod of thanks, then they were off.

* * *

Sango ran for what seemed like hours towards her friends that were injured. She ran as fast as she could, until she stopped suddenly when she saw many different colored furs running towards her.

"What the heck is that?" Sango asked herself as she watched the group come closer to her. "Aren't those… Yuri's pack mates?" The group of inu manta demons rushed passed Sango as they went to gather herbs for their master and other pack mate. Some two tail dog demons went around her, while others went over her and others went through her legs.

Sango stumbled a bit from the impact of the many dog demons as they rushed through. Sango looked back at them then shook her head. Suddenly, Sango was grabbed by her hand and dragged up into the air. Sango yelled in surprise from the sudden disappearance of the ground beneath her feet. She looked up and saw Miroku smiling down at her. Sango smiled back and got lifted up to the back of Miroku and sat down.

"Where are you headed, Sango?" Miroku asked, though he already knew where she was headed.

"I was going to see what happened to Yuri. Is she okay?" Sango asked as she situated herself on the two tail dog demon, who was flying through the air. Miroku stayed quiet for a bit.

"She's pretty banged up. It seems like she lost a lot of blood." Miroku said sadly.

"Oh no." Sango said softly to herself as tears brimmed her eyes. Miroku placed a soft hand on her shoulder while giving her a comforting smile.

"Don't worry Sango, she's going to be okay, I promise." Miroku said sincerely. Sango gave him a small sad smile while nodding her head slowly.

"Let's hope so." Sango said as they landed near the hut. The two humans quickly got off the generous two tail dog demon and ran inside.

* * *

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as they ran back towards the hut and their friends.

"Yeah, why?" Kagome asked as she jumped off the ground and landed in front of Inuyasha.

"Just making sure." Inuyasha said while giving a small smile to Kagome. Kagome looked at him then smiled back, but quickly the smile disappeared.

"I hope Yuri's okay." Kagome said as she looked forward.

"Yuri's a tough kid, she'll be fine." Inuyasha said reassuringly. "If anyone, Yuri wouldn't let that puny demon kill her."

"But Inuyasha, didn't you smell how much blood she lost?" Kagome asked sadly as she let her bangs cover her face. Suddenly, Inuyasha went over to Kagome's side and scooped her up in her arms. "Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked as she frantically wrapped her arms around his neck to prevent falling.

"She'll be okay Kagome, I promise. I won't let her die." Inuyasha said in a promising voice as they sped off towards the hut, which was now in their view.

The two half dog demons arrived at the hut just as the two humans entered the hut. Inuyasha and Kagome barged into the hut that was bustling with activity.

"Kagome." Sango said as she and Miroku whipped their heads to the couple at the door.

"Inuyasha." Miroku said at the same time as Sango.

"Is she okay?" Kagome asked as she went over to Sango and knelt down next to her 'sister'.

"I think so. She's lost a lot of blood though." Sango said as she wrapped Yuri's arm with bandages.

"She's been through worst. Sango's right though, she just lost a lot of blood." Inuyasha said nonchalantly as he took a bucket of water out of one of the transformed dog demon's mouth.

"Inuyasha, don't you care at all?" Kagome asked a little irritably.

"Of course I do, but she's gone through worst. This is trivial for her." Inuyasha said while dipping a cloth into the water and wiping away the blood on her other arm and face.

"Yeah, but has she ever got spiritual power in her body?" Miroku asked. "That's why it's taking her so long to heal."

"I guess not." Inuyasha said quietly as his facial expression became worried.

"This is all my fault." Kagome said quietly as she placed a bandage on Yuri's cheeks.

"How?" Miroku asked as Inuyasha looked at her in a confused manner.

"Yeah, Kagome, how? It wasn't your fault that demon went after Yuri." Sango said reassuringly.

"No, but having all of those wounds and the spiritual power inside her body is my entire fault and now she's not healing well and her wounds reopened." Kagome said.

"Kagome," Inuyasha sighed out. "It's not your fault and Yuri won't be mad. I know she won't."

"But-" Kagome started.

"No, no buts Kagome." Sango said sternly.

"You should stop blaming yourself for everything." Miroku said as he wrapped a secure bandage on Yuri's twisted ankle. "Nothing is your fault."

"Yuri will be fine, Kagome, and she won't blame anything on you." Inuyasha said as he placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

"Okay, if you say so." Kagome relented then looked to the other side of the hut where a group of two tail dog demons tended to a hurt Akane. Kagome got up from her seat and went over to help them while Sango followed her.

"Has Yuri really been in worst condition?" Miroku asked Inuyasha as the girls left their sides.

"Yeah, many times during war." Inuyasha said as he watched his sister's breathing become less ragged and steadier.

"I see." Miroku said.

"She's already healing herself, so let's let her rest." Inuyasha said as he got up and went behind Kagome. Miroku did the same for Sango. "How's Akane?"

"Nothing bad, just a little bump on the head and a few gashes at her side." Sango said as she and Kagome wrapped a bandage around the dog demons body.

"That's good." Miroku said as he placed a hand on Sango's back that slowly inched its way down.

"I think we're don-…" Sango started then twitched an eye as she felt a familiar hand. "PERVERT!" Sango yelled as she hit Miroku on the head with her fist. Inuyasha and Kagome watched the couple then looked at each other.

"Love you." Kagome said quietly as she looked into Inuyasha's eyes. Inuyasha smiled and bent down and kissed Kagome's forehead.

"Love you too, Kagome." Inuyasha said sincerely then looked around the hut to see Keiko look at them. Kagome noticed Keiko too and went up to her and picked the inu manta demon up.

"Hey Keiko, how are you feeling?" Kagome asked. Keiko gave a reassuring bark and a few wags of her two tails.

"Do you want to go look for food?" Inuyasha asked as he went over to Kagome and petted Keiko slightly.

"Sure." Kagome said as they walked out of the noisy hut. The last sound they heard was a slap of skin on skin as Sango beat Miroku to a pulp.

…Next Morning…

Yuri woke up to the sun's rays of light as it shone through the wooden hut that she and the others shared. Yuri got up and winced as her wounds got stretched from the contact. She looked around the hut and found Inuyasha and Kagome sitting next to each other in a corner, while Miroku and Sango sat on opposite sides of the hut. Apparently the fight didn't go to well.

Kirara, Keiko, and Shippo were in another corner and were huddled with each other for warmth from the night's chilly air. Yuri slowly got up from her place on a mat and silently walked out of the small wooden hut. She was suddenly ambushed by her whole pack of inu manta demons.

"Hey guys." Yuri said with a smile as they carefully climbed on her and licked her face. "I'm glad you guys are all safe." The two tail dog demons barked softly in response. "Let's go get breakfast, shall we?" Yuri asked as she walked off into her garden while some of the dog demons followed and some went to the river to retrieve some fish.

* * *

Inuyasha awoke from his light slumber as a scent of one person grew distant. He opened his eyes and looked around the hut, finding everyone but his half sister. Inuyasha dismissed the thought that she was in trouble and looked next to where he sat. Kagome was leaning her head on his shoulder as she slept soundly. Inuyasha carefully took Kagome in his arms and laid her across his lap and leaned her back against the adjacent wall while her head fell back to his other shoulder.

Kagome groaned from the movement of someone moving her. Kagome cracked and eye open and saw red. She then lifted her head and saw Inuyasha with his eyes closed; drifting into a light sleep that he would awaken from instantly if there was something wrong. Kagome looked around the hut and found that Yuri was missing and the others still in a deep sleep.

"Go back to sleep." Inuyasha said quietly as he felt Kagome move. "Sorry if I woke you. I thought you would be more comfortable this way."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said startled, not expecting him to talk. "Thanks for the new seat Inuyasha." Inuyasha cracked a smile.

"Sure thing." Inuyasha said as he finally opened a golden eye and looked down at his mate. Kagome smiled back and leaned herself against his chest.

"Where did Yuri go?" Kagome asked after a few minutes of content silence.

"I don't know, but she's probably fine." Inuyasha said as he rested his head on Kagome's and rested his eyes. "Get a few minutes more of sleep. We slept late last night."

"Okay." Kagome said a bit tiredly as her eyes drifted close.

A few minutes into their light sleep, the smell of cooking fish and vegetable wafted through the air. Inuyasha cracked an eye and found Yuri making breakfast near the newly lit fire pit. Yuri felt someone staring at her as she lifted her head and found Inuyasha staring.

"Morning." Yuri said quietly as she put some stew over the fire and some fish on sticks.

"Morning." Inuyasha said just as quietly as he watched her make breakfast. "Have the other inu manta demons eaten yet?"

"Yeah, I fed them. Why? Were you going to help out?" Yuri asked curiously as she poked at the fire. Inuyasha just shrugged his shoulders.

"Feh."

"That's what I thought." Yuri said with a small smile.

"How are your wounds?" Kagome said as she awoke from her light sleep when the siblings started talking. The two looked down at Kagome in Inuyasha's lap.

"Hey, I didn't notice you were awake." Yuri said as she tried to avoid the subject.

"Yeah, but how are your wounds?" Kagome asked again. Yuri sighed a bit.

"Fine, but they aren't healing as fast as I would like." Yuri said as she turned the fish on sticks to another section to cook in the raging fire.

"I'm sorry." Kagome said as she looked down at her lap where she played with her fingers.

"I knew you were going to say that." Yuri said. "But don't worry about it, it'll pass."

"But-" Kagome tried to reason. Yuri put up a clawed hand that was bandaged, and tended to the fish and stew cooking.

"Don't Kagome," Yuri said. "Besides, it's not even your fault."

"See I told you Kagome." Inuyasha said as he looked at his mate. "I told you she would forgive you." Kagome just nodded and got off of Inuyasha's lap and made her was towards Yuri.

"Okay," Kagome said as she made her way towards the fire. "Well, do you need help?"

"No, I'm just about finished. Here," Yuri said handing a fish to Kagome. "Eat up." Kagome nodded and took the fish. She then took another fish and gave it to Inuyasha, who got up off his ass and went over to the fire as well.

"Thanks." Inuyasha said as he took the fish.

Miroku woke up from his sleep as the smell of cooked fish and vegetable stew made it to his side of the hut. Yuri was about to spoon up a gulp of stew when she notice Miroku open his eyes.

"Morning, Miroku, come have some breakfast." Yuri said as she finally put the gulp of stew in her mouth.

"Thanks," Miroku said as he went over to the others. Sango woke up next and opened her eyes to be greeted by Kagome smiling at her.

"Morning, Sango, come have breakfast with us." Kagome said cheerfully as she slightly leaned on Inuyasha.

"Morning," Sango said tiredly. "Thanks for breakfast." Yuri nodded her head as she chewed a piece of vegetable in her mouth.

The whole group finally woke up and ate breakfast. They now were all went outside and stretching their stiff muscles from their last night sleep.

"What do you want to do today?" Kagome asked.

"Should we keep looking for the other Kagome?" Sango asked cautiously as the subject came into their conversation.

"Yeah okay," Kagome said nonchalantly, though inside she wanted to be whole again.

"Kagome," Inuyasha started as he placed a hand slightly on her back. "We'll find her…it… uh. Well, we'll find what we're looking for no matter what."

"Thanks." Kagome said.

"Yeah, besides, we're a team." Miroku said cheerfully. Kagome smiled at them.

"Thank you." Kagome said while smiling. "Hey where's Yuri?"

"She went to go train her pack." Inuyasha said.

"How do you know?" Shippo asked thinking back to breakfast. Yuri never mentioned going to train with her pack.

"That's what she usually does. Eat breakfast, then train her pack." Inuyasha said. Everyone let the subject drop.

"Well, should we go with her, or set out?" Miroku asked.

"We'll set out, but not far. We'll then come back here for the night." Inuyasha said in a leader tone as he led the way. Everyone nodded and followed him.

* * *

"You really leaving?" Koga asked as a black wolf stood at the edge of his territory with Ginta and Hakkaku. The wolf gave a mall bark then rubbed Koga's hand with her head. "Alright, if you have to." Kagome barked a thanks then turned to Ginta and Hakkaku.

"See you later." Ginta said.

"Yeah, later." Hakkaku said as the two waved good bye.

Kagome turned away from the small group and stared walking off towards where her makeshift family was last seen.

* * *

-

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING!**

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**HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER! :) **


	32. Whole

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha… still. **

* * *

Whole

"You really leaving?" Koga asked as a black wolf stood at the edge of his territory with Ginta and Hakkaku. The wolf gave a mall bark then rubbed Koga's hand with her head. "Alright, if you have to." Kagome barked a thanks then turned to Ginta and Hakkaku.

"See you later." Ginta said.

"Yeah, later." Hakkaku said as the two waved good bye.

Kagome turned away from the small group and stared walking off towards where her makeshift family was last seen.

* * *

"Kagome," Inuyasha started as he placed a hand slightly on her back. "We'll find her…it… uh. Well, we'll find what we're looking for no matter what."

"Thanks." Kagome said.

"Yeah, besides, we're a team." Miroku said cheerfully. Kagome smiled at them. "Well, should we go with her, or set out?"

"We'll set out, but not far. We'll then come back here for the night." Inuyasha said in a leader tone as he led the way. Everyone nodded and followed him.

* * *

A roar was heard in the sky as a shadow casted over the training field. Yuri looked up and saw one of her inu manta demons flying over head with a few others.

"Hey," Yuri said as the group landed. "What's going on?" An inu manta demon with green eyes barked slightly telling her master a story of what happened. "I see." Yuri said as she stared off into a distance. _'Good luck guys.' _

Yuri nodded her head and petted the green eyed demon on the head. She then stuck out her hand with her hand flat out. All of the two tail dog demons then split into couples and started fighting.

"Akane, let's go! Attack!" Yuri yelled as she trained her dog demons in combat. Akane transformed and flew into the air baring her fangs at her comrades, who in turn bared their fangs and claws. The pairs started fighting each other as Yuri and Akane attacked randomly.

Foliage, water, fire, earth, and air all came to life as the inu manta demons controlled their elements. Freezing, burning, and solidifying objects that their powers allowed them to. Glows of different colors flashed as the dog demons attacked one another, though not to the point of killing, just slightly wounding.

* * *

…**.Four Day's Later…**

The group walked into the depths of the forest as they searched for their beloved friend that has gone missing for a total of seven days. A lonely seven days for the whole group. Inuyasha wasn't eating well, even with Kagome's body mobile, while Kagome, in her half demon form, grew weaker each day without a soul. Miroku and Sango fared no better as worried blocked off almost all sleep. Shippo, on the other hand, couldn't seem to place a smile on his face.

The blow of losing the same friend a second time hit harder than the first. This being because they became closer than they were back then. Inuyasha and Kagome were mates, Sango and Miroku had a better relationship because of Kagome, now they were like her 'false siblings'.

"You guys okay?" Yuri asked a bit nervously as they all sat in the small wooden hut in Yuri's territory. The group stayed silent as they watched as a fire burned while cooking their morning breakfast stew. "Look, I miss her too. She's my new sister, but if all of her memories are intact, then she'll come back."

"I guess you're right." Miroku said quietly.

"Besides, Lady Kagome is a smart child; she can take care of herself." A small voice said from the ground. Everyone looked down and saw Myoga.

"Where have you been?" Inuyasha asked a bit tiredly and irritated.

"Well, Master Inuyasha, I decided to take things into my own hand and find Lady Kagome's new form." Myoga said matter of factly though he still had a bit of nervousness in his voice.

"Did you run away when things started to get rough?" Sango asked as she looked at the flea demon with the corner of her eye.

"Well…" Myoga dragged the word.

"What did you find?" Inuyasha asked suddenly. Myoga got caught off guard by the question but quickly recovered.

"Well, I sniffed Lady Kagome out," Myoga said and took a pause, effectively making the others impatient. "The scent of her blood has not changed, but her outer scent has."

"So? Then how could you sniff her out?" Shippo asked while cocking his head.

"Well, I found a patch of her blood against a mountain wall but couldn't pick up her exact scent. There were too many unknown scents in the area, it was hard to determine." Myoga said while he looked intently at Inuyasha. Inuyasha's eyes widen slightly at the mention of Kagome's blood on the wall.

"She's alive." Kagome, the half demon, said suddenly and a bit weakly.

"How do you know this for sure?" Miroku asked though he hoped it was true.

"If she wasn't, this body would've collapsed and have the scent of death." Kagome said as she stared into the fire.

"The mountains, you say?" Yuri asked the little demon.

"Yes, Lady Yuri. That is where I last smelled the scent of her blood." Myoga said as he stared at his female superior. Yuri nodded and got up and went outside.

"What is she doing?" Shippo asked as Kirara and Keiko stood up and stared out the door.

Unexpectedly a loud, long whistle was heard from outside, obviously coming from Yuri while she called her pack to her side. Everyone stood up and walked outside to see what the full dog demoness was doing.

"Myoga!" Yuri called. Myoga instantly jumped onto Yuri's shoulder.

"Yes?" Myoga asked as he stared at the multiple small two tail dog demons with many different colored eyes staring at their master.

"Which mountains?" Yuri asked a bit impassively.

"The East Mountains, my lady, where the brown wolf pack resides in." Myoga said though he was a bit nervous of what she was going to do. Yuri just nodded and turned her head towards the east.

"Second team!" Yuri called out loudly to her pack. The dog demons split up and left ten dog demons, each with a different element to control though there were doubles of the same element of foliage, water, fire, earth, and air, sitting in front of their master. "Go to the East Mountains and search for her." Yuri commanded. The ten dog demons nodded to her then each other. A selected two dog demons in the group transformed into their larger state and took to the air as the other eight ran on the ground.

"Yuri," Inuyasha said quietly. Yuri turned around when she heard her name.

"Yeah?" Yuri asked her little brother.

"Thanks." Inuyasha said quietly though loud enough for everyone to hear. Yuri smiled.

"Sure, anything for my family." Yuri said then turned back to her pack. "Dismissed, thanks guys." All of the dog demons gave a bark of acknowledgement then left to do what they were doing.

"Should we still look?" Sango asked as she leaned on the hut's wall.

"I think we should." Shippo said as he climbed onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "What do you think, Inuyasha?"

"Let's have breakfast first." Inuyasha said in a soft commanding voice that held no hostility. Everyone nodded in agreement then went back to eating their now cooked stew.

The group ate in complete and utter silence as they all thought about their missing comrade. Everyone, besides Inuyasha, also thought better than to say her name to the silver haired half demon, other than calling Kagome's body that is.

About half an hour later, the group got done eating breakfast. It was around late morning when the group decided to pack their weapons and head out to the forest. As the group set out, with Inuyasha leading, there was an uncomfortable silence.

"Inuyasha, where are we going?" Shippo asked nervously as he peeked up from Miroku's shoulder.

"We're going to find Kagome! What else?!" Inuyasha snapped. The group gave a voluntary shutter at Inuyasha's sudden temper. Yuri was the first to recover and went over to her little brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, no need to bite our heads off." Yuri tried to reason. Inuyasha growled back at his own sister.

"I'm not biting your head off!" Inuyasha yelled back. Keiko then went up to Inuyasha and gave a low soothing growl from the back of her throat and rubbed her fur covered head onto Inuyasha's right cheek.

"We'll find her no matter what, don't worry." Yuri said.

"Well what if she became… became a fish and someone ate her!" Inuyasha said loudly and angrily. "Or got attacked and needs help fast?!"

"If she was dead, so would I." Kagome said suddenly from behind him.

"And besides that, she has the intellect of a human. Not some fish that could get eaten." Yuri said soothingly.

"Well if she were a fish, she can't come to us!" Inuyasha yelled. Everyone stayed quiet, not knowing what to say, because it was true. Inuyasha breathed hard as he tried to take back control over his raging emotions.

"Inuyasha, just please calm down." Sango tried.

"Kagome wouldn't want you to freak out." Miroku said next.

"Okay, um… I might not have her soul, but I still have her mind. And I'm right HERE!" Kagome yelled putting up her hands in emphasis.

"Sorry." Miroku and Sango said at the same time. Kagome shook her head in disappointment, then walked over to Inuyasha.

"Stop, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she gently touched his arm. "But those two are right. I don't want you to freak out and snap at us like this. Everything's going to be okay, okay?"

"But-" Inuyasha tried to say something but was blocked by a finger on his lips.

"Don't say anything, we'll just keep looking. And we're not going to be the only one looking. My soul part of me will look too and most likely come to the last place we saw each other." Kagome said as she started walking again. The others followed shortly behind her as Inuyasha stood and thought over things.

'_Maybe I shouldn't have snapped. She's right though, Kagome's soul is looking for us too. At least I hope.' _Inuyasha thought.

"Master Inuyasha, the others are getting quite far away from us." A small elderly voice said from Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, Myoga. I'm going." Inuyasha said grumpily as he kept walking. Keiko sat patiently on Inuyasha's shoulder while trying to comfort the poor distressed hanyou. From afar another bark was heard. Akane was sitting on Yuri's shoulder, though her head was facing back towards where Inuyasha stood.

"Hey guys, what are you waiting for?" Miroku yelled over to them.

"Come on! We're finding Kagome today!" Sango yelled next as they stood sideways, waiting for their other friend to come. Inuyasha had an almost invisible smile on his face as he jumped up with his demonic powers and landed near the group.

"Took you long enough." The half demon Kagome said playfully.

"Yeah yeah, cool it wench. At least I'm here." Inuyasha said. The group continued on their journey to find Kagome's soul and new form.

* * *

Kagome walked on in the lush green forest, alone, as she stared in front of her. She then looked left and right and found that she wasn't too far from her destination.

'_It took forever to get here.' _Kagome thought as she stopped by a river and took a drink. _'I hope that whatever happened, that they're all okay.' _

The black wolf walked down the dirt path as the sun started to rise higher into the day, marking the start of another long walk.

'_Maybe I should wait out the hot sun in a hole or a cave.' _Kagome thought as she heard a rustling in a bush near her. She growled out and turned to the bush while baring her wolf fangs. _'Damn.' _Kagome barked menacingly at the object that dare sneak up on her and attack. A loud roar was heard from the perpetrator behind the bush.

"_Come out!" _Kagome barked out loudly in her wolf language. Another roar was heard from the bush as a demon flung out of it. Kagome looked on with a snarl placed on her wolf face. She then lunged at the demon and bit him on a leg. _'A centipede demon. Being a wolf with only claws and fangs isn't very good right now.' _Kagome thought as she let go of the leg she had in between her fangs.

Kagome and the centipede demon battled it out as the sun rose higher into the sky as the rays shown on the two snarling opponents as one battled for her life and the other battled for a nice wolf lunch for itself and its family.

* * *

Avion's body blinked from a dull purple glow to invisibility as her body consumed the last of the spiritual power left. Avion was only alive due to the close contact from her body to the container holding Kagome's unused and uncontrollable spiritual power.

"You poor thing, you are on the brink of death, yet you cannot die." Totosai said as he blew fire to a piece of metal. The metal turned red, and then Totosai hit the hunk of metal with a long and somewhat bendable hammer.

"I'll be okay." Avion said weakly from her new seat on a small table that was placed near the ceramic container.

"Kagome will be back, Inuyasha wouldn't let her stray for too long without him if he can help it." Totosai said as he yet again blew fire from his mouth to the piece of metal. Avion gave a small weak smile.

'_I kind of have a feeling she's in trouble though.' _Avion thought as she looked to the entrance of the cave and stared at the visible blue sky.

* * *

Two large, transformed, dog demons landed near a group of rocks as eight other two tail dog demons ran at their demon speed towards them. A green eyed dog demon barked out orders to search the surrounding area. The group split up and found nothing worth interest in particular. The dog demons nodded to each other and headed deeper into the mountains.

They ran for some time until a red eyed dog demon broke off from the running group on the ground and headed towards a wall. The others waited for their friend to investigate the surrounding area. The other nine dog demons heard a bark from a distance, telling them to follow. The group obediently followed and found a red blotch on the canyon wall. They then began to split up and sniff the air.

"Hey!" a male voice yelled from a higher level. The group quickly whipped their head to the offending voice. The group instinctively growled at the man, but quickly stopped their growling. The man dropped down to their level. "Hey, you're that dog's pack. Yuri." A wolf demon with brown pelts said.

"Koga! What's going on?" Another wolf demon with a Mohawk said from the top of the canyon.

"It's just that dog's, Yuri or whatever, pack." Koga yelled back.

"Yuri?" Another wolf demon asked as the two made their way down. "What does she want?"

"I don't know." Koga said irritably. "What are you here for?"

"_Sheesh we help you with a battle and we get treated like this." _The green eyed dog demon barked to Koga.

"Whatever, what are you doing here?"

"_We want to know where the person who left this blood blotch on the wall is." _A blue eyed dog demon barked out next.

"Why? Do you know her?" Koga asked as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"_She's our master's new sister. Do you know where she is or not?" _The green eyed dog demon barked to Koga again.

"New sister? Who got mated to a black wolf?" Koga asked confused. Ginta and Hakkaku's eyes widened slightly at the information.

"_Well, no, but do you know where she is?" _The green eyed two tail said.

"She left a few days ago to search for something." Koga said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"_Which way?" _The blue eyed dog pushed on.

"I don't know… west." Koga said nonchalantly.

"_Okay, thanks." _The green eyed dog demon barked then took off towards the west at lightning speed. _'We have to tell Master Yuri that Kagome is now a black wolf.' _The dog demon thought in her mind as seven others followed her on the ground while two flew above their heads.

* * *

Blood dripped on the ground as its owner put pressure on an abused paw. Pressure was pushed on the black paw as it shook from weakness as it tried to hold its owner into a standing position. Kagome slowly got up on her four paws as blood dripped from her now black triangular ear on top of her head and the side of head. Kagome stuck her tongue out as she breathed hard from the large blow she got from the claws of the centipede demon.

'_At this rate, I'm going to lose a hell of a lot of blood. That stupid centipede is pretty banged up too though. I might actually make it out of this.' _Kagome thought desperately as she ran towards the centipede demon again. The centipede jumped into the air and lunged for the ground. Kagome looked up in time to see it was coming straight at her. She leaped out of the way and stumbled back a few feet before seeing that the demon dug its way into the ground.

A long moment of silence followed after. An eerie feeling came from Kagome as she looked left and right, trying to see where the centipede demon dug itself to. A rumble started from the ground as the earth cracked and split.

* * *

Kagome stumbled a bit in her step as she felt her mind get dizzy and her vision blurred. She then started to cough slightly as she put her hand over her mouth.

"Kagome." The group said at the same time as they rushed to their friend's side. Kagome continued to cough for a bit longer as Inuyasha's hand rubbed up and down her back, trying to sooth her.

"I'm okay." Kagome said weakly when she stopped coughing. She looked up into her friends' worried eyes. Keiko jumped up from the ground to Kagome's shoulder and started a low growl from deep within her throat. "I'm fine." Kagome said again as she stood up a bit straighter.

"But Kagome, you just started coughing out of nowhere." Inuyasha said worriedly. Suddenly a two tail dog demon with almost a white silver colored eyes came up to the half demon Kagome and started to sniff her. The silver eyed dog demon's eyes flashed a bright glow briefly before heading back to Yuri. The two relayed a message to each other as the others waited patiently.

"Well?" Miroku asked once the silver eyed dog demon settled itself in Yuri's arms as Akane settled on Yuri's shoulder.

"Well, it seems that Kagome is becoming a bit sick without her soul." Yuri said in a sad tone. Everyone stared blankly at the female full fledged dog demon.

"But…But she's going to be okay… right?" Inuyasha asked a bit scared.

"Relatively yes." Yuri answered.

"Relatively?" Sango asked.

"Well, Kagome's body will become ill until her soul is reunited and put back together. Until then, Kagome, you will become more ill until all you can to do is wait for your soul." Yuri replied.

"There's something that you aren't telling us Yuri. You have that tone of voice that you want to keep something from us to stop us from getting hurt." Inuyasha said as he slightly narrowed his eyes to his sister. "Well? Are you going to tell us?" Yuri looked sadly at her half brother then looked down at the ground.

"I don't really think you should know." Yuri said.

"But, Yuri, Kagome means a lot to us." Shippo said innocently. Yuri looked at his green eyes.

"She means a lot to me too, Shippo, but this is something that shouldn't even be considered… though maybe you should." Yuri said as she mumbled the last part.

"What?" Sango and Miroku said in unison when they couldn't hear Yuri's mumbled words.

"What should we consider, Yuri?" Kagome asked.

"Well…" Yuri said as she dragged out the word.

"Spit it out!" Inuyasha said loudly.

"When Kagome's soul and body reunite, there are three options as to what will happen next." Yuri said quickly.

"And what are these options?" Miroku asked as he quirked an eyebrow. Yuri swallowed a lump in her throat.

"For one, the soul and body will be fused back together and everything will be normal." Yuri said.

"And option two?" Inuyasha asked getting a bit worried and irritated.

"Um… Well, the other way is when they fuse back together, Kagome will become terribly sick until her soul and body can really fuse back together." Yuri said a little uneasily. Inuyasha tensed up a bit but didn't show the emotion.

"And the last option?" Sango asked a bit scared for what it might be. Yuri took a long pause before she took a breath.

"The last option… is…" Yuri paused to gather her thoughts. "The last option is when her soul and body will reject each other. From that point Kagome will die. Soul, body, and all." Yuri said quietly. Everyone stood shocked at the new information.

Everyone turned their head towards Inuyasha as he stood next to Kagome. Kagome was looking down at the ground while Inuyasha looked at Yuri with confusion in his eyes.

"But…But it's her soul, why wouldn't it be accepted by her body?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, it's mainly because the body forgets that it's their own soul." Yuri answered. "I'm sorry Inuyasha, but look; it's not going to happen that way, so let's keep looking, okay?" Yuri said as she tried to cheer up her brother. Inuyasha shook his head from side to side. Kagome looked up at Inuyasha to see that he didn't want to believe a single word that came out of Yuri's mouth.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said as she placed a hand on his arm. "I'm going to be okay, I won't leave you." Inuyasha looked down at the girl next to him.

"Promise?" Inuyasha asked, totally forgetting the others were there and watching. Kagome smiled a bit.

"Promise." Kagome said with cheerfulness. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around his mate and embraced her tightly. Kagome then wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tighter.

Suddenly as the group enjoyed the comfortable, yet romantic, silence, the group heard a crash and a yelp from the distance. Kagome and Inuyasha pulled out of their embrace quickly and looked towards the direction the sound came from. Inuyasha's white ear and Kagome's black ear swiveled to get a better reception of the yelp.

"Sounds like a fight." Shippo said. Kirara then transformed into her larger size as Keiko grew her fangs and claws and got ready for battle. The group rushed towards the sound of the yelp. Miroku and Sango rode on Kirara's back with Shippo, while Keiko sat on Kagome's shoulder who ran side by side with Inuyasha. Yuri ran with Akane by her side and the silver eyed dog demon next to her, running.

The group made it to a clearing, where they saw disheveled ground and broken trees. Inuyasha turned his head and saw a quick glance of something going into the ground.

"Careful you guys!" Inuyasha yelled out to the others. "Something just went underground." The rest of the group nodded their head and turned to the clearing. They then heard a screeching noise right when something came up from the ground in the center of their group. The party members were thrown in all directions. Inuyasha, unfortunately, landed in the middle of the clearing by himself, while the others went into the surrounding forest.

Inuyasha growled when he saw the demon disappear into the ground again. He then frantically looked all around him for any of his friends and family. Just then a rumble swept through the ground. Inuyasha didn't get the chance to see the demon coming straight towards him.

* * *

A bright light engulfed the cave for a brief second before it became dim again. Totosai looked left and right, then his eyes landed on the peaceful spiritual creature lying on the table near a ceramic pot with powerful spiritual power inside it.

"Was that you, Avion?" Myoga asked.

"Myoga? When did you get back?" Totosai asked as he looked at the small flea who was standing on the table with the bird.

"I came back when the others started to argue about something. I hitched a ride with a crow." Myoga answered briefly. "Now, Avion, was that you that illuminated the light?"

"Kagome's soul and Kagome's body are close." Avion said as her eyes flashed a bright color. The two demons looked at each other in slight confusion and excitement.

"So are you telling us that the others found her?" Totosai said, stating the obvious.

"Yes." Avion said.

"So why did you glow?" Myoga asked.

"I was born from Kagome's soul and spiritual power, so when her soul is reacting to something, I react too." Avion said.

"I see." Myoga said in understandment. "Then you should get your recharge really soon."

"Maybe…" Avion said a little uncertain.

"Is there something wrong?" Totosai asked as he took out one of his already made blades and inspected it.

"When the soul and body fuse back together, Kagome is most likely going to be knocked out for a few days. Maybe longer because her body was actually mobile." Avion supplied.

"How so?" Myoga asked.

"Her memories need to sort out. Since there were two of her, there is going to be a relapse of two different memories for the same time. Her mind needs to reconnect with the soul and then sort out the memories." Avion explained. Myoga and Totosai nodded.

"That girl will never stop getting in trouble." Totosai sighed out.

"I guess not." Myoga said. Avion sighed as she waited for the others to come get her and Kagome to come recharge her soon. Avion then blinked a bright light again. "I should go tell Master Inuyasha before he freaks out." Totosai sighed out, then nodded his head.

*~*~*

Inuyasha growled when he saw the demon disappear into the ground again. He then frantically looked all around him for any of his friends and family. Just then a rumble swept through the ground. Inuyasha didn't get the chance to see the demon coming straight towards him.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled from behind the silver haired half demon as he watched the centipede demon dive down to take out his friend. Suddenly a bark was heard and Inuyasha was knocked out of the way of the demon. The air got knocked out of Inuyasha's lungs as he watched the demon centipede dig itself back into the earth. Inuyasha looked up to see brown eyes with a golden and purple ring around the pupil. Inuyasha's eyes widened.

"K-Kagome." Inuyasha stuttered out as he stared into the eyes of a black wolf. Suddenly the wolf was thrown off of Inuyasha and landed with a thud on a boulder, then slid down into the hot spring below. "Kagome!"

"What?" Sango asked out as she threw Hiraikotsu at the giant red centipede. She expertly caught the giant bone boomerang then looked at Inuyasha who slowly stood up with slight pain. "What do you mean 'Kagome'!?" Sango yelled to him.

"That wolf is Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled back as he rushed to block the centipede from getting to Kagome. Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga and sliced at the demon. The demon got cut across its chest but escaped the life blowing attack by mere inches. The centipede roared out in pain.

"Get away from them!" Kagome the half demon yelled as she clawed at the demon against his back. The demon whipped his tail at the hanyou. Kagome grunted at the contact then got knocked into a nearby tree.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he watched Kagome's body get thrown against a tree. "Damn you!"

"Sacred Sutras!" Miroku yelled as he threw the magic paper at the demons head.

"Take this!" Sango yelled as she readied her weapon. "Hiraikotsu!" She threw the large swirling weapon at the demons middle section.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled as he unleashed his anger towards the demon. Once all the attacks settled down, Inuyasha put down his sword as Sango caught her weapon.

"It's dead." Miroku said as he walked over to the disembodied demon. "Looks like the wolf, or Kagome per say, did quite a lot of damage to it." Miroku pointed to teeth and claw marks in the demons side with his staff.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said as he turned around and saw a bright glow. "What the-?" Miroku and Sango looked behind them and saw the bright glow as well.

"What's going on?" Sango asked as Kirara and Keiko came from the side of the forest with an unconscious Shippo. Keiko barked out as she saw the bright light.

"I think Kagome's soul and body is joining back together." Miroku said as a sudden gush of wind blew through the clearing. Miroku quickly went over to Sango and held her to him to keep her from blowing away. Kirara, in her larger form, bent down and protected the unconscious Shippo and Keiko from blowing away.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled from the middle of the blast of light.

"Inuyasha!" Sango and Miroku yelled into the light as they saw their friends get swallowed into it. All of a sudden the light and wind disappeared and was replaced with a confused Inuyasha standing in the middle.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called out as he looked towards the boulder where the Kagome, in wolf form, was thrown to. Inuyasha became frantic as he saw that the wolf body was gone. He then quickly looked towards where the other part of Kagome was thrown and saw her body slumped against a tree.

"Inuyasha, over there!" Sango yelled as she pointed towards her 'sister' and ran to her. Miroku followed with Shippo in his arms and Kirara and Keiko following shortly behind. Inuyasha ran to Kagome and placed his hand behind Kagome's head.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Inuyasha asked quietly. "Kagome?" Kagome groaned a bit but didn't wake.

"Let's get her back to Yuri's hut." Miroku suggested. Inuyasha nodded his head then picked up Kagome bridal style.

"Hey, Kagome doesn't have dog ears like Inuyasha anymore." Shippo noticed once he woke from his unconscious state as he climbed onto Inuyasha's shoulder.

"She's human again." Sango said quietly. "Hey, wait, where is Yuri?"

"That is a good point." Miroku said as he looked around.

"Blood Daggers!" A feminine voice screamed as blasts of red blood flew towards another unknown object. A loud hissing noise was heard before a large weight feel to the earthy ground.

"Inuyasha, stay here with Kagome. Sango and I are going to check it out." Miroku said.

"But-" Inuyasha started.

"Don't argue right now. It's a lot safer if you stay here with Kirara and Keiko to protect the two of you." Sango said.

"Fine." Inuyasha grumbled. "But hurry." Miroku and Sango nodded their heads and headed towards the noise. Once the two were out of sight, Keiko put a small fire ring around them, enough to keep enemies at bay, but also small enough that it left oxygen. Now the group waited for the return of their friends.

* * *

Blood dripped from Yuri's hand when one of the three centipede demons bit her hand when she was being careless.

'_These must be friends of the other centipede demon.' _Yuri thought. _'Oh well, these guys aren't much competition.' _Yuri rubbed her nails with her own blood. "Blood Dagger!" Red sparkling blood flew at one of the three centipede demons in a form of a triangle. The demon hissed loudly in pain before it hit the ground with a large thud.

Yuri then looked at the other two demon centipedes as she cracked her left hand knuckles. She then lunged forward and swiped her claws at another centipede demon. The demon easily fell.

'_This is way too easy.' _Yuri thought then turned around and looked at the last remaining demon.

"Hiraikotsu!" A voice yelled from behind Yuri. Just then the large bone boomerang came and hit the last centipede demon in its stomach as the demon split in half and fell to the ground. Yuri looked behind her and saw Sango and Miroku running out of the forest and towards her. Sango caught her weapon and went to the dog demon.

"Thanks Sango, but I could've taken care of it." Yuri said. Akane and the silver eyed dog demon ran towards the small group after they fought a fourth demon.

"It doesn't hurt to have help." Sango said with a shrug. Yuri smiled.

"I guess not." Yuri said then frowned slightly. "How are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

"Inuyasha is really worried and Kagome's soul is back into her body, so she's human again." Miroku said. Yuri nodded.

"Is anyone hurt?" Yuri asked.

"No, but your hand…" Sango said as she looked at Yuri's bloody hand.

"Don't worry about it." Yuri said nonchalantly.

"But Yuri, the spiritual power in your body is only _starting_ to go away. It's been days since it's been there and your first wounds are only starting to heal." Sango said worriedly.

"I said don't worry about it Sango." Yuri said. "They're probably only after the jewel shards that Kagome carry. But I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

"Oh yeah, the shards." Sango said as she put a finger to her lips. "I forgot about those."

"Isn't that your mission?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah, I guess, but I've been worried lately." Sango said.

"Let's head back to Inuyasha. He's probably getting restless." Miroku said. The group of Miroku, Sango, Yuri, Akane, and the silver eyed two tail dog demon walked towards where they left Inuyasha.

When the group arrived, their bodies were assaulted with heat. They slowly walked up to where the heat came from and saw a ring of fire.

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled out worriedly. Miroku looked on with a disbelieving look.

"Relax guys, it's just Keiko's small fire barrier to keep enemies away from what she's protecting. Don't worry, I'm sure she remember to leave oxygen, she needs to breath too." Yuri said. The two humans sighed out in relief. "Keiko! It's us, put the barrier down!"

Inside the barrier, Keiko, the fire two tail dog demon, heard her former master's command and let the barrier fall and the fire to dissipate. Keiko then ran to Inuyasha and hopped on his shoulder and looked down at her current master in his arms.

"How's Kagome doing?" Yuri asked once she got to where the small group was. Kirara untransformed from her larger size to her smaller one.

"She won't wake up." Inuyasha said quietly. "I'm going to take her back to the hut."

"Yeah, sure." Yuri said as she watched her half brother walk towards the wooden hut in a depressed mood.

"I hope she's okay." Sango said sadly.

"Hey, Yuri," Miroku called.

"Yeah?" Yuri asked then turned around to face whoever called her.

"You know those three options you told us earlier, the ones about how Kagome's condition will be?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, what about them?" Yuri asked skeptically.

"How do we know which one will happen?" Miroku asked again.

"Well, we can officially rule out that her soul won't connect with her body, because it already did. But as for the other two…" Yuri said quietly as she looked towards where Inuyasha walked off.

"What about the other two options?" Sango tried asking once Yuri trailed off.

"We just have to wait." Yuri said.

"But why is she unconscious?" Miroku asked next.

"I don't know." Yuri said truthfully."Myoga probably knows though."

"Yeah," Sango said then thought for a minute. "Wait, where did he go?"

"Probably hiding out with Totosai or something." Yuri said as if it were the most common knowledge. Sango and Miroku shared a short laugh but stopped.

"Let's get going." Miroku suggested. The others followed Yuri as she led the way towards the wooden hut they have occupied for a few days. Kirara hopped up to Sango's shoulder as they walked off.

* * *

Inuyasha busted through the shoji door of the wooden hut, careful of Kagome in his arms. Inuyasha then looked throughout the wooden hut and saw a futon.

"Shippo, can you get that futon for me?" Inuyasha asked the boy on his shoulder.

"Sure." Shippo said as he went to the mat and pulled it out. Shippo stumbled back and landed on his ass. "I'm sorry." Shippo said then tried to grab the matt again. Keiko then jumped down from Inuyasha's shoulder and bit the corner of the futon and dragged it so that it laid out flat.

"Thanks." Inuyasha said quietly as he gently put Kagome's unconscious body on the mat.

"Inuyasha," Yuri said as she entered the door.

"Hmm…" Inuyasha said nonchalantly as he stared at his unconscious mate.

"Did you check if she has any broken bones?" Yuri asked a little nervously. Inuyasha's eyes snapped opened at the realization. Yuri sighed. "I'll do it."

Yuri moved towards Kagome's limp body lying on the straw mat. She kneeled down next to Inuyasha and started to inspect Kagome's body. Yuri moved her hand over Kagome's face, then to her neck while checking Kagome's vitals.

"Her pulse is good." Yuri said to Inuyasha. Inuyasha had relief rush through his body as he visibly relaxed a bit. Yuri continued to run her hand down the side of Kagome's chest. Yuri paused for a moment at the spot. "Two of her ribs are broken." Yuri said worriedly. Inuyasha tensed a bit. Yuri continued her inspection on both sides of Kagome's body and found nothing else wrong.

"Is she going to be okay?" Inuyasha asked, not certain he wants to know the answer.

"She'll be fine." Yuri said with a small smile. "It's just a couple of ribs, they'll heal soon enough." Yuri said as she got up. _'Though what about the two side effects? She's either sick or she's okay.' _Yuri thought sadly as she left the hut.

"Is she okay?" Sango asked once she saw Yuri walk out of the wooden hut.

"Yeah, she just has a couple of broken ribs." Yuri said with a small smile. "Sango, can you help me address her broken bones?"

"Sure." Sango said as she got up. Miroku and Shippo sat outside waiting for the girls to finish up with the bandages.

Inside the hut, Inuyasha stared at Kagome's face as sadness engulfed his features. He watched as her steady breathing become a bit ragged.

'_What's wrong?' _Inuyasha asked himself in his mind as he leaned over Kagome.

"Inuyasha," Yuri called from the door.

"Can you get out of the hut for a moment? We need to address to Kagome's broken bones." Sango said quietly.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said absently as he listened to Kagome's ragged breathing.

"We meant now, Inuyasha. Her bones will heal faster the faster we get the bandage on her to hold the bone in place." Yuri said. Sango and Yuri went over to Inuyasha and lifted him up to his feet then pushed him out the shoji door.

"Thank you." Sango said a bit sarcastically as she and Yuri went inside to wrap bandages around Kagome's torso.

Inuyasha silently walked to where Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, and Akane were. He then sat down on the dirt ground and slipped into a deep thought.

'_Kagome's not breathing well. Please be okay. I can't live without you.' _Inuyasha thought sadly as he stared at the ground.

* * *

-

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! :)**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! I would like feedback if I should actually continue the story or just quit now.**


	33. Sickness and Health

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha… I do own my own made up characters though. **

* * *

**M****E****R****R****Y ****C****H****R****I****S****T****M****A****S****! ****A ****P****R****E****S****E****N****T ****F****R****O****M ****M****E ****T****O ****Y****O****U****! ****N****E****W ****C****H****A****P****T****E****R****!**

* * *

Sickness and Health

Inuyasha silently walked to where Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, and Akane were. He then sat down on the dirt ground and slipped into a deep thought.

'_Kagome's not breathing well. Please be okay. I can't live without you.' _Inuyasha thought sadly as he stared at the ground.

Just then Sango and Yuri walked out of the hut with a sad smile on their face. Yuri stayed by the door of the hut while Sango went over to Inuyasha.

"How is she?" Inuyasha asked instantly.

"Well, her injuries should heal on their own without much help," Sango said as she looked at the hanyou.

"And…?" Inuyasha asked as he looked up at the demon slayer expectantly.

"And… she has a slight fever. Yuri said that it's from her soul and body getting back together." Sango said. Inuyasha tensed up at what Sango said.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Miroku asked since Inuyasha seemed scared of the answer.

"Yeah, she should, but we don't know why she's not waking up." Sango said. "But if her fever gets too high, it can become dangerous." Inuyasha instantly got up and walked passed Yuri and into the wooden hut.

"I have to leave so I can bring my water powered dog demons to a sparkling pond." Yuri said as she pushed off the wooden wall. "You guys going to be okay?"

"Yeah, but why are you going?" Shippo asked as he walked up to the dog demon.

"Well, for water powered two tail dog demons, every year, a sparkling pond appears. The pond would make their power more pure. They don't need it, but it's good to go sometimes." Yuri replied. "But I don't really want to leave Inuyasha alone like this."

"Don't worry about him, Yuri." Miroku said. "We'll take care of him."

"You sure? It doesn't really feel right though." Yuri said as she put her right index finger in her mouth in a worried manner.

"Don't worry too much Yuri, we have it under control. Just think about you and your pack." Sango said. "You've already helped us enough. It's time for you to do something for yourself."

"You sure about this?" Yuri asked again.

"Yes already." Sango said exasperated as she took Yuri's hand and led her away from the hut. "Just go."

"Okay, but if you need me, send one of the other dog demons to get me." Yuri said as she got pulled by Sango.

"Yeah, yeah." Sango said. Yuri whistled for her water powered inu manta demons. Two of the twenty water dog demons transformed into a larger size. "One thing,"

"Yeah?" Yuri asked as she turned to look at her.

"How do you know what ability goes to whom?" Sango asked. Yuri looked confusedly at her. "I mean like, which one transforms, or which one can grow fangs and claws without transformation."

"Oh, well, for the transformation one, it's every ten two tail demon. Transformation is actually really rare. For the others, they usually come out randomly, no one really knows why." Yuri said with a shrug. All of the blue eyed dog demons looked at Sango with curious eyes.

"And their eye color matches their element?" Sango asked.

"They sure do. Red is fire, silver is for air, blue is water, green is for foliage, and it goes on." Yuri said. "If something happens to Kagome's soul, asked the dog demon with almost white eyes. Her name is Naoko; she can look at people's soul and see what's wrong."

"A soul inu manta demon?" Sango asked. "I haven't heard of that before."

"She's a rare kind. But she is strong. You met her; Naoko was the one that told us about the whole fever thing that one day." Yuri said with a sad smile after the thought of that day.

"Oh, okay. Well you should get going, we'll be fine here." Sango said as she rushed the dog demon off.

"Are you sure about me leaving?" Yuri asked.

"Yes, now go." Sango said.

"Alright, I'll see you later then; this might take a few days." Yuri said as she turned around and jumped off then waved back at the group.

"Don't worry about a thing, Yuri." Miroku reassured as he came up to Sango.

"We'll be okay." Sango said as she watched the blue eyes of the water two tail dog demons leave with their master.

"Yes, we'll be okay." Miroku said as his hand slowly crept lower on Sango's back. After a little bit, Sango was startled out of her stupor and jumped forward, away from the touch of the monk's hand.

"Pervert!" Sango yelled as she slapped him. Miroku stood still as a red hand print found itself onto his face. He then laughed nervously as he rubbed his abused cheek.

"My dear Sango, it wasn't my fault. My hand is cursed." Miroku said a bit nervously.

"I doubt that!" Sango yelled as she walked angrily over to the wooden hut. After a bit Miroku followed Sango quickly and put a hand on her shoulder. Sango angrily looked behind her.

"Don't go in there." Miroku said quietly.

"What? Why?" Sango asked.

"Leave Inuyasha be, if only for a little while." Miroku said as he motioned for her to go sit where they were before. Shippo and Kirara were already sitting around a fire that they made with Kirara's help.

"Alright." Sango said after she stared at the hut's shoji door. The couple went over to the fire and sat on the ground. "I wonder where Yuri is taking her water dog demons."

"She said it was a sparkling pond that comes out every once a year." Miroku supplied.

"I wonder where that is though." Sango said as she looked off to the distance.

"Me too. We'll ask later." Miroku said as he also looked off to the distance.

A moment of comfortable silence followed their conversation as they sat still while Shippo and Kirara started playing with the other dog demons.

"Wait, where's Keiko?" Sango asked.

"Oh, she's inside with Inuyasha and Kagome." Miroku said.

"Oh, okay." Sango said. "I hope Kagome's okay."

"Me too." Miroku said as he placed his arm around Sango's shoulder. Sango tensed for a little bit, but relaxed.

"Hey, Miroku…?" Sango asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you…um." Sango stuttered. "Do you still want me as your wife?" Miroku was taken off guard by the question.

"Of course." Miroku said. "You're special to me. You're not like the others, Sango." Sango smiled a bit shyly as she blushed. Sango then leaned her head on Miroku's shoulder and snuggled a bit closer.

"Can you promise me something, then?" Sango asked.

"Sure," Miroku said as he looked down at the girl in his arm.

"Can you… Can you stop flirting?" Sango asked as she lifted her head and looked up at the monk. "Can you promise me that?" Miroku hesitated for a bit.

"Of course." Miroku said as he leaned Sango's head back on his shoulder while he leaned his head on top of hers. "I won't flirt anymore. I promise."

"Good." Sango said as she snuggled back up to Miroku's side.

* * *

Inside the hut, a silver haired male with dog ears and golden eyes stared intently on an unconscious girl with black hair who was laying on a futon. Inuyasha kneeled down next to Kagome as he watched her unmoving form.

"I'm sorry Kagome." Inuyasha said quietly. "I failed to protect you again." A two tail dog with a cream colored coat and purple eyes walked up to the half demon and rubbed her head against his hand that rested at his side. Inuyasha sat back and crossed his legs.

"Woof." Keiko said quietly as she sat in Inuyasha's lap. The half demon then took his hand and placed it on Kagome's forehead. His eyes went wide.

"Damn, her temperature is too high." Inuyasha said as Keiko jumped out of his lap. Inuyasha then went out of the hut and looked around for his friends.

"What is it Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he took his arm away from Sango.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked as she got up.

"It's Kagome; her temperature is getting too high." Inuyasha said frantically. Sango rushed into the hut to her ill friend. Sango quickly put a hand to Kagome's forehead and felt that her temperature was burning up.

"Damn." Sango said quietly as she went out of the hut. "Inuyasha," Sango called.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked when he heard his name.

"Can you get water for me?" Sango asked.

"Sure." With that, Inuyasha rushed to get a bucket and went to a nearby river.

"Miroku, go find Naoko." Sango ordered.

"Sure, but who's Naoko?" Miroku asked.

"She's one of the inu manta demons. She can look at a person's soul." Sango said. "Hurry!"

The group rushed around trying to help the sick priestess who was sitting in the hut, not knowing the commotion going on just outside the shoji door.

Keiko went up to Kagome's head and licked her cheek in affection to her owner. She then curled up against Kagome's shoulder and waited for the others to come while she looked for any changes.

* * *

Yuri ran towards the sparkling pond with her faithful water powered two tail dog demons following her, waiting for a purification of their powers. Water was, after all, a very pure substance, that priest and priestesses can use to heal if they have the energy to draw energy from the water itself.

"Almost there guys." Yuri said with a small smile. The twenty dog demons following her barked in happiness as they got closer and closer to their destination. _'I can't really shake the feeling that something's wrong with the others though.' _Yuri thought to herself.

Just then, a sparkle was seen in the distance. The group of running dog demons looked on with anticipation as they neared. Once the group got there, the water sparkled in the rays of the sun. All of the two tail dog demons dove into the water and were instantly surrounded with a blue glow as they got their purification. Yuri smiled at her pack as she saw happiness in their eyes.

* * *

"How is she, Sango?" Miroku asked as he poked his head into the hut's door.

"Not too good." Sango replied as she looked up at Inuyasha's worried face. Sango took the wet cloth off of Kagome's head and rung it out in the bucket of water that was next to them. Sango then placed the now cold cloth on Kagome's forehead. Kagome's breathing has now become labored and she sweated slightly from the temperature change in her body.

Just then, a two tail dog demon came into the hut and sat next to Kagome's head. The inu manta demon had silver eyes as it stared intently on Kagome's face. Suddenly, its eyes flashed a white color as it looked at Kagome's soul. It then went up to Inuyasha and barked out a few sentences.

"What did she say, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he stepped into the hut with Shippo and Kirara following.

"She said that Kagome's soul is struggling to reconnect with her body." Inuyasha said quietly and emotionlessly. Everyone stayed quiet as their fear came to haunt them.

"Not again," Sango said quietly. "Why does everything happen to her?" Miroku came up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"She's going to be okay." Miroku said. Shippo had tears welling up in his eyes as he walked over to Kagome's motionless body.

"Wake up, Kagome." Shippo said as he shook one of Kagome's shoulders slightly with his two small hands. "Come on, Kagome. Wake up." Tears went down Shippo's face as he shook her shoulder again. Everyone stared sadly at the girl laying on the futon lifelessly.

"She's not dying." Miroku said, trying to make things lighten up. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Her fever is impossibly high and it's going to be my fault _again _for not protecting her when she needs it the most!" Inuyasha yelled as he stood up. "For all we know, Kagome could die right now and we would still be trying to get her fever to cool down. And once it does, we realize it isn't her fever going down, it's her whole damn body temperature!" Everyone stared at Inuyasha with sympathetic eyes. Sango let a tear drop down her face as she stood up and faced Inuyasha.

"It doesn't help to talk like that, Inuyasha." Sango said as she stared at Inuyasha's eyes. Miroku stood up next.

"She's going to be alright." Miroku said next.

"Then why hasn't she woken up yet, huh?!" Inuyasha yelled as his body shook with suppressed emotions.

"Calm down, Inuyasha." Sango said calmly.

"No, my mate is dying right here in front of my eyes and I can't help her!" Inuyasha said loudly. "And if I actually protected her that day, this wouldn't have even happened!"

"That's not true. You did everything you could've." Shippo said after a long silence. "You always do everything you could when it comes to Kagome." Inuyasha stayed quiet, along with everyone else.

"We'll leave you alone for a bit." Miroku said as he pushed Sango and Shippo out the door. Keiko and Kirara soon scampered off towards the other humans and left the half demon to his thoughts.

Once everyone left, Inuyasha bent his head down in such a way his bangs covered his eyes. He then fell to his knees then on his hands as he clenched them into tight fists.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said quietly.

* * *

A small, round object jumped from the ground. Up and down it went as it travelled forward towards the Western territory.

"Phew," Myoga sighed out as he took out his mini canteen filled with blood and took a gulp. "This journey is long indeed." Just then a rustling was heard in a nearby bush. Myoga quickly put away his canteen and looked at what's in the bush. Green eyes shone brightly from the depths of the bush as the creature hopped out and stared at Myoga intently. Myoga sweated in fear as he looked at the small creature, though it was bigger than him.

"Woof." The green eyed dog demon barked playfully as it lay down on its stomach then stretched its right paw out. It started moving its paw up and down, playing with Myoga.

"Now, now, Yuri wouldn't be too happy if you killed me, would she?" Myoga asked the white furred, green eyed, dog demon.

"Woof." The dog demon said before dropping its paw on top Myoga. With a grunt, Myoga was squashed to the ground under the small dog demon's paw.

"Such is the fate of a flea." Myoga strained out under the weight of the paw.

* * *

"It's all my fault. I should've protected you better." Inuyasha said as he sat down near Kagome's head and listened to her breathing that has calmed considerably, though her fever was still high. "I'm so sorry Kagome."

The wooden hut became silent. Not even a breath was heard, though the occupants did breathe. Keiko slowly and quietly walked through the shoji door and walked up to Inuyasha. She climbed onto Inuyasha's lap and started a low growling noise to calm the half demon down. Inuyasha lifted his hand and absently stroked Keiko's fur.

"I'm always failing you, Kagome."

* * *

"_I'm always failing you, Kagome." _

'_What the-…?' _Kagome thought in her mind. _'Where am I?'_ She was surrounded by darkness in every corner of her mind. _'Who said that?' _Kagome looked around frantically.

"Hello!?" Kagome yelled into the darkness. "Is anyone here?" Kagome walked forward. _'Guess not.' _

"_Please wake up, Kagome."_

"Who's there!?" Kagome asked again. _'Wait, wake up? Am I sleeping?' _

"_I love you. I don't want to see you like this anymore." _

"What are you talking about?" Kagome said out loud.

"_Please, just wake up. I'll do anything you want me to, if it means you'll wake up and smile again." _

'_That voice.' _Kagome thought. "Inuyasha?"

* * *

"Please just take me to Master Inuyasha and Lady Kagome." Myoga pleaded to the green eyed two tail dog demon.

"Woof." The dog demon said joyfully as it ran in circles around the small flea demon. Myoga sighed.

'_Children. They're all the same, demon or not.'_ Myoga thought sadly. "Can you please stop? You're making me dizzy." The dog demon stopped and wagged its two tails happily.

"Woof."

"Yes, woof, woof." Myoga said. "Now, if you will, please take me to Master Inuyasha and his Lady." The small and young green eyed dog demon bent down and let Myoga climb on her back. "Thank you."

"Woof." The dog demon said.

"Now, to Master Inuyasha and Lady Kagome." Myoga said. The dog demon then ran towards the wooden hut where the others were located.

Just then a roar was heard. A transformed, brown eyed, two tail dog demon came down in front of the small green eyed dog demon, effectively stopping travel. The larger dog demon roared a question to the smaller pup.

"Woof." The smaller green eyed pup barked out. The larger one rubbed its head against the smaller one.

"_Myoga, huh?" _The larger one asked in the dog language of barking.

"_Yep, he was fun to play with for a while, but he got annoying." _The green eyed dog demon child said.

"_Where are you taking him?" _

"_To Inuyasha and Kagome." _

"_Okay. Go on, pup." _The larger one said as it slightly pushed the smaller green eyed dog demon on using its nose.

"_Okay. Bye!" _The green eyed two tail dog demon said cheerfully as she skipped happily towards the wooden hut occupied by their guests.

'_Finally.' _Myoga sighed in his mind.

* * *

"I wonder how Inuyasha's doing." Shippo said as he stared into the sky.

"We can always go asked." Sango said nonchalantly.

"We should really let him be a lone for a bit." Miroku suggested.

"Mew." Kirara said as she curled up in Sango's lap.

"Hopefully Keiko is some company to him. I don't want him to be alone and be rash about things." Sango said as she looked at the hut.

"Yeah, but you know Inuyasha," Miroku said. The group took and unpredicted silence as they stared at the surrounding forest.

"I wonder where Yuri is." Sango said.

"She probably won't be too much longer." Miroku said next. Just then a green dog demon ran up to Miroku and sat on its hunches in front of him. The group looked confusedly at the two tail dog demon. It then began to scratch its ear with its hind legs. A small black dot came out of the dog demons fur and landed on Miroku's nose.

"Myoga?" Sango asked as she looked at the small flea on Miroku's face. "Thanks little dog demon." Sango said as she petted the green eyed dog demon.

"Woof." It said cheerfully before bouncing off back into the forest.

"What are you doing here?" Miroku asked as he picked the flea off his nose and into his hand.

"Well, I'm here to tell you some information concerning Lady Kagome given to me by Avion." Myoga replied.

"Oh yes, Avion, how is she?" Miroku asked.

"She's weak, but she's hanging in there." Myoga said sadly. "But I have important information concerning Lady Kagome." Myoga said again.

"What about Kagome?" Shippo asked as he walked up to the group who were surrounding Miroku.

"Well, she will be unconscious for a while." Myoga said.

"Oh." The group said in unison.

"Why?" Sango asked.

"Let's go see Master Inuyasha. I don't want to explain it twice." Myoga suggested.

"Sure." Sango said quietly as she got up from her seat and went over to the hut's door. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" Inuyasha said quietly.

"Myoga's here." Sango said. Inuyasha stayed quiet. "Um… He has information concerning Kagome." Inuyasha's head snapped up at the mention of his mate's name.

"Oh," Inuyasha said then looked back down at Kagome's passive face, slightly red from the fever.

"Can we come in? Sango asked. Silence was her answer. Sango signaled everyone to come inside the hut.

"So, what about Kagome, Myoga?" Miroku asked once everyone was situated in the hut.

"Well, since she had two mobile bodies, she has two different memories happening at the same time. By shutting down her body from anymore memories, her mind will sort out each memory and place them in their specific spot in her mind." Myoga explained.

"I see." Miroku said. "So that's why she refuses to wake."

"Yes, that is precisely why." Myoga said.

"Where'd you get that information from?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"Uh, well, Master Inuyasha," Myoga cleared his throat. "I got it from her loyal spiritual bird. Avion." Inuyasha nodded his head once then went back to putting all of his senses towards Kagome.

"Is Yuri still gone?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"Uh, yeah, she said she could be gone for a few days." Sango said. "Are you okay, Inuyasha? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine." Inuyasha said gruffly.

"Okay," Sango said dragging out the word.

* * *

"_No need to be rash, my friend. We are only concerned about you and the well being of Kagome."_

"_We want her to wake up too, but we have to wait. Her memories need to work themselves out."_

"_Come on, I think you need some fresh air."_

'_Miroku? Shippo? Sango?' _Kagome thought in her mind. "Hey! Can you guys hear me!?" Kagome yelled at the top of her lungs. After a while, there was no answer. _'Okay, that didn't work.' _Kagome sighed. "Why am I stuck here?"

"_No, I'm not leaving her! Not again." _

"_But Inuyasha, you're going to get yourself sick." _

"_Half demons don't get sick."_

"_Yes they do. Stop being stubborn."_

"_Kagome wouldn't want you to kill yourself like this." _

Kagome's eyes went wide as she heard the voices that seemed so distant, yet so close and familiar.

'_K-Kill themselves." _Kagome stuttered in her mind.

"_How would you know? Maybe it's better off if I did die! She wouldn't be in so much trouble!"_

"_Inuyasha, that's not true!" _

"_Stop being stupid!"_

"_I'm only telling the truth."_

"_Kagome loves you. Did you get that through your thick skull yet?"_

'_Inuyasha…' _Kagome thought. "I miss you."

* * *

'_I wonder how the others are doing.' _Yuri thought to herself as she watched her water powered dog demons get purified by the water itself. Yuri sat herself against a branch of a tall tree. She then lifted her right hand and inspected her fingers. _'My sibling marks aren't glowing, so the others aren't in trouble.' _

"Woof."

Yuri looked down at a black furred, blue eyed two tail dog demon. Yuri jumped down from her branch on the tree and landed in front of the dog demon.

"Yes?"

"_What is wrong, Master?" _The inu manta demon barked out.

"Just thinking about the others, nothing really. But thanks for worrying." Yuri replied with a small smile and petted her beloved pack mate. "Now go on and finish with the purification." The inu manta demon nodded once and bounded back towards the water with the other nineteen two tail dog demons that control the water.

* * *

"It's been two days," Shippo sighed out boredom.

"Yeah I know." Sango replied then looked over to Kagome, who still lay unmoving on the futon with a blanket over her body.

"Yuri isn't even back yet." Miroku said as he peeked out of the door flap. He then looked back at their half demon friend who still sat and watched over his mate. "Say, Inuyasha, why don't we go bathe." Miroku suggested.

"Yeah, you haven't been out for two days." Sango said.

"Come on, let's go." Shippo said as he went up to the half demon and tugged on his red fire rat kimono sleeve. Inuyasha didn't even move or look their way. He just stared at his still unconscious mate.

"This isn't healthy, Inuyasha." Sango said as she got up and took the hanyou's arm and tugged, hard. "You have to go anyways; I have to change Kagome's bandages."

Inuyasha looked at Sango briefly before reluctantly standing up and walking out of the door way slowly.

"Finally." Shippo said quietly. "Can I stay?"

"Sure, you bathe with us enough." Sango said as she gathered the wrappings for Kagome's broken ribs. She then un-tucked Kagome from the blankets and unwrapped her previous bandages. Sango then began to check the process of Kagome's healing.

"How is she?" Shippo asked.

"Well her rib cage is healing well. It's her fever that she still has that's worrying me." Sango said as she wrapped Kagome in her new bandages. "Can you do me a favor, Shippo?"

"Sure, what is it?" Shippo asked.

"Can you convince Inuyasha to go bathe? He's really not doing well these past couple of days." Sango said.

"Sure, you can count on me." Shippo said as he puffed out his chest and went outside.

"Mew." Kirara said as she went up to Kagome's hand and laid her head on it. Keiko curled herself up next to Kagome's neck as she made a low growling from her throat.

"I know Kirara; I want her to wake up too." Sango said as she sat down from her kneeling position and re-tucked Kagome in her blanket.

* * *

"Let's go to the hot springs, guys, we can all use a good bath." Shippo suggested cheerfully to Miroku and Inuyasha.

"Yes, that's a great idea, Shippo. What do you say, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, knowing full well to play along.

"Hm." Inuyasha said quietly as he sat.

"Come on Inuyasha. Up," Miroku said as he grabbed the half demons arm and hoisted him up. "Let's go." Inuyasha deafly followed, not knowing exactly what he was doing. Shippo looked at Miroku with a worried expression. Miroku just shrugged his shoulders and continue walking towards the springs.

Once the group of boys got to the steaming water, they undressed behind boulders and shrubs and went into the water.

"That feels nice, doesn't it, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked trying to get something out of the half demon.

"Yeah, whatever." Inuyasha mumbled.

"Uh…" Miroku said as he tried to think of something to say. "Yuri was nice to let us stay here for so long."

"I've stayed here for some of my childhood. She's always been like that." Inuyasha said as he soaked in the water.

"Okay," Miroku said as he dragged the word a little. "Want to tell us what's with this depression?" Inuyasha stayed silent to the question.

"I guess not." Shippo said as he looked into the water.

All of a sudden, loud howling noises were coming from all directions of Yuri's territory. Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo stood up as they heard all of the howling from all of the inu manta demons.

"What's this all about?" Miroku asked.

"The inu manta demons are howling." Inuyasha said as he slowly sat back down.

"Why?" Shippo asked.

"It almost seems like they're happy." Miroku said as he followed Inuyasha by sitting down as well.

"They are happy, Miroku." Inuyasha said as he slipped back into his blank stupor of sulking over Kagome.

"What are they happy about?" Shippo asked.

"Yuri's back with the other two tail dog demons." Inuyasha said.

"Oh that's good." Miroku said then noticed how Inuyasha didn't sound like himself. "Inuyasha, Kagome _is _going to get better. Ever since I've known her, she is one persistent girl."

"How so?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, remember when I was about to suck you up in my Wind Tunnel?" Miroku asked rhetorically. Inuyasha nodded. "Well, she wanted to find a way to save you. She found ways, and strategies."

"All she did was jump towards you and hope you closed the damn thing." Inuyasha said.

"No, she watched her surroundings and figured out that I didn't kill humans. She wanted to save you so bad; she'd risk everything to do it." Miroku said. "And every time we're in battle, she never gives into anything. Even that time she was under Tsubaki's dark spell, and she found a way out and got Tsubaki to back down." (Episode 60-63)

"Yeah, and the time in Togenkyo!" Shippo piped up. "When we were trapped in that box, she found a way out. Then she was trying to get to you but got caught before she could do anything." (Episode 57-58)

"Yeah and the time when you transformed for the first time, she didn't stop her approach towards you even if you killed her." Miroku said. (Episode 42-43)

"Okay stop!" Inuyasha yelled then cracked an almost invisible smile. "I get it, she is a persistent wench." Inuyasha said.

"There's the Inuyasha we know." Shippo said with a large smile on his face.

"Let's go meet up with Yuri and ask her about her travels, shall we?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he got out and started putting on his fire rat kimono.

* * *

Sango heard howling from outside of the hut. She, along with Keiko and Kirara, walked out of the hut and found that all of the inu manta demons were rushing towards one general direction.

"Hmm…" Sango said as she walked out of the hut and followed the dog demons. Keiko and Kirara followed also, curious as to what was going on. Just then they saw a person getting ambushed by the dog demons.

"Okay, guys, it's only been a few days." Said a laughing voice from inside the cluster.

"Welcome back Yuri." Sango said as she walked over to the dog demon.

"Hey Sango." Yuri said. "Okay, guys, you can get down now. I missed you too." With that command said, all of the dog demons climbed down and off Yuri. She brushed herself off. "How are things here?"

"Not too well." Sango said sadly.

"What happened?" Yuri asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Kagome hasn't woken up and Inuyasha became a little depressed." Sango said.

"Do you know why she hasn't woken up?" Yuri asked as she fixed up her black hair a little bit.

"Myoga came a couple days ago and said that her mind needs to work out all the memories since she has two memories for the exact same time." Sango explained.

"That makes sense." Yuri said. "How about the fever?"

"It's still there." Sango said sadly.

"Really?" Yuri asked. "But it's been two days."

"I know." Sango said.

"Welcome back Yuri." Said a voice from a distance. Yuri and Sango looked to their side and saw Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippo on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Thank Miroku." Yuri said. "How are you guys doing?"

"We've been better." Miroku said honestly. Yuri smiled sadly.

"Well, what do you say we go and check up on our little trouble maker?" Yuri asked trying to get a better reaction.

"Yeah, let's go." Inuyasha said. Yuri looked at him strangely.

'_He's definitely not himself. He sounds too sad to be my gruff half brother.' _Yuri thought as she made her way towards the wooden hut.

Once the group made it to the hut, Yuri entered first but stopped suddenly, making the people behind her run into her back.

"Hey, what gives?" Inuyasha asked.

"She's…" Yuri tried to say.

"She's what?" Sango asked as she pushed her way into the hut. Once she was inside, she got wide eyed. "Oh… crap." By this time Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo pushed their way in.

"Sango! Why weren't you watching her!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"I left her side for one minute and now she's…!" Sango started to yell.

"But that's impossible." Miroku said.

"How is it impossible that Kagome is not in her bed?!" Inuyasha yelled as he turned to face the monk.

* * *

-

* * *

**LOL, did I trick you with something? ;) **

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**TELL ME HOW YOU THINK SO FAR INTO THIS STORY! :D**


	34. Tell Me

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Tell Me

Once the group made it to the hut, Yuri entered first but stopped suddenly, making the people behind her run into her back.

"Hey, what gives?" Inuyasha asked.

"She's…" Yuri tried to say.

"She's what?" Sango asked as she pushed her way into the hut. Once she was inside, she got wide eyed. "Oh… crap." By this time Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo pushed their way in.

"Sango! Why weren't you watching her!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"I left her side for one minute and now she's…!" Sango started to yell.

"But that's impossible." Miroku said.

"How is it impossible that Kagome is not in her bed?!" Inuyasha yelled as he turned to face the monk. Everyone looked at each other in confusion and shock.

"Wait, why don't you just scent her out?" Shippo asked. Something in Inuyasha's head clicks as he started sniffing the hut.

"Well?" Sango asked. Inuyasha followed a trail outside of the hut but stopped a few feet in front of the hut. "Why'd you stop?"

"The scent stopped." Inuyasha said sadly.

"How can it just stop?" Miroku asked.

"Whoever took her must've flown off somewhere." Shippo said. Yuri looked on at the scene with an emotionless face.

"Hey, guys." Yuri said as she looked around the clearing and forest.

"Do you smell another scent?" Miroku asked Inuyasha.

"Guys…" Yuri said again trying to get the others attention.

"No," Inuyasha said as he turned his nose up in the air and sniffed the air again.

"Guys!" Yuri said loudly. The others finally turned their heads towards the call. Yuri rolled her eyes a bit. "You know, if you stopped worrying, this little 'mystery' is pretty easy to clear up."

"What?" Inuyasha growled out a bit.

"Don't growl at me, I know you're worried, but you're missing the obvious." Yuri said as she crossed her arms.

"Care to tell us, Yuri?" Miroku asked as he looked from the hut to the surrounding forest.

"Let's see if you can figure it out first." Yuri said with a small smile.

"Yuri," Inuyasha growled as he took the collar of Yuri's red and black outfit in his hands. "Tell me where my mate is."

"Calm down, Inuyasha." Sango tried to reason. "It's obvious that Yuri knows what happens and she isn't doing anything rash, so Kagome _must _be safe."

"Let her go, Inuyasha." Miroku said. Yuri uncrossed her arms and gently placed her hands over Inuyasha's and made him let go of her collar.

"Just relax Inuyasha." Yuri said as she put his arms and hands at his side. "She's fine."

"Where is she?" Inuyasha asked as he calmed down a bit.

"I'm going to teach you a little lesson here, Inuyasha." Yuri said as she walked behind him a little bit and re-crossed her arms. "Go back into the hut and scent it out."

Inuyasha glared at his sister as she had her back towards him. He then crossed his arms and looked towards the hut.

"Keh, why should I do that?" Inuyasha asked. "Just tell me, damn it!"

"You're missing the obvious, my dear brother." Yuri said as she looked towards him. "And stop glaring at me and let me teach you. You're not getting anywhere."

"Feh. Fine." Inuyasha said then stomped his way back into the hut. _'As long as Kagome's safe in Yuri's eyes.' _

"Now scent the air." Yuri said from outside. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, and Keiko looked at Yuri curiously with their heads tilted slightly to the side.

"Now what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Follow your nose and instincts." Yuri said with a slight shrug. Inuyasha rolled his eyes from inside the hut.

"Okay, I smell Kagome's scent and all of ours, but that's all." Inuyasha said.

"Okay," Yuri said. "Step out." Inuyasha obeyed his older sister and came out of the hut then gave an angry confused look towards her. "Do I have to tell you everything?"

"Well I don't know what you're trying to make me do or learn." Inuyasha said with a scowl.

"Oh boy." Yuri said with a shake of her head. "Okay, so the scents tell you…. What?"

"Tell me that Kagome was there until she disappeared and we were in there not too long ago." Inuyasha replied.

"Okay, good. Now, what does that tell you about Kagome's disappearance?" Yuri asked a little more specifically.

"Um…" Inuyasha thought for a moment. "No one kidnapped her…?"

"Good," Yuri said. "And that means…?"

"That she got up and walked out on her own." Miroku supplied.

"Thank you." Yuri said exasperated.

"But what if there was a demon that masked its scent and presence?" Sango asked.

"Then Naoko would've sensed it. She senses the insensible." Yuri explained.

"Then how come her scent disappeared at this spot?" Inuyasha asked getting more irritated by the fact that he didn't know where his girl was.

"Well, Inuyasha, what happens when a person jumps in the air?" Yuri asked.

"The scent disappears from the ground…" Inuyasha said with a tone of obviousness.

"Oh god…" Yuri said as she slapped her hand on her forehead.

"Inuyasha, you were sniffing the ground." Miroku supplied for the half demon.

"And the scent disappeared." Sango said next.

"Think about it." Shippo said, finally catching on.

"Stop worrying for a bit and think of the obvious Inuyasha." Yuri said as she walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She jumped." Inuyasha said finally.

"Finally, you caught on." Yuri said.

"Then where is she?" Inuyasha asked.

"Where is who?" A voice said from behind the group.

The group turned around and saw a girl with black hair, a white outfit, and a red apple in her hand. The girl sat on top of the hut's roof top.

"Kagome!" The group yelled happily.

"Hi." Kagome said with a smile as she bit into her apple.

"Get down from their Kagome." Inuyasha yelled up to her. Kagome shrugged her shoulder and jumped down then landed in the middle of the group.

"What's up?" Kagome asked as she landed.

"Kagome!" Sango and Shippo yelled as they launched themselves at the miko.

"Hey," Kagome said before she grunted as her body impacted with the ground.

"We missed you! We were so worried!" Shippo cried as he buried himself into Kagome's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're awake." Sango said as she got off of Kagome's body.

"Yeah, me too." Kagome said with a smile as she sat up with Shippo still on her shoulder. Shippo then climbed down from Kagome and stood on the ground with a few stray tears smudged on his face. Kagome smiled down at him and ruffled his hair a bit.

"How did you get up there, Kagome? You don't have your spiritual powers." Miroku asked.

"I just used my demon slaying training. And a little bit of the spiritual power that was left in my weapons." Kagome said with a shrug.

A clawed hand was outstretched towards the priestess as she sat on the floor. Kagome looked at the clawed hand then up the arm it was connected to and then saw Inuyasha's face. Kagome smiled and took the offered hand.

"Hey," Inuyasha said quietly as he hoisted the girl up to a standing position.

"Hi." Kagome said as she stood in front of the half demon.

"Let's leave these two love birds to their own thing, shall we?" Yuri said as she rushed everyone out of the small clearing.

"Yeah, we wouldn't want to witness those two havin-" Miroku started to say but was cut off when Hiraikotsu banged itself onto his head.

"Pervert." Sango said as she grabbed his ear and dragged him away. Soon the only ones left were Inuyasha and Kagome standing.

"So, how've you been?" Kagome asked after a pregnant pause.

"Come on." Inuyasha said as he lifted Kagome up bridal style. Kagome quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, while still holding the half eaten apple in her hand.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked as they started heading towards the middle of the forest.

"Away from here. The others decided to stay only a few yards off. But they made sure it was downwind, but I can still sense them." Inuyasha said as he kept running.

"You know, I can run." Kagome said. Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms and smiled.

"I don't want you to. Not now anyways." Inuyasha said as he made it to a running river. Inuyasha sat Kagome down against a tree trunk as he sat next to her.

"Okay, why'd you bring me here?" Kagome asked as she bit into her apple. Inuyasha leaned sideways and hugged her with one arm around her back and the other around her front. "Inuyasha?"

"I missed you." Inuyasha said quietly.

"I missed you too." Kagome said as she hugged him back. "But didn't you have me around?" Inuyasha let go of the embrace and looked at her quizzically.

"What do you mean?"

"Wasn't my body alive and moving?" Kagome asked as she took another bite. "Sorry about eating while we talk, I'm just really hungry."

"Yeah, you're body was moving, but I missed you anyways." Inuyasha said as he put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about eating. I don't mind."

Kagome smiled at his confessions. She scooted closer to his body and kissed him on the cheek that was closest to her.

"I love you." Kagome said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too." Inuyasha said as he took her hand and interlaced their fingers. The couple sat in a comfortable silence as Kagome finished up her first morsel of food in two days. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha said suddenly. Kagome looked up at his face with confusion written in her eyes.

"Sorry? For what?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha bent his head down.

"For not protecting you again." Inuyasha said as he tightened his hold on the girl.

"Don't be sorry. You didn't know what Kikyo was going to do." Kagome said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Please don't blame yourself."

"But Kagome," Inuyasha started but was stopped when a pair of lips were on his.

"Don't worry about it." Kagome said once she broke the kiss. "I'll always love you." Inuyasha brought Kagome to his lap and sat her down.

"You're not mad?" Inuyasha asked.

"Of course not. Why would I be?" Kagome asked as she leaned her head on his chest.

"I let you down by letting you be cursed with another spell." Inuyasha said. "I promise to protect you with my very own life." Kagome looked up to his face and saw sincerity. Kagome's features softened as she looked at his face.

"But if you die, I will too, in battle or not. I can't live without you." Kagome said.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said as he encircled Kagome in his arms tightly. "I don't want you to fight anymore. I'll protect you."

"No!" Kagome said as she shook her head vigorously.

"I knew you would say that." Inuyasha said softly as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"No! I'm not letting you fight alone!" Kagome said as her eyes pricked with oncoming tears. "I won't let you." A tear slipped down Kagome's cheek.

"I love you Kagome, but you keep getting hurt." Inuyasha said as he wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb.

"It doesn't matter to me!" Kagome said as she struggled with her voice. "I'm not going to let you fight alone. You can't make me stop fighting alongside you."

"I know I can't." Inuyasha said as he kissed the tip of her nose. "I just hate seeing you hurt. Those past couple days were hell to me. Just watching."

"I don't like seeing you hurt either, and it isn't any easier for me to watch you in pain." Kagome said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Please don't make me choose between fighting with you and being with you. Please. I want to help protect you too." Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's small waist.

"Okay, okay." Inuyasha relented. "Don't cry, Kagome. I won't make you choose."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, I promise. We'll stick together." Inuyasha said as he pushed her slightly to see her face. "I love you." Kagome smiled and kissed him passionately for the first time in over a week.

* * *

"Shoot, they moved." Miroku groaned as he saw Inuyasha carry Kagome away to a different spot.

"I told you that even when we're downwind he'd notice sometime." Yuri said nonchalantly as she looked at her claws.

"We shouldn't even bother them, Miroku. They just got reunited." Sango said as she sat down and started playing with Kirara.

"Just leave them alone." Shippo said as he and Keiko ran around in circles around a tree.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Miroku sighed out as he went over to a random tree and sat down against it.

The afternoon sun slowly dropped down across the horizon as the day began to end. Orange and red rays of light flashed in no particular place.

"I'm going to go feed my pack. You guys want dinner?" Yuri asked as she stood and jumped down from her branch.

"I'll help you Yuri." Sango said as she got up and walked over to the dog demon.

"I'll wait until Inuyasha and Kagome come back. They might get a bit confused when they see no one here." Miroku said as he got up and went over to the wooden hut. Shippo followed Miroku while Kirara and Keiko followed the girls.

* * *

"So, where have you been this whole time?" Inuyasha asked as Kagome sat in Inuyasha's lap, watching the sunset.

"Well, I've been in the Eastern Territory." Kagome said. "Apparently I was transported there into my new body and then I kind of wandered off into a direction and got lost in the mountains."

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked as she looked up at him.

"Myoga and some two tail dog demons reported back and said that your blood was on the canyon wall. Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Koga takes really good care of his wolves." Kagome said without thinking.

"You went with Koga!?" Inuyasha asked angrily.

"Relax Inuyasha. You know I love you more than anything." Kagome said as she kissed his cheek. Inuyasha blushed slightly at the comment as he held onto her tighter.

"Good, because I would die for you." Inuyasha said softly as he rested his head on her shoulder. Kagome put her hands over his arms that were encircled around her middle.

"The others might be worried, but I don't want to get up." Kagome said as she snuggled closer into Inuyasha.

"Maybe we should go before they look for us." Inuyasha said.

"Okay." Kagome sighed out. She sat up and stood up first before she put both hands out to help Inuyasha up. Inuyasha took the offered hands but didn't use their support. Inuyasha started walking with Kagome next to him, until he decided to stop. "What's wrong?"

"Come here for a second." Inuyasha said. Kagome obeyed and walked the few feet that they were apart. Inuyasha put his hand on Kagome's forehead then put one on his own. Inuyasha sighed with relief. "Thank god."

"What?" Kagome asked as she watched his hands fall to his side.

"When you were unconscious, you had a really high temperature. I'm just checking that it's gone." Inuyasha said with a shrug. Kagome hugged his waist suddenly.

"Thanks for worrying, but I'm okay." Kagome said when she let go.

"I'm your mate; of course I'm going to worry." Inuyasha said as he took her right arm. "There's a mark to prove that." He then pushed the fore arm binding away and looked at the teeth mark at Kagome's wrist.

"You have a mark too, you know." Kagome said as she laughed a bit. Inuyasha smiled. "You know, it was really weird when I was unconscious."

"How so?" Inuyasha asked as they started walking back towards the others.

"It was like I was in pitch darkness, but I heard everything around me. Voices, noises, everything, I just couldn't see them." Kagome explained as she looked ahead of her. Inuyasha then looked down at his mate with interest.

"You could hear us?"

"Yeah, you said a few things that were really sweet." Kagome said as she laced her fingers with his. Inuyasha blushed as he thought about what he had said. Kagome laughed at his expense lightly.

"Keh." Inuyasha said half heartedly. Kagome continued giggling.

* * *

Sango and Yuri walked into the wooden hut after feeding the many two tail dog demons and brought with them a few vegetables with them to make some stew. Keiko and Kirara walked into the hut with a few fish in a basket.

"Hey guys," Sango said cheerfully as she sat down and started pinning a few fish onto sticks.

"Hi," Kagome answered back as she fiddled with her hand.

"Is something wrong, Kagome?" Miroku asked as he noticed her fiddling.

"Oh, nothing." Kagome lied.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Inuyasha asked as he took her hand and inspected it. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"Oh I know." Kagome said as she took her hand back.

"Then what's bothering you?" Yuri asked as she stopped making their dinner stew and turned towards the miko.

"I just feel weird without my spiritual power coursing through my blood, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Kagome said with a shrug.

"Oh that's right. We have to give those back to you." Yuri said thoughtfully as she placed a finger in the corner of her lips.

"Don't worry about it guys. I'll get them back later." Kagome said.

"Well you're not going alone." Sango said as she continued making dinner.

"Yeah," Shippo piped up. "We'll go with you."

"Besides, you don't even know where your powers are, let alone Avion." Yuri said jokingly.

"Okay, I guess you're right." Kagome said with a smile. "I hope Avion's okay."

"Last time I checked, she was fine." Yuri said as she continued with the stew. "They're at Totosai's by the way."

"Alright." Kagome said. "I'll trust that."

"Hey, are you saying you don't trust me, 'sister'?" Yuri mocked a little.

"I don't know." Kagome said with a slight chuckle.

"Well she's your sister now, get used to it." Inuyasha said as he watched the fish cook.

"Sesshomaru's your brother, and you hate him." Kagome replied smartly.

"Keh. That's because Sesshomaru's a bastard." Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"Right, Inuyasha. Right." Yuri said sarcastically.

"Let's have dinner, shall we?" Sango butted in.

"Keh." Inuyasha grumbled as he grabbed a fish on a stick. Kagome rolled her eyes playfully before grabbing a fish for herself.

"Now, now, Inuyasha. We all know you dislike your brother extremely," Miroku said as he took some stew. "But there is no need to dwell on him if he hasn't done anything yet."

"Shut up, monk." Inuyasha grumbled when his mouth was full. Kagome sighed.

"I need to get home." Kagome said suddenly.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, because I haven't seen my family in a while." Kagome said.

"Keh, you're not going home." Inuyasha said. Everyone looked at Inuyasha as if he were crazy.

"What do you mean 'I'm not going home'?" Kagome asked as she stopped eating her dinner.

"I mean exactly that. You're not going home. We have Naraku to track down and jewel shards. We already wasted enough time looking for your sorry ass and waiting for your soul to reconnect with your body." Inuyasha said as if it were obvious. Kagome had her mouth open slightly in shock as to what her own _mate _was saying to her.

"Excuse me?" Kagome said as her anger was bubbling inside her.

"Tomorrow, we're looking for Naraku and the jewel shards." Inuyasha said. The others looked at each other then back to the arguing couple.

"Well," Kagome said as she placed her empty stick near the fire and stood up. "I'm sorry I'm such a pain in your side." Kagome walked out of the hut with her bangs covering her eyes. "Keiko."

Keiko got up from her seat and followed her master out the door. Kagome kept walking deeper into the forest with Keiko following shortly behind.

"Woof." Keiko said as she came up to Kagome's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm leaving for the night." Kagome said as she kept walking. "Let's go get Avion, shall we?"

"Woof." Keiko said as she jumped off of Kagome's shoulder and ran towards the volcanic cave. Kagome, using the last remnants of her spiritual power from her weapons, used the power to get herself to Totosai's cave at demon speed.

* * *

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled as she watched Kagome walk out.

"What did you do that for?! All she wanted to do is go home!" Yuri yelled then thought about it. "Wherever that is." Yuri said quietly. Everyone tensed a bit after hearing that.

"I think you should've let her go." Shippo said. Sango stood up and went outside to look for her friend.

"With no thanks to you, Kagome is injured and she's out there somewhere in an evil infested world." Sango said before she bolted into the forest with Kirara following.

"She ain't going anywhere." Inuyasha said as he finished his stew.

"I'm not too sure about that, Inuyasha. She left once." Miroku reminded. "But now she has training." Inuyasha's eyes twitched.

"What's your problem with her going home, anyways?" Shippo asked.

'_I just got her back.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked towards the door.

"Don't you think you should go after her?" Shippo said.

"Yeah, Inuyasha. She is your mate." Yuri said as she looked out to the forest. Sango came back fuming mad.

"Well, are you happy now?" Sango asked rhetorically. "She's gone."

"What!?" Inuyasha said loudly as he stood up.

"She's gone. G-O-N-E GONE!" Sango yelled.

"Are you sure, Sango?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, I even had Kirara fly all over the forest." Sango said. "She must've used the last remaining spiritual power to bounce right out of here."

"Damn it." Inuyasha said as he walked out to the front of the hut.

"Are you happy now, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"I don't even know what I said that got her so ticked." Inuyasha said as he looked into the forest.

"Well, you basically told her that all you want her here with us is to look for the jewel shards and help with finding Naraku." Miroku said.

"You basically told her you mated her just to get her to stay, as well." Yuri said.

"And on top of that, her ribs aren't fully healed yet." Sango added. Inuyasha's face dropped with sweat.

"Fine, I'll find the wench." Inuyasha said as he followed his mate's scent.

* * *

Kagome sighed as she ran low on spiritual power to use. Kagome then began to stop her rapid running and ran at a normal human pace.

"Sorry, Keiko, I'm almost of spiritual power." Kagome said to her inu manta demon. Keiko climbed up to Kagome's shoulder and sat down then started to rub her head against Kagome's neck. "Thanks."

Kagome kept running at human speed for as long as she can. She then came upon a great mountain with smoke coming out of the top

'_Good thing I saved some spiritual power, or else I couldn't get in.' _Kagome thought as she started climbing the hug mountain with Keiko trailing in front of her. After what seems like hours of climbing, the sky turned pitch black while stairs shone through its black blanket. Kagome finally made it up the mountain with a few scratches to her body. She then proceeded to use her spiritual power to stop the intense heat that would repel a human but the heat was low enough so only demons or half demons were able to enter.

"Is someone there?" A strained voice said from inside a cave.

"Just me, Kagome! I'm here to get my spiritual power back along with Avion." Kagome said back.

"Oh, Kagome. You are back." Totosai said from inside the cave. At that moment Kagome felt a liquid hit her head and a few drops on her arm. She looked up at the night sky and saw that rain has started to fall.

"Can I come in? Rain is starting to fall." Kagome asked.

"Sure, come on in." Totosai said. Kagome entered the cave with Keiko on her shoulder. Keiko then jumped down and went towards a table.

"Keiko," Kagome called. "Where are you going?"

"Woof." Keiko said as she met up with their old friend.

"Avion." Kagome said happily as she went over to her spiritual bird and petted her slightly. "I'm so sorry for not recharging you."Avion smiled back.

"Don't worry about it, I'm okay." Avion said as she flashed a dull color.

"I'm going to fix you up, right now." Kagome said confidently then she looked around. "Where are my spiritual powers, by the way?"

"In that ceramic pot near the bird." Totosai said coming into view from the depths of the volcanic cave he called home. "To get them back, all you have to do is open the pot and stick your hand inside it." Kagome looked confusedly at the old demon but opened the pot's lid and stuck her hand in. Kagome let out a startled gasp as the energy rushed inside her body.

Kagome started sparking with spiritual energy as it coursed through her veins. She stood stark still as the power settled back into her body painfully.

"Ow," Kagome groaned as the spiritual power relented its shocking aspect and settled into her blood. "That hurt."

"Yes, I imagine." A voice said from the table that housed Avion and Keiko. Kagome looked down and saw Myoga.

"Myoga," Kagome said as she looked at the flea.

"Woof woof." Keiko barked out a sentence.

"What?" Myoga asked.

"She asked why you keep coming and disappearing." Avion supplied.

"Oh, well…" Myoga said nervously. Kagome looked at Myoga with a stern look.

"I have a feeling you always leave when things don't look too good and Inuyasha lashes his anger out at you." Kagome said.

"Uh… well… Lady Kagome…" Myoga stuttered.

"That's what I thought." Kagome said as she started to hear heavy water hitting the dry ground. Kagome looked outside and saw that the sky was pouring water. "I guess I'll have to get back to the others tomorrow then." She said quietly to herself.

"You came here alone?" Totosai asked as he sat down against a wall and began picking at his ear.

"Yeah, I guess." Kagome said a bit sadly. "Inuyasha and I had a fight again."

"You do plan to go back this time, right?" Myoga asked. Kagome whipped her head towards the flea demon.

"Of course I do!" Kagome said loudly then lowered her voice. "I just came here to get my spiritual powers and Avion back."

"Okay," Myoga said a bit scared of Kagome's temper.

"Sorry Myoga, Inuyasha got me agitated." Kagome said as she petted Avion. Her hand started to glow a pink color.

"That is quite okay, Lady Kagome." Myoga said as he watched Kagome's hand glow and Avion's body became a clearer pink color. "May I ask what you are doing?"

"Oh, I'm recharging Avion with spiritual power, that's all." Kagome said nonchalantly as her eyes flashed a pink color. "There, all done."

Avion slowly started to stand up from her slouching position and shook her whole body. Avion then stretched out her wings and started to fly up.

"Thank you, Kagome." Avion said as she landed back on Kagome's shoulder.

"You're welcome." Kagome said as she unconsciously put her hand up to her rib cage.

"Something wrong?" Myoga asked as he heard a snore from across the cave space.

"No, it's fine. I just injured my rib cage, that's all." Kagome said as she looked behind her and saw Totosai snoozing away.

"Are you sure, Lady Kagome?" Myoga asked.

"Yeah, it must hurt." Avion said worriedly.

"Don't worry about it." Kagome said with a wave of her hand then looked outside. "Looks like I can't get back to the others tonight. Do you mind if I stay here for the night?"

"Not at all," Myoga said.

"Thanks Myoga." Kagome said as she sat on the ground and leaned her back against a nearby wall.

"Good night, Lady Kagome." Myoga said.

"Good night, Myoga." Kagome said as Keiko curled up in her lap and Avion curled up next to her. She fell asleep soundly once she closed her eyes then drifted off into a dreamland.

* * *

'_Damn that wench. Running off like that.' _Inuyasha thought as he ran through the forest. Suddenly his face got whipped with water as he ran. _'Damn rain.' _He kept running in a straight line until he lifted up his nose and sniffed the air again. _'Shit, the rain's washing away Kagome's scent.'_

Inuyasha ran as fast as he could while it was still faintly in the air. He skidded to a stop when the scent took a turn to the right then disappeared.

"Damn it all!" Inuyasha yelled to no one in particular.

* * *

"I hope Inuyasha finds her." Sango grumbled. Yuri went to the door of the hut and looked up into the sky and smelt the air.

"Rain." Yuri said.

"Rain?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, it's going to rain and Kagome's scent will be washed away." Yuri said while still looking up into the sky.

"What about Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"Akane," Yuri called to her faithful pack mate. Akane walked over to her master and awaited her commands. "Follow Inuyasha before the rain falls and bring him back before he does anything rash."

"Woof." Akane said as she transformed and followed the half demons scent.

"I'm going to go put my pack into the extra wooden huts they use for the night." Yuri said as she started walking away. "You guys need anything?"

"No, we're good here." Miroku said.

"Okay." With that, Yuri went off to go help her pack mates set up for the rainy night.

"I hope they're okay." Sango said worriedly. Miroku put an arm around Sango's shoulder as she blushed at the contact.

"I'm sure they're fine, Sango. They are both strong enough to handle themselves." Miroku said reassuringly as they heard the loud droplets of water hitting against the wooden roof of the hut.

"I hope you're right, Miroku." Sango said. Shippo curled himself next to Kirara in a corner and started to fall asleep.

"Do you trust them, Sango?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, of course." Sango said instantly.

"Then they're fine." Miroku said reassuringly. Sango nodded and waited until their friends came back.

* * *

"Damn it Kagome, where did you go?" Inuyasha asked into the surrounding forest as he got soaked from the rain. Inuyasha kept running through the wet foliage and slipped on a few patches of wet grass. "Please come back. Please come back from wherever you went to."

* * *

Akane flew through the forest in her transformed state and zig zagged her way through trees and bushes. She followed a red blur for some time now, making sure it didn't get itself into trouble.

All of a sudden, the red blur stopped and talked to no one in particular. Akane snuck her way towards the unsuspecting half demon and flew towards him. She swept him off his feet and onto her back.

"What the hell?!" Inuyasha yelled as he looked down at the two tail do demon. "Akane, what are you doing?"

"Woof." Akane growled out.

"What do you mean Yuri sent you to follow me?" Inuyasha asked.

"_She wanted to make sure you were okay while she tended to the others while the storm is brewing." _Akane barked out.

"I see. Well, do you know where Kagome is?"

"_Why would I? You're the one that got her mad, and the rain is the thing that washed away her scent." _

"I guess you're right." Inuyasha sighed. "Want to help me look?"

"_In the rain?" _Akane barked.

"I guess you're mad at me too, huh?" Inuyasha asked as his ears drooped in sadness.

"_Sure, I'll help. She is our new 'sister'" _Akane said as she flew higher into the sky. _"So, Inuyasha, tell me where she went." _

"I don't know where she went." Inuyasha said.

"_Oh boy. Come on, I have an idea." _Akane said as she flew towards a volcanic mountain.

"Totosai's place?" Inuyasha asked. "Duh, her powers are there." Inuyasha mentally slapped himself. Akane just growled at his stupidity and kept flying towards the cave.

Once the two got there Akane roared so the occupants inside would know someone's outside. They were greeted by Avion as she flew out of the cave.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Avion asked.

"I'm here to get Kagome back." Inuyasha said as if it were obvious. He then started marching inside the cave.

"Oh boy." Avion said. Akane did a low bark to agree with the spiritual bird.

Inside the cave, Inuyasha entered and found Kagome leaning against a wall, fast asleep. He went over and shook her awake.

"Kagome." Inuyasha said. Kagome slowly opened her eyes to see a soaked Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha? What are you doing here?" Kagome asked sleepily.

"I… I was worried about you." Inuyasha said.

"Well I can take care of myself." Kagome said as she looked away.

"Okay," Inuyasha said as he sat down next to the priestess "I'm sorry, I'll let you go home."

"Humph. Yeah, well you only use me for jewel collecting anyways, so what's the point?" Kagome said with annoyance.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean it to come out that way." Inuyasha said.

"Yeah, well, why don't you just do things without me? You waste your time saving my sorry ass anyways." Kagome said.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. Tell me what I can do to make it up to you." Inuyasha tried. Kagome stayed silent.

"Show me that you didn't mean it." Kagome said.

"I don't! I swear on my life that I didn't mean it!" Inuyasha said loudly emphasizing his point.

"And tell me if you still have that weird surprise back at the village."

"Surprise?" Inuyasha asked. "Oh, that surprise." (In chapter "Surprise, Surprise")

"What is it?"

"You'll see that I really love you. I really do and I didn't mean to hurt you." Inuyasha said as he put his arm around his mate.

"Are you lying?"

"NO! I'm not, Kagome!" Inuyasha said as he hugged her tightly. "I'm not."

"Then why'd you say it?" Kagome asked.

"Because, I didn't want you to leave me again. You were sent away and I couldn't find you. I just want you near me." Inuyasha said as he hugged her closer, getting her wet in the process.

"So, do you want to tell me what the surprise is?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha looked down at her.

"No." Inuyasha said as he smiled slightly.

"Please?" Kagome asked.

"It's a surprise."

"Will it make me forgive you?" Kagome said jokingly, though she already forgave him.

"Hopefully." Inuyasha said as he hugged her in the volcanic cave.

* * *

*

* * *

**Yeah, I didn't like this chapter so feel free to give it an insult.**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! :)**

**SORRY IF THIS WAS A HORRIBLE CHAPTER! **

**Please keep reading, I promise I'll do better! **


	35. Telling Mom

**Disclaimer: Like many, I do not own Inuyasha & co. **

* * *

Telling Mom

The next morning, Inuyasha woke up first to the rays of the sun hitting his eyes. He looked around and saw Kagome leaning up against him with a soft smile playing on her lips. Avion and Keiko were cuddled up next to Kagome's legs while Totosai and Myoga were lounging on the wooden table the old man uses for a bed.

Inuyasha looked down at the still sleeping girl at his side with a happy smile surfacing on his lips. He leaned down and kissed Kagome on the top of her head as he slowly pushed Kagome's weight off of him and leaned her on the ground to continue sleeping. Once getting untangled, Inuyasha stood up and walked outside to greet the chilly morning air. He stretched some tight muscles and raised his hands high in the air.

'_That feels nice.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at the bright sun. _'Maybe today we'll start to head back.' _The half demon then felt something small and soft rub against his ankle. He looked down and saw Keiko stretching her stiff muscles then looked up at him with purple eyes.

"Woof." Keiko barked softly as she climbed up Inuyasha's back and sat down peacefully on his shoulder.

"Morning to you too." Inuyasha said. "You know what's funny?" Keiko looked at him confusedly and asking him to continue. "I always do something stupid to Kagome and she always forgives me. She always welcomes me back into her arms without a second thought. I don't deserve her and yet she's still with me. I know it's selfish but I'm never letting her go." Keiko listened intently to the dog hanyou as he spoke his mind. She then growled in agreement then started rubbing her head to his cheek.

"She does that because she cares about you more than anything. She doesn't truly want to fight." Said a female voice from behind the two dog demons. Inuyasha looked back and saw Avion suspended in the air before landing on Inuyasha's other shoulder.

"Woof." Keiko greeted the spiritual bird.

"Good morning to you too." Avion said back. The three stood in silence as they watched the sun rise further up into the sky.

"I've been meaning to ask Yuri something." Inuyasha thought out loud.

"What would that be, Inuyasha?" Avion asked. Inuyasha looked at Avion with a face that told the bird that he just realized he said his thoughts out loud.

"Just something about Keiko, that's all." Inuyasha said. Keiko looked at Inuyasha with a questioning look and cocked her head to the side.

"Well, why don't you ask me or Kagome? Or even Keiko?" Avion asked back.

"I don't know. I guess it never occurred to me." Inuyasha answered.

"Well, why don't you ask?" Avion asked again.

"Fine, I'll ask." Inuyasha relented. "Why are Keiko's eyes purple when her element is fire? Shouldn't they be red, like Kirara's?"

"Oh, that's simple." Avion said. "She's not an all fire element. She can control water a bit too. So red mixed with blue is purple, simple enough."

"You can control water too?" Inuyasha asked Keiko.

"Woof." Keiko barked with a nod of her head. She then jumped off of Inuyasha's shoulder and scampered to a bucket full of water. Keiko's eyes then flashed a blue before the water rose from the bucket and headed straight towards the half demon. Avion saw what was coming and flew up into the sky, but Inuyasha wasn't too lucky and got hit with the water.

"Hey! You didn't have to do that to show me, you know." Inuyasha grumbled as his hair and clothes dripped water.

"Woof." Keiko laughed at the expense of the dog half demon and wagged her two tails happily. Inuyasha growled slightly before he kneeled on all fours and shook himself dry.

"Hey!" a female voice yelled as she got splashed with water from the violent dog shaking. Inuyasha whipped his head towards the voice and saw Kagome drenched in water.

"Oh, Kagome, sorry, I didn't see you there." Inuyasha said as he got up and went over to the miko.

"Thanks for the shower." Kagome said sarcastically.

"I said sorry." Inuyasha said as he took Kagome's hair in his hands and wrung it out. "Besides, Keiko was the one to get me wet." Keiko glared at Inuyasha slightly and growled lowly.

"Don't blame it on Keiko, Inuyasha. She was only showing you what you didn't know she could do." Avion defended.

"Keh, that doesn't mean she has to throw the water at me." Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome looked at the three of them.

"Oh, did you not know that Keiko could control fire _and _water?" Kagome asked Inuyasha as she took off her fire rat kimono and flapped it in the air to let the water fly off.

"No, and you didn't tell me." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Well you never asked." Kagome said in a bit of a joking manner.

"Keh." Inuyasha said as he took the red kimono out of Kagome's hand and wrung it out himself. Keiko and Avion then went over to the couple and waited.

"Are we heading back towards the others?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha then handed her back the red kimono so she can put it over the white battle suit that she had on under. "Thanks."

"Yeah, let's head back to the others." Inuyasha said. "Do you want to go now?" Kagome looked towards the sun for its position in the sky before shrugging her shoulders.

"Sure, why not. I'm just going to say bye to Totosai and Myoga." Kagome said as she went off towards where the two old men were.

"Good morning, Lady Kagome." Myoga greeted as he climbed onto the priestess's shoulder.

"Good morning, Myoga." Kagome replied then saw Totosai snoozing the day away. "Well, we have to get going. Say good bye to Totosai for me, will you?"

"Sure, Lady Kagome." Myoga said. Kagome nodded and Myoga hopped off her shoulder.

"Bye! Thanks for everything!" Kagome said as she walked back towards Inuyasha, Avion, and Keiko.

"Bye! Take care!" Myoga answered back then hopped towards his own task of getting cleaned up in a drop of water.

Kagome walked back towards Inuyasha and found him looking over the forest from his position at the edge of the volcanic mountain.

"What are you looking at?" Kagome asked as she walked up behind him.

"Just the forest, that's all." Inuyasha replied as he turned around and gave Kagome a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go." Kagome looked at him confusedly but followed him down the mountain. Avion flew next to the couple while Keiko trailed slightly behind them, jumping from ledge to ledge.

* * *

"I wonder where Inuyasha and Kagome went." Shippo thought out loud as he ate his stew breakfast.

"I'm sure they're okay." Yuri said. "Besides, Akane came back yesterday and said they were together, so don't worry too much."

"Inuyasha wouldn't let anything happen to Kagome even if it cost him his life." Miroku said next.

"So don't worry about them, Shippo. Besides, Keiko is with them. And with any luck, Avion is back with them." Sango said as she patted the fox demon on the head.

"Okay, you guys are right." Shippo relented.

"I can't stop worrying about them either, but have some faith in them. They'll be fine." Sango said reassuringly. Shippo nodded his head as he continued eating his breakfast.

* * *

"You hungry?"

"A little."

"Okay, hold on."

"Wait, you don't have to do that!" Kagome yelled out to Inuyasha as he rushed deeper into the forest. "I swear he never listens to me." Kagome grumbled as she crossed her arms and leaned on a tree waiting for his return.

"Woof." Keiko said as she lay down on the ground and closed her eyes a bit.

"I guess a little break doesn't hurt." Kagome said as she sat down on a root that was sticking out of the ground.

"I wonder where he went." Avion asked as she sat down next to Kagome and on the other side of Keiko.

"Don't know." Kagome said with a shrug. "I know he went to get food or something, but he didn't have to leave us here."

"He's only looking out for you." Avion answered back.

"If I didn't know how to fight, leaving me alone would be a _bad _idea." Kagome said.

"He knows that you can handle yourself." Avion said back. "And you're not alone. You have me and Keiko."

"That's true, but if I didn't leave when I did, I would've never had either of you." Kagome said a bit sadly.

"True, but you did leave." Avion said.

"But that's just it, I _left_." Kagome said. "Back then… I promised I wouldn't."

"But you came back." Avion said.

"Woof." Keiko said from her seat on the ground.

"I know I came back, but that doesn't take away the fact that I left once." Kagome said sadly.

"And yet I still have a surprise for you at the village." Kagome quickly looked around and saw Inuyasha with a few apples in his hands.

"Hey, where'd you get those?" Kagome said. Inuyasha shook his head.

"A tree." Inuyasha replied smartly.

"I know that,"

"Then what were you asking?"

"I…" Kagome thought for a moment. "Never mind." Inuyasha chuckled.

"So," Inuyasha said as he sat down in front of Kagome. "Why are we talking about when you left?"

"It just came up." Kagome said as she looked down. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be." Inuyasha said with a shrug then handed Kagome a red apple. "Here, eat up."

"Thanks." Kagome said as she took the apple then took a small bite.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at Kagome's down casted face.

"Nothing. I just feel guilty." Kagome said.

"Don't feel guilty." Inuyasha sighed. "It's my fault."

"No, it's not. It's mine." Kagome said. Inuyasha sighed then gently took her shoulders in his hands and shook her slightly.

"It's my fault, and I'm sorry." Inuyasha said gently then leaned in and kissed Kagome on the forehead.

"But I promised and I left." Kagome said as she still looked down. Inuyasha slowly wrapped Kagome up in his arms.

"You came back, and that's all I care about." Inuyasha said truthfully. "You're the only person that I let my guard with." Kagome slowly leaned into Inuyasha's embrace and relaxed her muscles.

"You trust me that much, huh?" Kagome asked.

"Of course I do." Inuyasha said as he knitted his eyebrows together and pulled away slightly to look at the priestess's face. "Don't you trust me?"

"I always have, even when you didn't trust me." Kagome answered with sincerity. Inuyasha smiled.

"Then we forgive each other for what we did, right? And we both didn't really mean to." Inuyasha said. Kagome only nodded before pressing her forehead against his shoulder. Inuyasha laid his head on hers and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I love you." Kagome said quietly.

"Love you too." Inuyasha said just as quietly.

During this whole session between the two lovers, Avion and Keiko went off towards the forest in hopes to find a nearby river. Unfortunately they didn't find a river, but they found the apple tree that Inuyasha got his food from.

"I wonder how they're doing." Avion wondered as she got an apple from the tree and gave it to Keiko. Keiko pawed at the apple then bit into it, though she didn't like it, there was no river with some fish nearby.

"_They're probably fine." _Keiko barked out in her dog language.

A little ways away, the half demon and the priestess parted from their embrace and started to eat the apple that was supplied by Inuyasha.

"I wonder where the others went." Kagome wondered.

"They're fine." Inuyasha replied. "I can smell them. They're at the tree where I got the apples from."

"Oh, okay." Kagome said. _'Damn, I still can't feel demonic aura. Are my powers still recovering?' _

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked as he saw Kagome's worried face.

"Huh?" Kagome said stupidly as she snapped out of her stupor. "Oh, I… um…"

"I'm worried about you." Inuyasha said as he put a hand up to her forehead. "You've been worrying way too much."

"Inuyasha," Kagome whined as she put her hand over the one on her forehead and pulled it away. "I'm not sick."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It's just my powers." Kagome said as she bit into her half eaten apple.

"What about them? Don't they work anymore?" Inuyasha asked.

"If they didn't, would you still want me around?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha quickly swallowed the bite of his apple that was in his mouth. He then kissed Kagome on the lips fully. The force of the kiss pushed her back slightly until the back of her head was leaning against the trunk of the tree.

"Of course I do, stupid. I love you." Inuyasha said once he let go of her lips. Kagome breath became a bit uneven.

"Just testing you." Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha smiled back and kissed her again but abruptly stopped.

"You never told me what's wrong." Inuyasha said concerned.

"They're just a bit weakened. That's all." Kagome said with a shrug.

"That's it?" Inuyasha asked. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." Kagome smiled.

"I know. I know." Kagome said with a happy smile.

"Hurry up and eat, we still have a while to go. I don't see how you made it all the way to Totosai's with barely any spiritual power." Inuyasha said.

"It's called resilience, Inuyasha." Kagome said with a smirk as she bit into her apple.

"Okay, whatever you say." Inuyasha said half heartedly as he leaned back and sat Indian style. Kagome stayed leaning against the tree trunk as she looked off towards the distance.

"So…" Kagome started. Inuyasha looked at her curiously with a raised eyebrow. "What's this surprise you keep mentioning?"

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise." Inuyasha said with a smirk.

"But-" Kagome started but was stop with a slighty playful glare from Inuyasha.

"Nope, I'm not telling." Inuyasha said with a shake of his head.

"Please?"

"No."

"Fine." Kagome sighed as she finished up her apple.

"You still hungry?" Inuyasha asked.

"No I'm okay. Are you?"

"Nope." Inuyasha said with a shake of his head as he took the core of the apple from Kagome's hand and dug a hole. He then placed the two cores and seeds into the hole and buried them. "Why don't we start heading back?"

"Okay." Kagome said. She then put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. "Avion, Keiko!"

"Geez, do you have to be so loud?" Inuyasha groaned.

"Sorry." Kagome said as she went over to the half demon and took his hand in her own. Inuyasha smiled and laced their fingers together.

"Do you still want to go to your time?" Inuyasha asked as Keiko climbed up onto Kagome's shoulder and Avion went onto his own. Kagome suddenly paused and looked a bit distressed. "What's wrong?" Kagome slapped her hand on her forehead.

"I just remembered we never told my family that we're mates now." Kagome said. "Well, this is a good time."

"Oh right. Yeah, this might be a good time." Inuyasha said as they started to walk towards the west again.

"I wonder what the others are doing." Kagome said. Inuyasha looked at the sky and spotted the sun.

"I'd say they're about to finish breakfast." Inuyasha said.

"Oh okay." Kagome said as they continued walking through the forest.

* * *

Sango, Miroku, Yuri, Shippo, Kirara, and Akane walked through the immense forest going towards training grounds that Yuri had in her part of the western territory.

"What are we doing, again?" Shippo asked as he skipped along the rocky path.

"We are going to spar, little fox demon." Yuri said a bit playfully.

"I don't have to do this, do I?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Well, let's see how long you can last with Kirara and Akane, shall we?" Miroku said with a smirk. Shippo sweated a bit as he looked at the two manta demons walking beside him.

"B-but that's not fair! They can become bigger than me." Shippo said nervously.

"Size is not always the key point." Sango said as she looked down at the little fox demon. Shippo audibly gulped low in his throat. Yuri looked down at Shippo and smiled.

"How about Akane and Kirara don't transform? Would you like it better that way?" Yuri asked as she kneeled down to Shippo's height. Shippo nodded meekly. Yuri then looked over his shoulder towards the neko manta demon and the inu manta demon. The two nodded their heads in understandment.

"Why are we sparring anyways?" Sango asked as the group started to walk towards the training grounds again.

"We have time; besides, it doesn't hurt to brush up on our battle skills." Miroku said with a shrug.

"We're here." Yuri said as she stopped at the edge of the field. In front of them was a large dirt clearing with natural ground and surroundings.

"Wow, it's like a real battlefield." Sango said in awe.

"I just kept things the same, only cleared it out a little." Yuri said with a slight shrug. "Anyways, why don't you and Miroku spar while Kirara and Akane spar with Shippo?"

"Sounds good, but what are you going to do?" Miroku asked.

"I'll be training my own pack." Yuri said as she started walking off towards the right of the field. "Have fun."

"Okay, thanks Yuri." Sango said as she turned towards Miroku. Sango wore her demon slayers outfit and her hair in a high pony tail. "You ready, monk?" Sango asked a bit cockily.

"Oh my dear Sango, you know I'm always ready." Miroku said as he put his staff in front of him. Sango smirked towards him.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as she threw her large bone boomerang at the monk. Miroku easily dodged the spin of the weapon and ran towards Sango. Sango took out her sword before Miroku could knock her out with his staff.

Shippo on the other hand was standing bravely while two manta demons stare at him. Though inside, Shippo was nervously fidgeting.

"Mew." Kirara said as she stared at Shippo. Akane on the other hand decided to play a trick on the fox and jump towards the nervous kitsune. Shippo yelped at the sudden movement and threw fire at the inu manta demon.

"Fox Fire!" Shippo yelled as he jumped away. Akane was slightly surprised at the attack but jumped away in time to avoid getting burned.

"_Good job Shippo." _Akane praised in the dog language.

"_Let's see what else you can do before we come at you." _Kirara meowed as she got ready to pounce at the fox. Shippo sweated a bit at the comments thrown at him. Kirara and Akane nodded to each other then launched their bodies towards him. Shippo squealed before running away and taking out a wooden snake toy and throwing it at the two manta demons.

Kirara jumped away from the illusion, backing away as it pretended to strike. Akane on the other hand didn't stop and went around the illusion and went towards Shippo's running form.

"Fox Magic, Smashing Top!" Shippo yelled as he threw the toy spinning top. It started to grow in size as Akane watched it in slight awe. The wind picked up and Akane was thrown into the vortex of the wind.

Kirara looked at Akane being sucked up into the wind of the spinning top. She then decided to bite the illusion that was blocking her path. Once the illusion was bitten, it popped back to its original form of a wooden snake. Kirara then ran up to Shippo and pretended to use her claws on the fox demon. Shippo covered his eyes and waited for the mock blow. The two 'fighting' demons then heard a yelp as Akane was thrown from the wind and into the forest. A grunt from a human was heard. Shippo and Kirara stopped their sparring and looked towards the direction the inu manta demon was thrown.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled as he saw Kagome and Inuyasha walk out of the forest. Kagome had Akane in her arms while Keiko was on her shoulder and Avion was on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Hey Shippo, do you mind telling me why Akane just flew towards us?" Kagome asked as she kneeled down and put Akane down.

"Hey Kagome!" Sango yelled as she caught her weapon expertly and ran towards the group. Miroku followed shortly behind them.

"Hey, Sango, Miroku." Kagome greeted as she stood back up. "So what are you guys doing?"

"Just sparring, we were waiting for you two to come back and got a little bored." Sango answered.

"Oh, sorry about taking so long." Kagome said. Keiko jumped down from Kagome's shoulder and landed near Akane and Kirara.

"It's okay." Miroku answered. "So what shall we do today?"

"I say we go back home." Kagome said. Inuyasha nodded with agreement.

"Alright, should we head out now?" Sango asked.

"If we want to make it anywhere, we should leave now." Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"Okay, I'm just going to say good bye to Yuri." Kagome said as she went over to the dog demon who was training her pack.

"Oh, hi Kagome." Yuri said as she turned around and saw the priestess. "When'd you get back?"

"Hey Yuri, we just got back." Kagome said as she motioned towards Inuyasha. Yuri nodded her understandment then looked towards her. "But I just wanted to say thanks for everything. We're going to get home."

"Alright, have a safe trip." Yuri said as she hugged her sister. "Bye."

"Bye Yuri." Kagome said as she headed back towards the others as Akane headed towards her. "Bye Akane." Kagome patted the two tail dog demon then walked over to the others.

"Ready to go?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yep, all set." Kagome said as she readjusted her weapons. Sango has put on her pink and green kimono again over her demon slayers outfit. "Aren't you going to say good bye to your own sister, Inuyasha?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes slightly.

"Bye Yuri!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Bye!" Yuri called back as she waved to the group. The others waved back before starting to walk off into the distance back towards Kaede's village, where their home was.

"I'm going to miss this place." Sango said.

"We can always just come back." Inuyasha said nonchalantly.

"Don't you think that we should tell her before we just march back here unannounced?" Kagome asked.

"Nope." Inuyasha said.

"You are so rude." Kagome mumbled.

"Keh."

"Well, it looks like everything is back to normal." Miroku said to Sango.

"Yep, I wonder how they patch things up." Sango asked.

"Probably with a lot of yelling." Shippo said. Miroku, Sango, and Kirara nodded in agreement as they walked behind Kagome and Inuyasha who had Keiko in her arms and Avion on his shoulder.

After a few more hours of walking the group found themselves on a dirt road as the sun started to set.

"Should we set up camp?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, I'm getting a little tired." Kagome said as she stretched her arms above her head.

"This should be a good place." Miroku said as he went over towards a spot and started lining rocks in a circle. "We'll put the fire here."

"Alright, Sango and I will gather some fire wood." Kagome answered then looked at Sango for approval. She nodded her head and the two girls went over towards Miroku and put their weapons down then decided to walk into the forest to gather the wood.

"I'll get some food." Inuyasha grumbled as he took off towards the forest. Now Miroku sat alone with the manta demons and Shippo.

"You need any help, Miroku?" Shippo asked as he sat down. Kirara and Keiko sat near the fox demon and looked at Miroku curiously.

"No it's okay, but thanks for asking Shippo. Why don't you go off and play?" Miroku said.

"Okay." Shippo said happily. Keiko and Kirara stood up from their seated position and started to run after the fox demon.

**…In the Morning…**

The group slowly woke up to the rays of the sun. One by one, they peeled out of their sleeping positions and stretched out their stiff muscles.

"Good morning." Kagome said cheerfully as she stretched her hands towards the sky.

"Morning." Inuyasha grumbled as he kissed Kagome on the cheek briefly.

"So how long until we get to the village?" Sango asked as she started the fire to cook their breakfast of Ramen, courtesy of Kagome.

"We should be there around afternoon time." Miroku answered. Kagome then put bottled water into a metal pot she carried with her and put it over the fire.

"What are we going to do once we get there?" Kagome asked.

"I thought you were heading home." Inuyasha said.

"I didn't want to go there right away." Kagome said. "I was hoping to go later tonight."

"Feh, whatever you want." Inuyasha grumbled. "Is the Ramen done yet?"

"Not really." Kagome said as she took a sip of water from one of the remaining bottles.

"Be patient, Inuyasha." Sango said as she stroked Kirara's fur.

Once breakfast was served and done with the group gathered their belongings and went on their way, leaving no trace of any one ever camping their except for the burnt wood from the fire.

"I'm so bored." Shippo whined as he ran around in circles around the group members' feet.

"Stop whining." Inuyasha complained.

"Stop complaining." Shippo mimicked.

"Why you…" Inuyasha said as he raised his fist. "Come here you little runt!" Shippo ran in circles as Inuyasha chased him around the humans.

"Here we go again." Sango mumbled. Kagome sighed as she watched the two boys run around.

"I'm glad we have such lovely ladies to keep us men in line." Miroku said in a sweet voice as he stood in between the two girls. Both of his hands slowly inching downward towards a location it was familiar with.

"Miroku!" The two girls yelled in unison. Inuyasha stopped his chase and looked at Miroku dangerously.

"You pervert! "Sango yelled.

"I can't believe you!" Kagome yelled next.

"Damn you Miroku! Don't touch her!" Inuyasha yelled as he went over towards the girls and stood between Miroku and Kagome. "Don't touch my mate." Miroku looked nervous as he put his hands up in submission.

"Now now, Inuyasha, no need to be harsh." Miroku said.

"I'll show you what being harsh is!" Inuyasha seized as he launched himself towards the monk. Miroku took notice to the sudden action and ran towards the direction of the village.

"That monk will never learn." Sango grumbled as she followed the boys with Kagome walking at her side.

"Maybe someday, Sango." Kagome said. "Maybe someday. Or maybe after Inuyasha kills him."

"That would be a miracle Kagome." Sango said.

"You never know, Sango." Kagome said as she looked innocent. _'I know one girl he has an eye on Besides, you're the one that agreed to marry him.' _Kagome thought.

"Mew." Kirara said as she trotted forward. _"This is a fun day." _

"Woof." Keiko replied to Kirara's message. _"Yep." _

"Hey look, the village." Avion said as she flew towards it. In the distance you could see Miroku trying to protect himself with his staff from Inuyasha's relentless attacks.

"Hey! Inuyasha!" Kagome called. "Knock it off! You're seriously going to hurt him!"

"Like I care!" Inuyasha yelled back.

"Oh boy." Kagome mumbled as she ran towards to the two fighting boys. "Hey, I said knock it off!" Kagome threw a spiritual ball in between the two fighting males.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Miroku leaned up against a tree and breathe heavily.

"Thank you." Miroku whispered to Kagome.

"Inuyasha, don't kill him." Kagome said as she reached her beloved half demon. "Just calm down."

"I'm not just going to let him touch my mate!" Inuyasha said loudly. Kagome leaned into Inuyasha's body and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds before pulling back.

"He's not going to touch me." Kagome said then leaned into Inuyasha's ear. "Only Sango." Inuyasha grinned slightly, despite himself.

"Good." Inuyasha said then looked into the forest. "Come on." Inuyasha took Kagome's hand and dragged her off into the dense trees.

"Where are we going?" Kagome asked as she got dragged along.

"To give you your surprise." Inuyasha said with a smile. Kagome smiled.

"Inuyasha, you know that you didn't have to give me a surprise or anything. I'm happy just the way things are." Kagome said.

"I know, but you deserve this." Inuyasha said.

* * *

_**SLAP**_

"Ow, Sango!" Miroku yelled as he rubbed his cheek. "What did you do that for?"

"For being a pervert." Sango said as she crossed her arms.

"Mew." Kirara said as she cocked her head to the side. Keiko gave a low growl and went to lay down in the shade. Kirara followed shortly after and started to lick her paws. Avion perched herself in a tree and started a look out.

"Come come, Sango. Your beauty is too much to resist." Miroku said as he took her hands in his. Sango blushed slightly. "Come on, I have a surprise for you, remember?"

"A surprise?" Sango asked as she got pulled into the forest.

"Yeah, remember?" Miroku asked. Sango thought back.

_Flashback_

_Miroku and Sango wandered about the forest for some time now and Sango was getting more and more anxious as to why Miroku dragged her along. _

"_Miroku," Sango said. _

"_I have a surprise for you." Miroku said suddenly as they neared a clearing. _

"_Huh?" Sango asked as she stopped walking and turn towards him. _

"_At the village. I have a surprise for you, dear Sango." Miroku said as he slightly touched Sango's cheek. _

"_Oh, what is it?" Sango asked._

"_Ah, my dear Sango, it wouldn't be a surprise if I were to tell you." Miroku said softly. _

_End Flashback_

"Oh, I remember now." Sango said. "What is it?"

"Now, now, if I tell you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Miroku said. Sango sighed at the comment.

"You know," Sango started. "You didn't have to do this.

"I know." Miroku said.

"Then why?"

"Because you're special to me," Miroku said. "And because you are my wife to be." Sango blushed slightly though there was a small smile adorning her face.

The couple walked further into the forest before stopping. Sango looked questioningly at Miroku as he turns to face her.

"What are you doing? Where are we?" Sango asked.

"Close your eyes." Miroku said with a giddy smile.

"Close my eyes?" Sango asked.

"Yes, close your eyes." Miroku said. Sango looked confused but closed her eyes as she waited for further instruction. Miroku started to lead her forward and put his own hands over her eyes.

* * *

"Close your eyes."

"Close my eyes?"

"Just close them, wench."

"Hey!" Kagome said a bit angrily. Inuyasha rolled his eyes slightly and put his own hands over her eyes. "Hey!"

"Just relax." Inuyasha said a bit exasperated. Kagome shook her head and sighed, but relaxed none the less. "Okay now open your eyes." Kagome took his hands from her face and pulled them off and stared at the wooden structure in front of her.

"Oh my god, Inuyasha," Kagome said in shock.

"Do you like it?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome smiled and turned around in Inuyasha's arms.

"I love it." Kagome said as she hugged him tightly. Inuyasha returned the hug. "Is this where we're going to live?"

"Yep," Inuyasha said. "And look over there." Kagome pulled away and looked towards where Inuyasha was pointing.

"The well," Kagome said in awe.

"You bet, and we're not too far from the village." Inuyasha said. "And over that way is the Sacred Tree."

"Oh my god, Inuyasha, you are the best." Kagome said as she hugged him tightly again. "Thank you so much for all of this."

"You deserve this. Besides, since you mated me, I had to provide at least a place to live." Inuyasha said as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Kagome smiled.

"Come on, show me inside." Kagome said eagerly as she pulled him into their newly built home.

"Okay," Inuyasha said happily as he got dragged inside. "It's really simple. There's a place where we eat, our room, and two extra rooms, for anything you want."

"This place is amazing." Kagome said.

"Sorry if it isn't like your time or anything." Inuyasha said as his ears drooped slightly. Kagome turned from her exploration to the dog half demon. She wrapped both of her arms around Inuyasha's neck.

"No, Inuyasha, this is an amazing place. I couldn't ask for more." Kagome said as she looked into his golden eyes.

"I'm glad you like it." Inuyasha said as he wrapped his arms around Kagome's waist. Inuyasha pulled back and pushed Kagome further into the hut. "Go on, I know you want to explore." Kagome smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek before going off into another room.

Inuyasha smiled then put his hand into his kimono top and pulled out something on a string. He smiled to himself and followed his mate into their room.

* * *

"No seriously, Miroku, where are we?" Sango said as she put her hands over Miroku's that were over her eyes.

"You'll see in a second." Miroku said as he walked. "Okay, you can look."

"Oh wow," Sango said as she spun in a circle. "A hut."

"Yep, and it's all ours." Miroku said. "Of course we can always wait until we get married."

"How did you pull this off?" Sango asked, totally missing the second part.

"With some help from Inuyasha, Kirara, and even Keiko when she wasn't away to occupy you or Kagome of course." Miroku said.

"Does that mean Kagome and Inuyasha have one too?" Sango asked.

"Yep, and we're not too far apart. We're closer to the village, while they are closer to the well and the Sacred Tree." Miroku said. "Do you like it?"

"Oh my god, Miroku," Sango said still in awe. "I love it."

"That's good." Miroku said as he went over to Sango and gave her a hug. Sango hugged him back without hesitation.

"Thank you, Miroku." Sango said.

"Don't thank me, you deserve this." Miroku said as he leaned back and gave Sango a kiss on her forehead. "Why don't you put Hiraikotsu down?"

"Yeah, I guess I could." Sango said as she unstrapped her weapon from her back and put it up against the wall. "So this is ours and only ours?" Sango asked.

"Yes, it is." Miroku said. "There's four rooms total, one for eating and what not, one's our bedroom, and two extra ones." Sango smiled.

"I really appreciate this, Miroku." Sango said. "Thank you so much."

"I fell in love with you, and not to mention I am to wed you, you don't need to thank me." Miroku said as he hugged her to him again. Sango smiled against his chest.

"What about Shippo? Where is he going to go?" Sango asked.

"Anywhere he wants. That's what Inuyasha and I thought would be best for him. He can sleep at any hut he pleases." Miroku said.

"That's a good idea." Sango said while she looked into her eyes. Miroku leaned down and kissed Sango sweetly on the lips. Sango was stunned to say the least but accepted the gesture and kissed back.

* * *

"Hey, Inuyasha, what about Shippo?" Kagome asked as she re-entered the main room.

"He can go wherever he wants." Inuyasha answered.

"Oh okay." Kagome said. "And Sango and Miroku?"

"They have their own hut." Inuyasha said with a shrug.

"I don't see how you pulled this off." Kagome said as she looked out the window that was situated at the front.

"A little help from Miroku, Kirara, and Keiko when she wasn't with you or Sango." Inuyasha said.

"Really?" Kagome asked a bit stunned. "Wow, I should start noticing things better." Kagome said as she turned around. Inuyasha was directly behind her.

"When do you want to go to your time?" Inuyasha asked as he turned her around to face the window.

"Sundown I guess, but what are you doing?" Kagome asked.

"You'll see." Inuyasha said as he draped a metal string around Kagome's neck. She looked down at the new necklace and found a diamond at the end of it that was shaped as a fang.

"Oh my god, Inuyasha, where did you get this from?" Kagome asked as she looked down and fingered the necklace.

"The diamond came from Tetsusaiga, and I had Totosai shape it." Inuyasha said. "Do you like it?"

"I love it, but you seriously have to stop giving me things like this." Kagome said as she turned around to face him. "I love you, and I don't want you to go through all this trouble. And besides, being with you is all I need."

"I love you too, and that's why I do this." Inuyasha said as he hugged her.

"When we go to my time, I promise I'll give you all the Ramen you want." Kagome promised. Inuyasha laughed slightly.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise." Inuyasha said. "Are you going to tell your mom about us?"

"Of course I am." Kagome said. "Why?"

"Do you think she'll be mad you mated a lowly half breed like me?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. "I don't care if you're a half demon, so stop putting yourself down! Besides, my mom loves you, I'm sure she will support us."

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"Positive." Kagome said. "Do you want to go now?"

"Do you want me with you?"

"Of course I do." Kagome answered instantly.

"Then, sure we'll go now." Inuyasha said.

"Okay, I'll tell Avion and she'll tell the others." Kagome said then started to use the telepathy she has with her spiritual bird. _"Hey, Avion,"_

"_Yes?" _Avion thought back.

"_Inuyasha and I are leaving, you and Keiko don't have to follow, but could you tell the others?"_

"_Sure, have fun." _

"_Thanks Avion. Bye." _Kagome thought then started walking with Inuyasha.

"Everything okay?" Inuyasha asked.

"Perfect. Let's go." Kagome said as they made it to the well. The couple jumped into the familiar blue light. "Ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Inuyasha answered.

"Don't worry about it; I'm sure she'll be okay with this." Kagome said reassuringly. _'I hope.' _

The half demon and the priestess made it out of the well house and into the main house. They crept in and heard rustling and bustling in the kitchen.

"Mom?" Kagome called.

"Kagome? Is that you, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi said from the kitchen. She then poked her head out the kitchen door. "Welcome home sweetie." The two females hugged their welcomes. Kagome's mother then turned to Inuyasha and gave him a quick hug.

"Mom, we kind of have something to tell you." Kagome said a bit nervously.

"Oh, what is it?" Mrs. Higurashi said with concern.

"Well, um… you see," Kagome started fidgeting.

"Why don't we sit at the table?" Mrs. Higurashi said as she motioned for the couple to sit at the kitchen table. Kagome gulped down a lump in her throat. "What's going on?"

"You see, Inuyasha and I are… um… mated." Kagome said a bit quickly.

"Mated?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Well, kind of like… married in demon terms." Kagome said nervously. Mrs. Higurashi sat with a stunned face at the kitchen seat. "Mom?"

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**OKAY PEOPLE, I MIGHT NEED A LITTLE HELP WITH WRITING! PLEASE REVIEW AND GIVE ME INSPIRATION! :D Please?**


	36. Demon in Kagome's World

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Inuyasha. **

**A/N: Special thanks to Mz. Yasha for giving me a special idea for this story!**

* * *

_**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! YES! IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY! **__**:)**_

* * *

Demon in Kagome's World

The half demon and the priestess made it out of the well house and into the main house. They crept in and heard rustling and bustling in the kitchen.

"Mom?" Kagome called.

"Kagome? Is that you, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi said from the kitchen. She then poked her head out the kitchen door. "Welcome home sweetie." The two females hugged their welcomes. Kagome's mother then turned to Inuyasha and gave him a quick hug.

"Mom, we kind of have something to tell you." Kagome said a bit nervously.

"Oh, what is it?" Mrs. Higurashi said with concern.

"Well, um… you see," Kagome started fidgeting.

"Why don't we sit at the table?" Mrs. Higurashi said as she motioned for the couple to sit at the kitchen table. Kagome gulped down a lump in her throat. "What's going on?"

"You see, Inuyasha and I are… um… mated." Kagome said a bit quickly.

"Mated?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Well, kind of like… married in demon terms." Kagome said nervously. Mrs. Higurashi sat with a stunned face at the kitchen seat. "Mom?" Kagome gulped down audibly. Inuyasha looked sadly down at Kagome then looked towards her mother.

"If you don't like it, then we can reverse it." Inuyasha said quietly and sadly. "Please don't hate her or disown her; I'll just get out of your lives."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said as she turned in her seat to face her beloved half demon. "Mom, I-"

"Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi started. "Are you sure about this decision?"

"Yes," Kagome said without hesitation. "I don't care what you say, if you don't accept us, then you'll never have to see us again, but I'm not changing my decision.

"Kagome don't." Inuyasha said sternly. "Look, Mrs. Higurashi, I'll get rid of the mating mark and Kagome will stay in this time. Permanently."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said shocked. "I can't believe you." Inuyasha looked down towards the floor.

"Kagome, I don't want to ruin your life. Stay here." Inuyasha said a bit quietly.

"You're not ruining my life!" Kagome said a bit desperately as tears threaten to fall.

"Kagome, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi said. The two looked towards her. "I'm happy for you. If this is what makes you happy, then go for it."

"Really?" Kagome asked. Mrs. Higurashi nodded.

"I figured this would happen eventually." Mrs. Higurashi admitted. "Actually I was looking forward to this day." Inuyasha and Kagome blushed. Mrs. Higurashi laughed at the couples antics. "I can't wait for cute grandchildren with those puppy ears of yours!"

"Mom!" Kagome yelled with embarrassment written all over her face. Inuyasha visibly gulped down the nervous lump forming in his throat.

"Oh they would be such energetic children. Though I could do without all of the cursing, but I'm sure Kagome could do something with that." Mrs. Higurashi continued. Kagome groaned as she hit her head on the table. "I want a whole lot of grandchildren, do you hear?"

"Uh…" Inuyasha said with a twitch.

"Oh god." Kagome groaned.

"Oh and all of them have to have those adorable puppy ears so I can play with them all day." Mrs. Higurashi continued.

"I'm starting to feel bad for our children and we don't even have any." Kagome said so quietly so that only Inuyasha's demonic hearing could pick it up. He only nodded in agreement with a red face.

"I'll leave you two alone." With that, Mrs. Higurashi left the kitchen. "But remember, grandchildren."

"Uh… let's not talk about that…" Kagome said nervously.

"Do you want to bare my pups?" Inuyasha asked.

"Of course I do! Just not now, you know?" Kagome said as her head shot up from the table. "It's too soon, and with Naraku and everything."

"Definitely not now." Inuyasha agreed.

"Inuyasha," Kagome started. Inuyasha looked towards the priestess. "Did you… Did you want to reverse it?" Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly then pulled Kagome into his arms for a fierce hug.

"Of course not." Inuyasha said into her ebony hair.

"Then why did you so willingly say that you will?"

"Because, I didn't want you to be hated by your family," Inuyasha said. "And besides, who would want to live with a half demon for their life?"

"I do, I always do." Kagome said into his chest. A tear from earlier finally fell from her eye. Inuyasha pulled slightly away and wiped the offending tear away with the pad of his thumb.

"Don't cry." Inuyasha said softly.

"But you were willing to break up with me, how do you think that makes me feel?" Kagome said a bit harshly though in a quiet voice.

"I have that feeling every day." Inuyasha said as he stared into the soft chocolate eyes that had a purple and golden ring inside them.

"What do you mean? What did I do?" Kagome asked confusedly.

"I'm afraid that you'll finally come to your senses and throw me away, like everyone else." Inuyasha admitted. He looked away from her eyes and towards the kitchen table.

"What?" Kagome asked. She then hit his chest with her fist continually. "Idiot! I have my senses! I'll never throw anyone away just because of what they are! Especially you!" During her little rant, Inuyasha was taking blows to the chest as she cried and hit him a bit harshly though the blows were weakening. Inuyasha just held her to him and let her pound on him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said as she finally settled down and stop hitting him. "I just thought that it would be better for you here, without me."

"What do you know about me?!" Kagome said as more tears spilled from her eyes. "What do you know what's better for me?!"

"People will hunt you down if you're with me." Inuyasha said a bit too calmly.

"I don't care!" Kagome said loudly. "I don't care." Kagome whispered as she snuggled herself further into the half demons chest.

"Are you sure?"

"Are you?" Kagome said back.

"I don't want you to get hated because of me." Inuyasha said as he thought back to his own past.

"Is that what happened when you were a child?" Inuyasha paused before nodding his head a bit and kissed the top of hers.

"I don't want that to happen to you."

"It won't." Kagome whispered. "Even if it does, I don't care."

"Okay, if this is what you want." Inuyasha said against her hair.

"Is this what you want?"

"Of course, I love you; after all, I just don't want you to suffer."

"I won't suffer, as long as you're here with me." Kagome whispered.

"I won't leave you, I promise." Inuyasha said.

"Me too." Kagome said as she pulled away slightly from the embrace. Inuyasha took his sleeve and dried off Kagome's tear stained cheeks. "Let's go to my room." Inuyasha just deftly nodded and followed the girl up the stairs.

Once they entered the pink room, Kagome flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes. Inuyasha sat down on the edge of the bed where Kagome's feet were. He then took her two feet and laid them across his lap.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked with her eyes still closed.

"Nothing," Inuyasha said as he started to message Kagome's ankle and foot.

"Really now?" Kagome asked as she sat on her elbows and smiled at him. Inuyasha smiled back before leaning down towards her and kissing her sweet lips briefly.

"Just showing that I love you." Inuyasha admitted quietly against her lips. Kagome smiled again then leaned forwards to capture his lips again.

"If you love me, you'll let me go to school tomorrow." Kagome said after the kiss.

"That's cheap." Inuyasha said with a small smile.

"Okay, but can I go?"

"Do you have to?"

"Well," Kagome said as she thought over things. "Please?"

"Fine, but you're coming back in three days. No more."

"Thank you." Kagome said as she lay back down on her pillow. Inuyasha sat back up and continued his foot message to his mate. "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at her.

"What happens when you outlive me?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha paused.

"I don't know."Inuyasha said a bit sadly. "But if you want, we can age the same. If you want…"

"And why wouldn't I want that?" Kagome asked. "Unless you planned on leaving my and finding a new mate once I died."

"Of course not!" Inuyasha said instantly as he moved Kagome's legs off of him and lay down next to her on the small bed.

"Then do you want me to die?"

"No," Inuyasha said as he put an arm across Kagome's body and put his head near hers. "I never want you to."

"Then can I age like you?" Kagome asked.

"Demons age weirdly, you know that." Inuyasha said. "And the process will take a little while."

"So? I just want to be with you." Kagome said as she turned on her side so she faced him.

"I want you to be with me too." Inuyasha said as he leaned his forehead against hers. "But you'll be knocked out for two days."

"Is that it?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha shrugged a bit.

"Not really sure." Inuyasha said. "That's why it's risky. I don't know what's going to happen."

"Well, nothing too bad, since it's going to make me live for a while with you." Kagome said.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, what do I have to do?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha stayed quiet for a moment.

"Well, all I know is that I have to cut near your heart and leak some of my own blood through the wound." Inuyasha said almost too quietly for Kagome to hear anything. "It could kill you."

"And it could make me live." Kagome said just as quietly as she snuggled closer to Inuyasha's warmth. "And then what? After you leak your blood into me, what then?"

"Well, you fall into a deep sleep for a few days. But other than that, I have no idea." Inuyasha said.

"Do you want to do it?" Kagome asked.

"I don't want to risk you."

"But you'll lose me if you don't."

"I'll lose you if I do." Inuyasha said sadly. The couple stayed quiet for a few minutes.

"I want to do it." Kagome said suddenly. Inuyasha eyes snapped wide open.

"Wh-wha… Kagome." Inuyasha stumbled then gulped down the large lump that formed in his throat. "But do you know how risky it is?"

"I trust you." Kagome said with a small smile. "Besides, I want to live with you."

"Kagome…" Inuyasha mumbled. "Let's talk about this later. Back on the other side."

"Okay," Kagome relented then closed her eyes.

"Why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you later." Inuyasha suggested.

"You must be tired too." Kagome said, still her eyes closed. "Sleep with me." Inuyasha backed away a little bit with a look of confusion. After a little bit, Kagome didn't feel shifted in the bed. She cracked open an eye and saw Inuyasha's confused face mixed with uncertainty. Kagome looked back at him just as confused.

"You don't… You don't mean that in the sense that… um…" Inuyasha stumbled. Kagome looked at him for a moment before it clicked.

"No you pervert. Get your head out of the gutter." Kagome said as she closed her eyes again. "I swear you hang around Miroku _way _too much."

"You said it, not me." Inuyasha argued back before lying back down next to the priestess.

"You thought it, not me." Kagome said back, using his own words. Inuyasha let out a small audible breath before sitting up and getting off the bed. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." Inuyasha said as he stood up and slowly pulled the covers out from under Kagome's body and covered her in their warmth. Inuyasha then started to sit on the floor and leaned his back against the bed's side.

"Come back up here." Kagome whined slightly.

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"We slept to-…" Kagome started but then rephrased the sentence. "We slept in the same bed together at the Western Castle. Why not now? You don't like being with me?"

"No, nothing like that, I promise." Inuyasha said as he got up and kneeled in front of her. He then leaned down and kissed her nose affectionately. "Are you ready for that, though?"

"What?" Kagome asked. She then started to get up and lean back on her arms. "Are you talking about sex?"

"No!" Inuyasha said instantly. "Yes… I don't know." Kagome slapped herself on the forehead.

"D-…Do you want… sex?" Kagome asked as she slightly gulped down the nervousness that was beginning to form in her throat in the form of a lump.

"No! Yes… I don't know. What do you want me to say?" Inuyasha asked desperately.

"The truth would be nice." Kagome said as she looked down at Inuyasha's hand that was on the other side of her, holding her to the bed. Inuyasha sighed, though not of sadness or happiness.

"I love you Kagome, I really do. But I don't think… I don't think we should… um… you know... just yet, I know you're not ready." Inuyasha said with a slight blush and hope that she would understand. As he said the truthful words, he looked down to the exact spot Kagome was staring at. Kagome smiled and leaned towards himv. She then kissed him on the lips briefly before pulling back.

"Exactly what I wanted to hear." Kagome mumbled against his lips before leaning back. Inuyasha sighed with relief and put one of his knees on the bed and leaned over the girl. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Inuyasha said with a smile. He then climbed over her and lay down. "Happy?"

"Yep." Kagome said before laying back down herself and turning to the side to face the half demon.

"Take a nap." Inuyasha suggested. Kagome nodded her head and snuggled closer to Inuyasha's warm body.

"Are you sleeping too?" Kagome asked with her eyes closed.

"Sure," Inuyasha said. He then closed his amber eyes and slept peacefully with his mate in his arms.

…Three Hours Later…

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi lightly knocked on the light wooded door of Kagome's room. After about a minute of no answering, she opened the door a crack and looked inside. What she saw made her smile. Kagome slept under her pink blankets curled up beside the half demon facing him, while Inuyasha slept over the covers and had an arm draped across Kagome's waist to lay limp on the other side. He was curled next to the priestess, breathing in her scent.

Mrs. Higurashi closed the door silently with a small smile on her face. She then made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen where grocery bags littered the kitchen table. The women sighed and started unloading the groceries and placing them in their right places.

'_I'm happy for them. They deserve to be together.' _Mrs. Higurashi thought. _'I wonder how the grandchildren will look.' _

* * *

"Avion, where have Inuyasha and Kagome gone?" Miroku asked the spiritual bird as she made her way into their very own wooden hut.

"They left to go to Kagome's time. Apparently they have to tell Kagome's family that she is mated to Inuyasha." Avion answered. Keiko, Kirara, and Shippo made their way into the hut and sat by the unlit fire.

"I see." Miroku answered. "Well, what should we do until they return?"

"I don't know. We can get this place situated so we can actually _live _here." Sango suggested.

"Miroku, Sango, can I ask you a question?" Shippo said innocently. Sango kneeled down next to the fox demon.

"What is it, Shippo?" Sango asked.

"Are you going to leave me behind?"

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked.

"You have Sango, Inuyasha has Kagome, Kirara has you guys, Keiko and Avion belong to Kagome. And what about me?" Shippo asked as his eyes started to tear up. "You guys have a hut now and so do Inuyasha and Kagome. Where do I live?"

"Shippo," Sango said quietly as she lifted the small fox demon into her arms. "We're not leaving you. You still have us, and you can live wherever you choose. Move from hut to hut if you want to."

"Yeah, everyone already agreed." Miroku said as he patted the demon on the head. "We won't leave you behind."

"Really? You promise?" Shippo asked as a few tears fell.

"Mew." Kirara meowed.

"Woof." Keiko barked.

"Promise." Avion answered.

"We all promise." Sango said. "See, we won't leave you."

"Why don't you help us try to get everything situated?" Miroku suggested. Shippo wiped the tears away and jumped out of Sango's arms.

"You bet." Shippo said, waiting for his first order. Miroku smiled at him and went on to get the hut livable.

* * *

Kagome slowly opened her eyes and saw that the sun was just about to go under the horizon. She then looked at her pink clock and saw that it was about six-thirty. The priestess then felt warmth on her back and over her stomach laid a limp arm of the owner. Kagome turned to her other side and saw the peaceful face of her mate.

'_I should wake him up.' _Kagome thought. She then leaned over and kissed him on the lips. After a minute, Inuyasha started to stir. He cracked an eye open and saw Kagome kissing him. He kissed back and fell deeper into the sensuous kiss. "Rise and shine." Kagome whispered when she pulled away.

"That's a nice way to wake up to." Inuyasha said with a smile as he kissed the tip of Kagome's nose.

"I thought you'd like it." Kagome said. "We should get up."

"Why? I like lying here, with you." Inuyasha admitted.

"We've been asleep for over three hours." Kagome said as she cuddled deeper into Inuyasha's warm body.

"That's okay." Inuyasha said as he slightly tightened his hold on her waist.

"Aren't you hungry?"

"Usually, but I'd rather be here. Do you want to leave?"

"No, but we kind of have to." Kagome said as she turned her head and looked at the clock again. "We've been in here for a while."

"Okay," Inuyasha relented. He then moved his hand from her waist and put it gently on her cheek.

"What's up?" Kagome asked. She then pushed the covers off of her and placed her hands on Inuyasha's chest. "What are you doing?"

"What are _you _doing?" Inuyasha asked in retort. Kagome cracked a smile.

"Oh, nothing." Kagome said as she slid the hand that was higher around Inuyasha's body and hung it loosely on his back.

"Really?" Inuyasha asked leaning a bit closer.

"Honest, really." Kagome said. Inuyasha just smiled and shook his head. He leaned down and kissed Kagome's forehead.

"I love you. Don't forget."

"I won't. I love you too."

"Kagome!" A squeaky voice said from the other side of the door. "Mom said to wake up!"

"We're up, Souta!" Kagome called back. "I told you we had to get up."

"Keh," Inuyasha said as he started to sit up.

"Why are you over the covers?" Kagome asked.

"I didn't want your mom thinking anything." Inuyasha said. Kagome smiled and rolled her eyes a bit.

"Idiot." Kagome said. "She's not going to seriously think we did anything. Besides, we're with each other all the time on the other side."

"Keh." Inuyasha said, now fully sitting on the bed with Kagome next to him. "I smell food."

"Is that all you think about?" Kagome laughed. "Come on, let's go."

"Alright." Inuyasha replied. Kagome got off the bed and looked at her attire.

"Actually, I'll just quickly change then I'll meet you down there, okay?" Kagome said.

"Whatever." Inuyasha said as he walked out of the room. "Hurry up."

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome said as she closed the door to her room. She then went over to her closet and took out a pair of beige sweat pants that tightened around her knee where it ended. She then took out a light blue T-shirt that had a bird on it.

Once all changed and ready to go, Kagome put her fire rat kimono in the laundry basket in her room then threw her battle suit in there as well. Her weapons were in a pile near her desk where Tetsusaiga was also located. She then opened her door and went downstairs and towards the kitchen.

"Hey," Kagome said cheerfully as she made her way towards the kitchen table.

"Did you have a nice nap, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Yep, thanks." Kagome answered as she sat next to Inuyasha in a chair.

"Hi sis," Souta said as he entered the kitchen.

"Ah, Kagome, good to see you are back." Kagome's grandfather said.

"Hi guys." Kagome said. Mrs. Higurashi started to put piles of food on the table.

"Dinner is set, go ahead and dig in." Mrs. Higurashi said. She then made her way to her own seat and started putting food on her plate. The others did the same while they had small talk.

"Inuyasha, after dinner, do you want to play video games with me?" Souta asked excitedly.

"Sure kid." Inuyasha said as he stuffed cooked noodles in his mouth. Kagome shook her head as she watched Inuyasha's table manners.

After dinner, the group parted ways. Souta and Inuyasha made their way towards the television set while Kagome went up to the bathroom and took a well needed bath. Mrs. Higurashi was cleaning the kitchen peacefully with Buyo being a lazy cat and eating his cat food. Jii-chan on the other hand went towards the living room, only to be kicked off the TV set by his grandson and a half demon. He decided to take a long nap on the couch.

* * *

Kagome got out of her bath water and wrapped a pink towel around her body as she pulled the plug out of the drain and let the water run into the pipes. She then wiped the fog off the mirror with her hand and looked at herself.

'_I've changed so much.' _Kagome thought to herself as she looked into her own eyes that were a chocolate brown with a purple ring and a golden ring around her pupil. _'From a regular school girl to… a warrior from the feudal era… sort of.' _Kagome then took out her tooth brush and started to brush her teeth with a green minty tooth paste.

Once her hygiene was in order, Kagome went out of the bathroom, still in only a towel, and went into her bedroom. She then went into her closet and pulled out a pair of pink and green plaid pajama pants and a random white t-shirt that had a pink golf ball on it.

'_I kind of wonder where this shirt came from, but whatever.' _Kagome thought as she put it over her head. She then towel dried her hair and draped the towel over her shoulders. Kagome made her way downstairs only to hear snoring from her grandfather and the loud battle cries from Souta's game system.

"Yes! I win again!"

"Keh," Kagome shook her head as she watched the two boys stare at the television screen. She stood at the door way and leaned against the door frame.

"Give it a rest guys." Kagome called as she walked over to them and looked down at the screen where a ninja was doing a victory dance and another guy with overly large muscles and no shirt was lying on the floor.

"Aw, sis, but we were having fun." Souta whined. Kagome smiled and ruffled the boy's black hair.

"Fun my a-" Inuyasha started to say but was stopped by Kagome's glare.

"Don't say that in front of my little brother!" Kagome complained. "Anyways, don't you have school tomorrow, Souta?"

"Yeah, so?" Souta argued back.

"Souta, go to bed! You have school tomorrow." A feminine voice said from the kitchen.

"Ha." Kagome mocked.

"You have school too!" Souta complained.

"I'm older." Kagome said.

"Fine." Souta grumbled as he turned off the game and made his way slowly up the stairs.

"I'm going to bed." Kagome said to Inuyasha who was still sitting on the floor in front of the TV.

"I'll go with you." Inuyasha said.

"You don't have to." Inuyasha shrugged.

"Too bad."

"Okay." Kagome said. The priestess and half demon walked up the wooden stairs and to Kagome's overly pink bedroom. She then put the towel that hung around her shoulder in the laundry basket and picked up a comb. Kagome slowly raked the black comb through her hair and untangled all the knots.

When Kagome turned around and faced her bed, she saw Inuyasha lying on his back with his arms folded behind his head. He was lying over the covers again and stared at the ceiling.

"Is something bothering you?" Kagome asked.

"No, not at all. Why do you ask?" Inuyasha asked as he turned his head and looked at the girl.

"I don't know, you seemed spaced out, that's all." Kagome said with a shrug. "Aren't you cold or something?"

"Nope." Inuyasha said.

"Well, I think you should go under the blanket." Kagome said. "I don't want you to catch a cold or anything."

"Keh, I'm half demon, I don't get colds."

"Yes you do. Just please? Do it for me?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha thought about it for a second before falling for the pouty look on Kagome's face.

"Fine." Inuyasha said as he got off the bed and pulled the covers down then sat down. "Happy?"

"Yep." Kagome said as she made her way to the bed and lay down. "Good night."

"Night." Inuyasha said as he turned to his side and faced Kagome.

…The Next Morning…

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Kagome groaned as she heard the annoying ringing noise from her pink alarm clock. She slowly opened her eyes and cracked a smile at what she saw. Inuyasha was up and biting the alarm clock, trying to disable the thing.

"Damned thing!" Inuyasha yelled. "That's it! I'll use Tetsusaiga to shut you up!" Kagome shook her head and slowly made her way towards the alarm clock that Inuyasha has placed on the floor. She picked it up and pressed a button just as Inuyasha grabbed his beloved sword.

"Don't kill an inanimate object, Inuyasha." Kagome said as she rubbed one of her eyes with her hand.

"Keh! It was annoying." Inuyasha grumbled. He then put the sword back with Kagome's weapon pile and leaned against the wall.

"Okay, I'm going to take a shower." Kagome said as she went into her closet and grabbed her green school uniform. "Why don't you go down to breakfast?"

"Feh, you can't order me around like some… some…" Inuyasha said before running out of ideas.

"Good come back." Kagome said sarcastically. With that, Kagome left her room and went into the bathroom.

"Keh." Inuyasha said as he walked out the door and down the stairs.

"Good morning, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said happily as she placed scrambled eggs in front of him. "Eat up."

"Morning." Inuyasha said then picked up a pair of chopsticks. "Thanks." Mrs. Higurashi smiled and kept cooking the morning breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes that were currently cooking.

"Morning mom! Morning Inuyasha!" Souta said as he hopped onto a chair. "Mom, do I have to go to school?"

"Yes, now eat up." Mrs. Higurashi said as she placed more scrambled eggs in front of the little boy.

"Good morning everyone." Kagome said as she entered the kitchen in her green mini skirt and white blouse with a red tie.

"Kagome, do me a favor and get grandfather from outside for me?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Sure mom." Kagome said then exited the kitchen and out the front door. "Gramps! Breakfast!" Kagome yelled to the outside world.

"Yes, yes, I'm coming." The old man said as he walked past his granddaughter and into the kitchen. "Morning everyone."

Kagome came into the kitchen trailing slightly behind her grandfather and sat in the seat next to the half dog demon.

"Kagome, Souta, hurry and eat, it's almost time for school to start." Mrs. Higurashi said sweetly.

"Okay mom." Kagome said as she hurriedly gulped down some scrambled eggs and a piece of bacon.

"Done!" Souta called out as he jumped out of his chair and ran to his room to get his backpack.

"Me too." Kagome said as she also got out of her seat, but this time put her dish in the sink. "See you later." With that, she left the kitchen and grabbed her blue backpack that was conveniently sitting on the floor of the hall by the door. Inuyasha also excused himself and followed his girl out the door.

Souta ran down the stairs and down the hall. He passed his sister and the hanyou when he ran out the door and down the thousands of steps.

"What time are you back?" Inuyasha asked as grabbed a baseball hat and escorted Kagome out the door.

"Around 3:30. Don't get into trouble, okay?" Kagome said sternly as the two made it to the edge of the stairs, still at the top of them.

"Can't promise you that." Inuyasha said with a smile. Kagome smiled back and gave a playful roll of her eyes. "Come on, I'll walk you there."

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, come on." Inuyasha said as he took Kagome's navy blue backpack and started descending the stairs.

After a while of climbing down stairs, the two made it down and were walking on the sidewalk with a comfortable silence.

"Say, Inuyasha," Kagome started.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so…?"

"So… What?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"I don't know. Helpful, all of a sudden. It's almost like you care." Kagome joked.

"Keh, of course I care. I'm your fucking mate." Inuyasha said. "Besides, I already don't deserve you as it is. The only thing I can do in return is be helpful." Kagome looked into his eyes, that we looking straight ahead of them. She then laced her left hand with his right.

"Don't say that." Kagome said calmly. "You deserve me. It's me that doesn't deserve you all too much."

"What do you-" Inuyasha said but was cut off. The talking couple didn't even notice that they made it onto school grounds.

"Kagome!" screams were heard from the distance. Kagome and Inuyasha looked back.

"Hey, Yuka, Ayumi, Eri, what's up?" Kagome asked as the girls were in hearing range.

"Kagome, you've been sick for so long and all you can ask is 'what's up'?" The girl with short dark brown hair, Yuka, asked.

"Yeah, Kagome. One day it's tuberculosis and now anemia?" The second girl with short hair and a yellow headband said.

"Wait, I thought she had pneumonia…" The third girl who had medium length wavy hair that was half clipped up, Ayumi, thought out loud to herself.

"Uh…" Kagome said nervously. "I-I'm fine, don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" Eri asked then she noticed the man with long silver hair, a gaudy red outfit, golden eyes, and a baseball cap standing next to the girl. "Kagome, who's that?"

"Oh, this is my ma-….boyfriend." Kagome said as she slipped up a bit. _'I really hope they didn't notice that slip.' _

"You're boyfriend?" Yuka asked. "You mean the possessive, violent, one?"

"Hey," Inuyasha said accusingly but the girls waved him off.

"Uh, ha-ha, funny story," Kagome said nervously. "Yeah it's the same guy, but-"

"What are your intentions with her?" Eri accused as she turned towards Inuyasha.

"I don't have any." Inuyasha said a bit confused.

"Wow, you have nice hair." Ayumi said from out of nowhere. "Did you dye this?"

"Um, no it's naturally that color." Inuyasha answered.

"What's up with the outfit?" Yuka asked next.

"He's helping my grandfather with something." Kagome quickly cut in.

"Can I touch your hair?" Eri ask, getting off her accusation.

"Uh, I guess." Inuyasha said slowly. The three girls, exception of Kagome, walked up to the said boy and started touching his hair cautiously.

"Wow, it's so soft." Ayumi noticed.

'_You girls are so weird.' _Inuyasha thought to himself.

"So have you and Kagome been seeing each other long?" Yuka piped up.

"Yeah, sure." Inuyasha said. _'You mean literal seeing?' _Inuyasha asked himself.

"And what about your eyes? Are they contacts?" Eri asked.

"No, those are naturally like that too." Inuyasha answered.

"Wow, look, they have a brown ring inside them." Ayumi said as she examined Inuyasha's eyes closely. Just then the school bell rang and the girls looked towards the front doors.

"That's my cue. See you later." Kagome said as she grabbed her blue backpack from Inuyasha.

"Okay, bye." Inuyasha said then briefly looked at the other girls before kissing Kagome at the corner of her eyes and started walking away, letting go of their entwined hands. "Don't get yourself in trouble."

"You too, and be easy on gramps." Kagome said. "Bye."

"Bye. Love you." Inuyasha said to her.

"Love you too." Kagome answered. Inuyasha smiled at her then started walking back towards the shrine with his arms crossed.

The four girls then started to walk towards the main entrance. It was a peaceful silence until the boy was for sure out of ear shot and they were inside.

"Oh my gosh!" The three girls, other than Kagome once again, screamed.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"He's so not like what you described him as." Yuka said. Kagome laughed nervously and put a hand behind her head.

"And he's so cute." Eri said. Kagome started to twitch slightly at the comment but ignored it.

"I'm jealous, Kagome." Ayumi said with a wink. The other two girls nodded in agreement.

"But what about Hojo?" Yuka asked.

"Good point." Eri said as she put a finger on her chin and started to think hard. The three girls went to their first class of the day and sat in the metal chairs that had a desk connected to it.

'_Oh god, I'm going to fail this class.' _Kagome groaned inwardly. Just then, her priestess energy pulsed, signaling a demonic aura. Kagome looked up confused. _'Inuyasha? No, it's a half demon. Two actually. It's seems like one of them is an ice demon while the other is a fire demon. Are demons still alive?' _

"Okay, class, we have two new students. Twins actually." The male teacher announced. "Please come in." Just as the command was said, two people entered the classroom.

'_The girl is the ice demon while the boy is the fire demon. I wonder why they're here. Why do they still exist?' _Kagome thought as she looked at the two intently.

"This young lady is named Aisu Yoshiyuki and this is her brother Kasai Yoshiyuki." The male teacher said. "Please have a seat next to… Hmm… In front of Eri." Eri then proceeded to raising her hand signaling who she was. The two nodded their heads and took two seats that were in front of the girl.

'_There aren't any other demons around here. I wonder where they came from.' _Kagome asked herself in her mind.

* * *

'_Did I sense two demonic auras back there?' _Inuyasha said in his mind. _'Nah, probably just thinking it.' _

'_You'll never know. Maybe you should watch over her.' _His conscience argued.

'_I want to, but Kagome will just get mad and say that she can take care of herself. If anything _real _bad happens, she can just tell me by using our mating mark.' _Inuyasha said back.

'_But that doesn't tell you what happened. Only that she needs your help.' _His conscience said.

'_You know, if you actually convince me of doing this, you're getting us into real shit.' _

'_Okay, suit yourself. Demons aren't around here, you know that, so isn't it weird that you just _suddenly _sense one?' _

'_Yeah, but still…' _Inuyasha thought worriedly as he stopped his walking. During his musings and argument with his own mind, Inuyasha's feet made it to the bottom of the shrine steps. He then turned back towards the direction where he just dropped off Kagome. _'Kagome…' _

* * *

The bell rang, signaling that the first class has officially ended for the day. The students were ecstatic about it, until they figured out that there are many more classes left. The students in the class rushed out of the room, leaving behind Kagome, Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, and the two new students, Aisu and Kasai.

Aisu and Kasai were the next to exit the now empty class. They had a map of the school in their hands as they slowly walked out. Kagome noticed their confused faces and turned towards her friends.

'_What better way of getting answer if I just talk to them?' _Kagome asked herself. "Hey, guys, why don't you go ahead without me, I'm going to help the two new students."

"You sure, Kagome?" Eri asked.

"You're too nice for your own good." Yuka commented.

"I've heard that one before." Kagome said with a smile. _'Inuyasha…' _

"Well, if you're sure, then we'll get going. See you later." Ayumi said.

"Bye." Eri and Yuka said in unison as they walked out the door. Kagome then walked out of the door and ran to catch up with the two newbie's.

"Hi," Kagome said cheerfully.

"Uh, hi." The girl, Aisu said nervously. She had long light blond hair and stunning light blue eyes. She was tall and had on the regular green uniform for females.

"I'm Kagome; I was in your last period class." Kagome said. "Do you need help?"

"No we're good." The boy, Kasai, snarled. Kagome was taken back a bit, but was pretty use to the behavior considering she hung around Inuyasha.

"Kasai! She's only trying to help." Scolded his sister, Aisu. Kasai, unlike his sister, had stunning red hair that was short and orange eyes. He was tall and muscular and had on the traditional dark blue male school uniform of long pants and a blazer.

"Wait, did you say your name was Kagome?" Kasai asked.

"Yeah," Kagome answered, unsure of where this was going.

"Kagome _Higurashi_?" Aisu asked.

"How do you know my last name? I didn't tell you." Kagome asked a bit scared now.

* * *

*

* * *

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	37. Concealment

**Disclaimer: Never owned Inuyasha… Most likely never will.**

* * *

Concealment

"Wait, did you say your name was Kagome?" Kasai asked.

"Yeah," Kagome answered, unsure of where this was going.

"Kagome _Higurashi_?" Aisu asked.

"How do you know my last name? I didn't tell you." Kagome asked a bit scared now.

* * *

'_Okay, suit yourself. Demons aren't around here, you know that, so isn't it weird that you just _suddenly _sense one?' _Inuyasha's conscience said.

'_Yeah, but still…' _Inuyasha thought worriedly as he stopped his walking. During his musings and argument with his own mind, Inuyasha's feet made it to the bottom of the shrine steps. He then turned back towards the direction where he just dropped off Kagome at school. _'Kagome…' _

* * *

"Why don't you help us try to get everything situated?" Miroku suggested. Shippo wiped the tears away and jumped out of Sango's arms.

"You bet." Shippo said, waiting for his first order. Miroku smiled at him and went on to get the hut livable.

* * *

"No way." Aisu said stunned as she found that the girl in front of her was named Kagome Higurashi.

"What?" Kagome asked.

"Well, we finally found our beloved little cousin." Kasai said as he put an arm around Kagome's shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold the phone." Kagome said as she stepped out of Kasai's arms and stood a few feet away. "I have half demon cousins?"

"Shh!" Aisu and Kasai hissed. "How do you even know we're half demons?"

"Uh…" Kagome said as she laughed nervously. "I'm kind of a priestess."

"Oh, I didn't know our cousin was a priestess." Aisu said.

"Me either. Mom and dad didn't mention it." Kasai said next.

"They probably don't really know." Kagome said to them.

"Hey have you seen cousin Eiji and Amaya lately?" Aisu asked.

"Or Aunt Mari and Uncle Takao?" Kasai asked.

"No, the last I heard was when they gave me gifts for my fifteenth birthday." Kagome said as the three of them started walking towards class again.

"Oh, about your birthday," Aisu started. "We're really sorry we didn't get you anything."

"Don't worry about it. Hey I didn't even know I had cousins besides Eiji and Amaya." Kagome shrugged.

"We kind of keep ourselves hidden." Kasai said next in his gruff voice.

"Why though? We're family." Kagome stated.

"Because…" Aisu started. "We're part demon, and like you probably know, we don't exactly 'exist' anymore."

"Oh, well, are you ever going to show yourselves to Eiji and Amaya and their parents Mari and Takao?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, eventually, when our father thinks it's safe." Aisu answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he doesn't even know we found at least one cousin." Kasai said. "And if people knew we were half demon, then something bad will probably happen."

"Wait, let me get this straight. I have an aunt that married and mated a demon. Right?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, that's what happened." Kasai said.

"An aunt from which side?"

"Your mother's side, Kagome." Aisu said.

"I see." Kagome said. "Hey, class is about to start, why don't we finish this conversation at my house?"

"Oh, no, Kagome, we couldn't do that." Aisu said. "Besides, your mom and brother and grandfather will probably freak."

"Believe me when I say we deal with demons every day." Kagome said as she winked at them. "Well there's your class. Meet me at the front door after school, okay?" With that Kagome ran off to her own class.

"Wait!" Aisu tried to call back.

"What does she mean by 'we deal with demons every day'?" Kasai asked his ice half demon sister.

"I don't know." Aisu said. They shook their head before entering the class.

(If you're wondering who Eiji, Amaya, Mari, and Takao are, check out Chapter: _Scattered Glass_)

* * *

"What took you so long?" Eri asked once Kagome entered the class room.

"Oh sorry, we were just talking." Kagome said.

"And what did they say?" Yuka asked as she got interested in what Kagome had to say.

"It turns out they're my cousins." Kagome said.

"Your cousins?" Ayumi asked.

"Wait, I thought the only cousins you had were Eiji and Amaya." Yuka noticed.

"It turns out I had one more aunt that kept herself hidden for one reason or another and had two kids." Kagome said. Just then the bell rang and the students quieted themselves down as their teacher began teaching.

…After School…

"You sure you don't want to walk with us?" Eri asked the priestess.

"Yeah, come on, we never get to hang out anymore." Yuka pleaded.

"Sorry, but my new cousins and I are going to meet my family." Kagome said. "But we can hang out tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Ayumi asked.

"Yeah, you guys go ahead." Kagome said as she waved to them. "Bye!"

"Bye." The other three girls said as they waved Kagome off as she went over to the front of the school.

Kagome walked towards the front of the school and look for her two newly acquired long lost cousins.

"Kagome," Aisu said as she appeared behind the priestess. Kagome quickly turns around and finds the light blond girl and her brother with red hair right behind her.

"Hey, how was school?" Kagome asked.

"Not bad." Kasai said with a shrug. "Look, about meeting your family…"

"Oh, yeah, come on, you'll love them." Kagome said as she took both of their hands and walked towards her shrine home.

"No wait," Aisu said pleading.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked as she stopped.

"We have to go to our hotel room first." Kasai said. "And check in with our father."

"Hotel room? What are you doing there?" Kagome asked.

"Demon's don't live here on the main island. And we came with our parents when my father came here for business. So for three months we're going to be living in a hotel." Kasai explained.

"Oh, okay, we're going to talk about this when we're in private." Kagome said sternly as they started walking towards the Tokyo Hotel.

* * *

"Where is she?" Inuyasha grumbled irritably as he paced in front of the Sacred Tree.

"Relax Inuyasha," Souta said as he bounced a soccer ball on his knees. "She'll come back. This is her home."

"Keh, I _know _that." Inuyasha said. "But she should've been back by now."

"Kagome is probably off with her friends." Mrs. Higurashi said as she walked up the many shrine steps carrying grocery bags.

"Humph." Inuyasha said quietly to himself before flipping his right wrist over and looking at the bite marks on his wrist. _'They're not glowing or burning. She's not in trouble, but still…' _Inuyasha thought as he looked off the high shrine steps and into the city of Tokyo.

"Ah, Buyo!" Souta yelled as he kicked his soccer ball that housed his fat cat on top of it. The cat quickly jumped off the black and white ball and landed a foot where it was. The soccer ball flew towards the storage house where artifacts lay. The next thing that was heard was of cracking glass.

"Oh no, my vase!" yelled an old voice from inside the small hut. Souta twitched as he knew the upcoming trouble he got himself into.

"Uh…" Souta said as he quietly made his way into the house without having anyone notice, except for a pair of purple eyes and glowing pink eyes.

From inside the well walls, two figures shook their heads at the young boy's antics. They then clawed their way out the door by sliding it to the side slightly. A two tail dog demon then squeezed its way out and found a half demon clad in red and ran over to him. She then jumped onto his shoulder and nuzzled his neck.

"Woof." Keiko said in greeting.

"Hey Keiko." Inuyasha said absently as he put a hand on the demons head.

"Something wrong, Inuyasha?" asked Avion as she perched herself on Inuyasha's shoulder that wasn't occupied by Keiko.

"Kagome is supposed to be back by now," Inuyasha said.

"Is your mating mark giving any signals that she's in trouble? Like glowing or a burning sensation?" Avion asked.

"No." Inuyasha answered simply.

"Then she's just fine. Trust her." Avion said as she flew off his shoulder and into a branch of the Sacred Tree.

"Woof." Keiko said as if agreeing to the spiritual bird. Inuyasha just started to pace again until he came to the Sacred Tree and sat down near its roots.

* * *

"Sango, when are Kagome and Inuyasha coming back?" Shippo asked innocently as he helped the demon slayer prepare tonight's dinner.

"In a three or four days, it always happens like that." Sango replied as she cut up some vegetables they had gathered.

"Okay," Shippo said as he was satisfied by the answer.

"You haven't seen Miroku or Kirara, have you Shippo?" Sango asked suddenly. The fox demon looked at her quizzically then slowly shook his head no.

"I saw them this morning, but other than that, it seemed like they disappeared." Shippo answered. Sango sighed.

"Oh well, I'm sure they'll be back for supper." Sango said.

* * *

The monk in purple and black robes went through the forest with a cream colored neko manta demon following besides him.

"Thanks for taking me to the other village, Kirara." said Miroku as they walked back towards the hut where Sango and Shippo were.

"Mew." Kirara said in response.

"Why don't I get you a nice fish for dinner, huh?" Miroku suggested as they made a quick detour towards the river.

"Mew." Kirara meowed happily as she skipped towards the flowing river. After a few minutes of trying, Miroku finally got the fish for the two tail cat demon.

"Okay, let's go home." Miroku said happily as he carried the fish back towards the hut.

Once the two entered the hut, two sets of eyes were instantly on them, staring the monk and the neko manta demon.

"Where have you been?" Shippo asked instantly.

"Out." Miroku answered simply. Sango raised an eyebrow but shook her head and resumed cooking dinner. _'Sango, I hope you like what I got from the other village.' _Miroku thought as he quickly changed the topic. "Do you know when Inuyasha and Kagome will be back?"

"Uh… Probably in three or four days, like usual." Sango answered the same question twice.

"Alright, then we wait." Miroku said joylessly. Sango looked at him skeptically but continued her dinner.

* * *

"Do you know when Inuyasha and Kagome will be back?"

"Uh… Probably in three or four days, like usual."

"Alright, then we wait."

'_Interesting.' _A female thought as she hid in a nearby bush next to the couple's newly constructed wooden hut. _'The half demon and priestess are away. No matter, that'll only give me more time to construct our playing field.' _The woman thought evilly as she disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

* * *

"Sango, did you just feel that demonic aura?" Miroku asked worriedly.

"No, why?" Sango asked. "Is there one?"

"No, it's nothing, never mind." Miroku said, not wanting to worry the demon slayer. _'Some demon must've concealed its demonic aura. Better be on my guard.' _Miroku thought as he continued helping with dinner.

* * *

"Mom, Dad, we're home." A half demon with red hair said as he unlocked the hotel room.

"Kasai, Aisu, how was your first day at school?" A sweet female voice asked as she rounded the corner. "Who's this?" She said warily.

"Oh mom this is-" Aisu said but was cut off by a strong male voice.

"Welcome back, how was-" A male with red hair and streaking blond highlights said before he stopped short once he saw the priestess behind his children. "Shit." He cursed to himself before he chanted something and his hair became a solid light red and his demonic features, like his pointed ears, disappeared. "You saw nothing." He voice stern and loud.

Kagome put her hands up in defense on either side of her head. She looked unafraid at the demon as he threateningly stepped up to her.

"Dad!" Aisu said. "It's okay."

"How is it okay?!" The large male said.

"She's Kagome," Kasai said.

"Kagome?" The female, known as the twin's mother, asked. "As in the Kagome that is the daughter of my sister?"

"Yep," Aisu said happily. "We just wanted to check in with you before going to her place."

"Dad, you can let that concealment spell down, she's not going to do anything." Kasai said as he eyed his father then Kagome, who looked unfazed by the happenings.

"And how do you know that?" Their father snarled.

"She knew we were half demons before we even told her." Aisu said simply.

"And she already knew that you were demon, dad." Kasai added.

"Um..." Kagome piped up. "Not to interrupt all of this, but why don't we all go to my house? I'm sure my mother would love to see her sister again."

"No, absolutely not." The father said instantly.

"Aw, come on Rokuro, dear, I haven't seen my sister in so long." The mother begged.

"Hiromi, you know as well as I do, we aren't supposed to interact so much with people who don't know demon existence." Rokuro, the father, said sternly to his wife and mate.

"Would it help you if I said that we deal with demons every day?" Kagome asked.

"And why is that, young lady?" Rokuro asked.

"Because we do…?" Kagome said unsure of how to answer.

"Well, I for one would love to go. I'll look after the kids." Hiromi, the mother, said as she went to grab a pair of shoes and her purse.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you." Rokuro relented. "But once sense of danger and we're out and going back to our _real _home."

"I assure you, sir that nothing will happen to you, your mate, and your children." Kagome said sincerely. "Besides, we can't hurt family." Kagome said as she led the way out of the hotel room and towards her shrine home.

"One thing, Kagome, how did you know what we were?" Rokuro asked once he looked around and saw no one near them to hear.

"I'm a priestess sir, I just sense these things." Kagome said with a slight wink. "Can you answer some of my questions as well?"

"Sure," Hiromi said instantly. Her mate looked warily at her but let her go, deciding that the priestess meant no harm, so far.

"Where are demons now? There certainly not around here." Kagome asked.

"Well, you see, demons live on the smaller islands, away from this massive main one. They generally live away, and if in the presence of humans, use spells. But all demons stay in their own island instead of ever coming here." Hiromi answered.

"Then why are you here?" Kagome asked.

"Well, you see Rokuro works for a company and they had a shipment that couldn't make it to the island. But there are more than one that will come over a period of three months." Hiromi said.

"Then why…" Kagome started, but stopped her question before it sounded rude.

"Why are we," Hiromi said as she pointed to herself and her two kids. "Here?"

"Uh… Yeah." Kagome said as they walked down the sidewalk towards the shrine.

"I just wanted to follow and we couldn't leave the kids, so we're here for three months. And they couldn't miss school, so we enrolled them here as well." Hiromi answered.

"Oh, I see." Kagome said as she turned back towards the sidewalk.

"Does that answer all of your questions, curious little cousin of ours?" Aisu said playfully. Kagome laughed.

"Yep, that's all, thanks." Kagome said. The shrine steps came into view.

* * *

The wind blew into the dog half demons face as he leaned against his favorite tree with his hands behind his head. He sniffed the air and a familiar scent came into contact with his sensitive nose.

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as he stood up and went down the stairs, using his demonic skills to propel him down.

* * *

"Oh, there's the shrine." Kagome said once she noticed the many steps.

"A shrine?" Rokuro said. "Are you trying to purify us?"

"Rokuro!" Hiromi scolded.

"Dad," Aisu and Kasai said next. The group stopped at the bottom of the steps, arguing.

"Look, we're not going to do anything. But if you're still wary, you can always stay out here." Kagome offered.

"And let my family get hurt, not likely." Rokuro said.

"Why do you have to be so harsh?" Hiromi asked sternly. "They're not going to do _anything._"

"I assure you, we don't hurt any of the demons that are already there, and we're not going to hurt you. Besides, we're all family." Kagome tried.

"Other demons?" Rokuro asked.

"Kagome," a voice said as it descended down the stairs. "Where were you?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her mid section. "I was out, getting some friends."

"Friends?" Inuyasha asked. He then looked up and finally saw the group in front of him. He began to snarl at them and tightened his grip on his own mate as he sensed their demonic auras. Rokuro, in turn, growled back at the threat. "Stay away from her."

"Inuyasha, cool it." Kagome said sternly as she reached back and wrapped an arm around his neck. She then released a calming energy and the half demon and the full demon calmed down. "They're my family."

"Family, huh?" Inuyasha asked. "I didn't know you had a demon family."

"Neither did I; until today." Kagome answered him.

"Then how do you know they're family?" Inuyasha said as he emitted a low growl in warning.

"Because I know that," Kagome said as she looked towards Hiromi. "Is my mother's sister."

"Oh?" Inuyasha asked, still not quite letting down his guard.

"Okay, why don't we just go up and let my mother decide, okay?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha nodded and grabbed Kagome's hand, just in case. Kagome motioned for the family to follow. They did slowly.

Once up the many steps, the group looked around while Inuyasha and Kagome stood and talked a little distance away.

"Are you sure about them, Kagome? The man's a demon and the two kids are half demons." Inuyasha said.

"Yes, I'm positive, they won't try anything." Kagome said.

"I thought you said no demons existed in your time." Inuyasha said.

"Well, that's what I thought. Turns out they hide out in the little islands of Japan instead of staying in the main one with us humans." Kagome said with a shrug. Inuyasha looked at her then at the family.

"Aw what a cute puppy." Aisu said from behind Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagome looked around and saw that Aisu had picked up Keiko and was holding her so that her two back paws were dangling.

"Her name is Keiko; she's an inu manta demon." Kagome said as she left Inuyasha's side and went over to her cousins.

"I guess you do deal with demons every day." Kasai said as he watched something in the sky. Kagome looked up as well.

"That would be Avion. She's a spiritual bird." Kagome answered.

"Created by whom?" Rokuro asked, suddenly interested.

"Me," Kagome answered. She then whistled a loud short noise. Avion flew down towards her shoulder and landed.

"You must be powerful." Rokuro said.

"Yeah, she is." Inuyasha said as he protectively came up behind her.

"Uh, let's go see my mom, shall we?" Kagome quickly cut in before something happened. She then pulled Inuyasha with her as she entered the house. "Mom?"

"Yes dear?" Mrs. Higurashi said as she came out of the living room.

"I have a surprise guest." Kagome said as she stepped out of the way and ushered the other family into their home.

"Hey Izumi." Hiromi timidly said as she entered.

"Your mom's name is Izumi?" Inuyasha asked Kagome quietly.

"Yeah, I didn't tell you?" Kagome said.

"No," Inuyasha answered simply.

"Well now you know." Kagome replied as she dragged him into the kitchen.

"I haven't seen you in so long." Mrs. Izumi Higurashi said as she went to hug her sister. "Where have you been?"

"I've been with my own family." Hiromi said.

"Why didn't you visit or anything?"

"Because I married a demon," Hiromi answered. "So we couldn't really interact with humans."

"But we're family." Mrs. Higurashi said.

"But you would've freaked out." Hiromi said.

"We would've, I can't deny that. But that's until Kagome brought him," Mrs. Higurashi said as she pointed towards the two in the kitchen. "Home."

"Who is he?" Hiromi asked.

"Well, let's go to the living room." Izumi said as she ushered them to the living room where the television set was still on.

Keiko shifted in the arms of Aisu then jumped off and scampered towards the kitchen in hopes of finding Kagome. Avion suddenly flew out of the kitchen and towards the adults in the group who were silently sitting on the couch.

"Would you like some tea?" Avion asked.

"That'll be great, Avion." Mrs. Higurashi said as she started to get up.

"No need, Kagome is already preparing it." Avion answered before flying back towards the kitchen.

"How kind." Hiromi said.

"Yes, I guess you don't mean harm to us." Rokuro said.

"No, we do not." Mrs. Higurashi said.

…Later Into the Day…

"It was nice seeing you again." Hiromi said to her beloved sister.

"You too, I missed you so much." Mrs. Higurashi said as she hugged her sister.

"Now that we know you won't hurt demons, we actually might be visiting you some time." Rokuro admitted.

"Bye Kagome!" Aisu said as she hugged her cousin. Kasai did the same briefly, before he heard a growl from behind the priestess.

"Bye guys," Kagome said. She then watched the family walk down the shrine steps. "That wasn't so bad, huh Inuyasha?"

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Come on, Inuyasha, he's my cousin. Kasai didn't mean anything by the hug." Kagome consoled.

"He better not have." Inuyasha said as he took his mate's hand and went upstairs. "Let's go to bed."

"Alright." Kagome relented. It was well past eleven at night after all.

"Oh, Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi called from the bottom of the steps. Kagome and Inuyasha looked down from the top.

"Yeah mom?" Kagome asked.

"Thanks for finding them." Mrs. Higurashi said with a smile. Kagome only laughed slightly.

"I was only trying to be nice and find out a little bit more on this 'demon in the twenty-first century' thing." Kagome said.

"Alright dear, good night." Mrs. Higurashi said with a smile on her face that wouldn't fade for quite a while.

"Night mom." Kagome said. "Is Souta and Gramps in bed?"

"Yep, just now." Mrs. Higurashi said before returning to the kitchen to get a bottle of water before heading off to bed.

Inuyasha and Kagome went towards her room and went into the room, only to plop down on the pink bed in exhaustion.

"Well, that was something, huh?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, let's just sleep." Inuyasha said as he yawned. Kagome only laughed at his antics. "What's so funny?"

"Well, on the other side, you don't even sleep all that much, and if you do, it's only lightly, but while you're here, all you ever want to do is sleep and eat." Kagome said while giggling. "It's just kind of funny." Inuyasha smiled at that.

"That's cause' I want to keep you safe on the other side." Inuyasha admitted as he rolled sideways slightly and draped an arm over Kagome's stomach. "There are no worries on this side."

"Okay, let's get to sleep." Kagome said. She got up from the bed and took a pile of pajamas to the bathroom to change. Inuyasha waited patiently as he got under the covers and snuggled himself in Kagome's scent.

'_This place smells of Kagome all over the place.' _Inuyasha said while closing his eyes and enjoying the sweet scent that surrounded the room around him. Without noticing, on Inuyasha's part, Kagome quietly slipped into the room and smiled at the sight before her. She then put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket near her desk and carefully sat down on the bed. She then got under the covers and laid sideways, facing away from Inuyasha.

With the sudden weight, Inuyasha opened his eyes and found silky ebony hair in front of him. He then moved his arm and draped it across Kagome's waist.

"I thought you were asleep." Kagome mumbled, on the brink of consciousness.

"Not yet, just enjoying the scent."

"What scent?"

"Yours." Inuyasha answered simply. Kagome turned in his arms and gave him a quick kiss on his nose.

"Good night." Kagome said as she cuddled into his warmth.

"Night." Inuyasha said as he closed his eyes. Both drifting off to sleep, not knowing what exactly is going on outside their little world.

* * *

"I wonder what Kagome and Inuyasha are doing." Shippo wondered as he looked up at the starry night.

"We'll just have to ask them when they get back, don't we." Sango said as she leaned on a wooden fence and looked up.

"Mew," Kirara said as she rubbed her head against Miroku's ankle. The monk looked down at the fire cat demon with confusion. "Mew,"

'_Oh, right.' _Miroku thought. "Hey, Sango,"

"Yeah?" Sango asked.

"I have something for you." Miroku said.

"What is it?" Sango asked as she fully turned around to look at the monk. Shippo, who was sitting on the fence, came up behind the demon slayer and looked curiously around her.

"Here," Miroku said as he grabbed something out of his kimono pocket. "I got this for you."

"Oh my god, Miroku, this is… wow." Sango said as Miroku put the object on the palm of the demon slayers hand.

"Do you like it?" Miroku asked. Shippo peered over Sango's shoulder and saw a sparkling piece of jewelry. It was a chain link bracelet that had a rather large diamond in the middle. Though there was no sun, it still sparkled in the night sky.

"Oh my god, where did you get this?" Sango asked in awe as Miroku clipped it onto her wrist.

"Well the chain came from the village over," Miroku said. "As for the diamond,"

"You didn't steal it, did you, monk?" Sango scowled.

"Of course not, it was from Inuyasha." Miroku answered simply.

" Inuyasha? Where did he get it from?" Sango asked.

"From his sword of course." Miroku said.

"You mean adamant barrage?" Shippo asked from behind them.

"That's the one." Miroku said. "So do you like it?"

"I love it." Sango said. "Thanks so much."

"Anything for you, my dearest." Miroku said. Sango blushed slightly but continue to look at the bracelet.

"Does that mean Inuyasha got something for Kagome?" Sango asked.

"Yep, next time you see her, check her neck." Miroku said.

"Her neck?" Shippo asked.

"Inuyasha got her a necklace with a diamond in the shape of a fang." Miroku answered.

Just then, a pulse ran through the monk. He cautiously looked around but found nothing in particular. He then looked towards his wife-to-be and found that she doesn't notice a thing.

"Hey, Miroku, we should get home, it's late." Sango said suddenly.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Miroku said, still wary. _'That's the second time I've felt a demonic aura that suddenly appears then disappears.' _

"Can I stay with you guys tonight?" Shippo asked as he bounded on Miroku's shoulder. Kirara jumped up towards Sango's awaiting arms and snuggled herself in the arms comfortably.

"Fine with me." Sango said.

"That's a good idea." Miroku said still silently checking the surrounding are with his spiritual powers.

The group of four walked through the forest path that leads to their newly constructed hut. Half way there, a rustling in the foliage near the group brought their attention towards the side of the road. Shippo scurried behind Miroku while Kirara jumped out of Sango's arms and transformed in a burst of fire.

"Hey, Miroku, do you sense anything? Because I don't." Sango said quietly.

"Just stay on your guard, Sango, and stay close." Miroku whispered, though in truth, he sensed something that was using some kind of concealing spell and hiding in the bush. "Sango, step back behind me, you don't have Hiraikotsu."

"Alright." Sango said. _'I still have that sword hidden in my forearm, I'm not _completely _defenseless, and besides, I've had other training that goes along with being a demon slayer.' _Sango thought as she went slightly behind Miroku, though she was more to the side, while Kirara stood next to the monk's other side.

"So you know I'm here, huh monk?" A female voice said from inside the forest.

'_Why does it have to be night? We humans can't see well at night.' _Miroku thought then he looked down at Shippo, who had demonic sight. _'Maybe…' _

"So, tell me, monk and demon slayer, where are your friends? That half demon and the priestess." The female said, though she was still not seen.

"And why should we tell you that?" Sango hissed.

"Oh, feisty are we?" The female in the forest said with a laugh. "We'll see how feisty you are now!" With that, they female lunged herself out of the forest's darkness and towards Sango. Sango quickly popped her sword from her arm and got ready to swing. To the demon slayers surprise, the demon merely blew air towards the her.

"What the…?" Sango asked as she watched the air that was blown towards her turn blue and surround her feet. The air solidified itself into ice and wrapped around her feet and ankle, securing her to the ground. The female demon chuckled to herself as she saw Sango's helpless face.

"Not so high and mighty now, are you demon slayer?" The female ice demon said.

"Sango!" Miroku called as he saw her bindings. "What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The ice demon said. "Guess not,"

"Who are you?" Miroku asked as he got out Sacred Sutras and put spiritual energy in them.

"You can call me Chiyo," The female ice demon said. "And don't throw those; you'll only miss with your limited sight and all."

"Cocky little thing, aren't you?" Sango seethed.

"Fox Fire!" The sudden burst of light let the humans see what was in front of them. A female, at fair height, had long light blue hair in a high pony tail and dark blue eyes that showed that she was enjoying her play. She wore a white headband and a simply blue kimono that had darker blue flowers on it.

"Damn fox," Chiyo said as she formed multiple ice spears in her hand and through them around Shippo.

"Eep!" Shippo said as he got caged into the ice. Miroku finally decided to act and attacked the demon with his staff relentlessly. She, in turn, made ice form into a type of sword and battled the monk.

"Trying to protect what you call a 'pack' are you monk?" Chiyo said into his face. Miroku quickly stepped back.

"Miroku, careful!" Sango yelled. Chiyo turned her face towards the demon slayer and leaped towards her, grabbing her in her own arms while melting the ice that were holding Sango's feet to the ground. "The hell are you doing?!" Sango yelled.

"You're my hostage." Chiyo said with a grin as she formed an ice platform which started to float and head towards the north.

"What?" Sango seethed.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled. "Sacred Sutras!" Chiyo easily dodged the magic paper with a smirk. Sango swung her arm with the small blade towards the ice demon but it was quickly broken off as Chiyo grabbed it and threw it to the ground.

Sango, now defenseless, stared at the ice demon in her eyes, though she couldn't see well in the dark.

"With that look in your eyes, you've never been hostage before have you, demon slayer?" Chiyo asked in amusement.

'_Now I know how Kagome feels…' _Sango thought as she glared at her captor while struggling.

"Now, now, you wouldn't want to fall to your death, do you?" Chiyo asked as she made Sango look down, though there was no real point.

"Damn you," Sango seethed.

"Now, when the miko returns, we'll see if she will free you at any cost." Chiyo said as she grinned evilly.

"What?" Chiyo only chuckled a bit before turning her head and whipping a great wind across Inuyasha's Forest, covering it with frost and ice.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**SORRY IF THE BATTLE SCENE WAS BAD! (I really couldn't think)**

**TELL ME HOW YOU THINK! :)**


	38. Gone Missing

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha and Co. **

* * *

Gone Missing

Sango, now defenseless, stared at the ice demon in her eyes, though she couldn't see well in the dark.

"With that look in your eyes, you've never been hostage before have you, demon slayer?" Chiyo asked in amusement.

'_Now I know how Kagome feels…' _Sango thought as she glared at her captor while struggling.

"Now, now, you wouldn't want to fall to your death, do you?" Chiyo asked as she made Sango look down, though there was no real point.

"Damn you," Sango seethed.

"Now, when the miko returns, we'll see if she will free you at any cost." Chiyo said as she grinned evilly.

"What?" Chiyo only chuckled a bit before turning her head and whipping a great wind across Inuyasha's Forest, covering it with frost and ice, freezing its path.

* * *

Two days passed since the day two half demons with a full demon father and a human mother got introduced to the Higurashi family. Now, Kasai and Aisu, along with their parents, live in a hotel room for the next three months.

"When are we leaving?" Inuyasha asked impatiently as he watched Kagome brush her hair.

"How about later today? After I go out with my friends." Kagome said. Today was Saturday and Kagome's friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi, are determined to get Kagome to go to the mall with them.

"Keh, why can't we just leave now?"

"Because, for one, they forced me, and for two, I kind of feel bad. Can't I just spend the day with my friends?" Kagome asked as she turned around. Kagome wore a light wash jean mini skirt with a V-neck white, quarter shirt that had a design that looked like splatter painting.

"We have friends on the other side, have you forgotten about Miroku and Sango?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, but I see you guys more than I see my friends on this side." Kagome explained as she walked up to the half demon and stood in front of him while wrapping her arms around his waist. "Come on, please?"

"Feh," Inuyasha said as he put his arms around the priestess as well. "Fine, hurry back."

"Okay," Kagome said as she hopped out of the embrace and grabbed her almost unused cell phone. "I'll see you later." Kagome said as she kissed him briefly on the cheek then made her way out of the bedroom. Inuyasha stood there for a second before going out the door and heading towards the kitchen.

"Good morning, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said happily as she put down a plate with an omelet in front of him. "You must be hungry."

"Yeah, thanks." Inuyasha said as he started eating. "Did Kagome leave already?"

"Yes, she did. She's going to have breakfast with her friends. Well, it's almost lunch time now, so I guess it would be lunch." Mrs. Higurashi said happily. Inuyasha stayed quiet as he ate the omelet. "After you eat, do you mind helping Jii-chan move a few artifacts in the storage room?"

"Uh, sure, I could help." Inuyasha said as he got up and put the dish in the sink and started to help out by washing it. After watching Kagome wash the dishes a few times, the half demon grasped the concept of turning on the faucet and put running water on the plate.

"Don't worry about the plate, Inuyasha." Mrs. Higurashi said as she took the plate from him. "Jii-chan is out back in the storage room, with your half demon strength I'm sure you'd be more help than any of us."

"Alright," Inuyasha said as he walked out. _'This family is too nice.' _Inuyasha thought. He then made his way towards the storage hut. "Hey old man!"

"You ungrateful half demon," Jii-chan said as he came out of the wooden hut.

"You're daughter told me to help you." Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"Fine, move that vase _carefully _to the back. I'm going to go get a drink." Jii-chan said as he walked off towards the main house.

"Keh, old man." Inuyasha grumbled as he went over to the vase.

* * *

"Kagome!"

Kagome looked behind her to find her friends fast approaching her as she stood against a railing in the mall.

"Hey, guys." Kagome said as she turned around.

"Glad you made it this time." Yuka said as she got to where the girl was.

"Yeah, me too." Kagome said.

"I'm hungry. Let's go eat." Eri suggested.

"Sure, where?" Ayumi asked.

"WacDonalds?" Yuka asked.

"Sure," Eri said as she started walking off. Kagome on the other hand, was forgotten and just tagged along.

Once the four girls were at the fast food restaurant, they ordered the regular burger, fries, and a drink. They then sat at their usual table started random chit chat.

"So, Kagome, is your hot boyfriend still in town?" Yuka asked.

"Yeah," Kagome answered as she took a fry and ate it.

"Where did you find a hunk like him?" Eri asked. "I'm so jealous."

"And that day at school when he kissed you on the cheek was so cute." Ayumi commented.

"Uh…" Kagome said for a lack of speech.

"He's not as bad as you said he was." Yuka said.

"Yeah, and he said that he loved you. Is that true or is it like friend love?" Eri asked next.

"Um, guys, I don't think that-" Kagome said but got cut off.

"Hey Kagome." A male voice said from the side of their table.

"Hey Hojo." Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi said. Kagome was beginning to get irritated.

"So, Kagome, what have you been up to lately?" Hojo asked. "Do your multiple diseases bother you at all?" Kagome twitched at the comment.

"I'm fine Hojo, don't worry about it." Kagome said with a wave of her hand.

"So, uh, Kagome, you doing anything tomorrow?" Hojo asked nervously.

"Well, no, but-" Kagome started she once again couldn't finish her sentence.

"Well, do you want to go out tomorrow?" Hojo asked.

"Yes!" Yuka and Eri said instantly. Kagome whipped her head towards them.

"Great, I'll pick you up at six." Hojo said as he started walking away.

"Hojo wait!" Kagome called back. Hojo stopped and looked back at the girls. Kagome then turned her attention towards the two girls that answered for her. "Are you crazy? I have a boyfriend, if you forgot!" Kagome said getting angry.

"Oh yeah," Yuka said. "I guess we were setting you guys up so much, I guess that slipped our minds."

"Sorry Kagome." Eri said. Kagome sighed and turned back to the only boy at their table.

"Hojo, I'm sorry, but I have a boyfriend." Kagome said. "I can't cheat on him."

"Oh, I see." Hojo said sadly.

"We can still be friends." Kagome offered.

"Yeah, friends. That's good." Hojo said happily despite what he just found out. "I hope you and him are good for each other." Hojo said then left. After, the four girls sat in silence as Kagome sipped her drink.

"Kagome, I'm really sorry." Yuka said.

"Don't worry about it." Kagome said. "Let's just go shopping, okay?"

"Alright." Eri said as she got up and threw the garbage away.

"I heard there was a sale at the mall; want to go there or downtown?" Ayumi asked after being silent for a while.

"Well if it's a sale then I'm going to the mall." Yuka announced.

"Okay, then we'll go there." Eri said as she walked back towards the group.

"Alright," Kagome agreed as they walked out.

After a few hours of shopping, the girls came out of the mall and started to walk towards their homes.

"That was fun." Yuka commented.

"Yeah, we should do that again." Eri said next.

"How about next weekend?" Ayumi asked.

"Sure," Yuka and Eri said.

"How about you Kagome?" Ayumi asked.

"Um, I don't know, I'll have to see how it's going first." Kagome said. _'I might still be in the Feudal Era.'_ Kagome thought absently.

"Oh right, your diseases. Well I hope you're alright for next weekend." Yuka said.

"Yeah," Kagome said though not enthusiastically. "Well I got to go, see you." Kagome said as she turned and went to a different street.

"Bye Kagome!" The other three girls yelled as their friend left.

Kagome sighed as she made it away from her friends. She loved her friends, but sometimes she can only take so much of their antics.

'_This day was so exhausting.' _Kagome thought as she walked down the street. _'Now I have to face Inuyasha and his ranting.' _Kagome made her way towards the shrine steps and started climbing. Once she made it up the steps, Kagome entered her home. "I'm home."

"Welcome home dear, did you have fun?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she poked her head out from the kitchen door way.

"As much fun as you can have with my friends." Kagome said as she made her way to the living room. _'And I can't say that that's much.' _Kagome thought to herself.

"I win again!" Souta yelled as he put down his game controller and started to do a victory dance.

"Keh, you just got lucky." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Still can't beat my little brother, can you, Inuyasha?" Kagome said amusedly as she leaned on the door frame.

"Hey sis, you're back." Souta said. "You staying for dinner?"

"Yeah I guess." Kagome said. "What do you say, Inuyasha?"

"Fine, but just dinner, we have to get back." Inuyasha said as he stood up.

"Alright, I'll get my stuff ready." Kagome said. She then went upstairs and started packing her synch bag with medical supplies and other necessities such as a comb and extra clothes.

"Dinner!" a female voice, most likely Mrs. Higurashi considering she was the only other female, rang through the house. Kagome made her way towards the kitchen and found that everyone already sat down.

"Ah, Kagome how was your day?" Jii-chan asked.

"It was fine, how was yours?" Kagome asked.

"Very good." Gramps said.

"That's because you made me do all the work." Inuyasha mumbled as he picked up a piece of rice with his chop sticks. Kagome heard his mumbling considering she was sitting right next to him and decided to sooth him with a touch to the arm. Inuyasha looked at her and smiled a bit before returning his attention to eating.

"Are we leaving today?" Avion asked as she flew up and landed behind Kagome's chair.

"Yeah, after dinner." Kagome answered. Avion nodded and went off towards the fat cat, Buyo, to toy with the little guy for a little bit.

…After Dinner & At the Well House…

"Bye sis, come back soon, okay?" Souta said as he hugged his sister briefly.

"Okay, I'll try." Kagome said as they let go then ruffled the boy's hair.

"Bye dear, I love you." Mrs. Higurashi said.

"Don't get yourself killed." Jii-chan said. "Here take these charms; they will ensure your safety." He then handed Kagome a wooden plank that had the Japanese inscription of 'safety' on it on a key chain.

"Uh… Thanks gramps." Kagome said as she took the charms.

"Kagome," Inuyasha called as he put his foot on the lip of the well walls.

"Alright," Kagome said as she turned around and faced the enchanted well. "Bye guys! Love you!"

"See you later." Souta said.

"Bye dear." Mrs. Higurashi said next.

"Bye Kagome." Gramps said. Kagome nodded and jumped into the well with the half demon, inu manta demon, and the spiritual bird.

On the other side, the air grew chilly. Kagome shivered in her short fire rat kimono. Though she had her battle suit underneath and grey leggings going down up until the end of her knees, she still felt the chill in the air.

"Why is it so cold here?" Kagome asked. Avion flew directly up and stared into Inuyasha's forest.

"Uh… Inuyasha… are you protector of this forest?" Avion asked.

"It's my forest, so yeah, why?" Inuyasha asked as he took the duffel bag from Kagome.

"You aren't doing a good job." Avion said as she stared at it.

"What do you mean, bird?" Inuyasha asked as he and Kagome jumped out.

"Oh my god." Kagome said as she stared into the once green forest.

"What the hell happened?" Inuyasha asked to no one. Keiko sniffed the air a few times before taking a cautious step into the ice covered forest. Every tree, rock, water source, and living creature that once lived in Inuyasha's forest was covered in blue ice and frost.

"Where are Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara?" Kagome asked. "Avion, go to the village and check it out. Come find me when you're done."

"Okay," Avion said as she flew off towards Kaede's village.

"Inuyasha, do you smell anything?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha then sniffed the air.

"Frozen water, but that would be ice." Inuyasha said.

"Let's go check out their hut." Kagome encouraged as she started walking. Inuyasha quickly grabbed her hand and kept her close.

"Don't wander off." Inuyasha said as he carefully stepped onto the ice. Kagome laced their fingers together as she scanned the area with her spiritual power.

"Keiko," Kagome called. "Come on my shoulder." Keiko obeyed her command and jumped onto the priestess's shoulder. They walked down the path towards their friends newly constructed house and found it frozen from roof to ground floor. "Sango! Miroku!" Kagome yelled into the hut as she let go of Inuyasha's hand and opened the frosty mat the covered the door way.

Kagome then entered the hut, slipping slightly from the frost that coated the floor. She then went room to room, trying to find any signs of their friends.

"Any signs of them, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he looked around the hut.

"Nope, none." Kagome said. As the two went outside, Kagome caught something in her eye sight and started to run for it.

"Kagome, careful, its ice!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran to catch up to the priestess. Kagome ran and dodged the frozen trees easily until she tried to stop where a figure stood.

"Whoa!" Kagome said as she suddenly started falling back. Instead of falling onto the cold unforgiving floor, she was caught in muscular arms. "Hey," Kagome said as she looked back to the half demon.

"I told you to be careful." Inuyasha said.

"Yeah, but look." Kagome said as she pointed to the figure she found.

"Oh god." Inuyasha said.

"Woof." Keiko said as she jumped from Kagome's shoulder to the icy ground. In front of them were three figures frozen in ice. Miroku looking off into the sky with anger evident on his face as he stood still, while Kirara, in her transformed form, looked like she got ready to pounce but never got the chance, and Shippo was staring up into the sky looking helpless.

"Kagome," a female voice said from the sky.

"Avion," Kagome said as the bird flew down towards Kagome's shoulder and landed.

"The village is safe, no harm done." Avion said. Kagome nodded her thanks before looking at her friends frozen in ice.

"They're three here, where's Sango?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know, but let's get these guys to someplace remotely warm." Inuyasha said.

"But how do we get them there? They're iced to the floor." Kagome said.

"We'll crack them out." Inuyasha said as he pulled out Tetsusaiga. With a flash of yellow light, the fang transformed into its larger state, ready to be used. Kagome charged up her hand in spiritual power as she got ready to help, while Keiko went over to Kirara and started to blow some fire onto the ice around her. Inuyasha went over to Miroku and started pounding away at the ice with forceful thrust of his sword.

"Inuyasha, be careful! You could hurt him." Kagome said as she used her spiritual energy to melt the ice around Shippo's body. Avion went over to Keiko and started melting the ice around Kirara's top portion, where Keiko couldn't quite reach.

"I wonder how long they've been stuck in this thing." Avion asked as she roamed around Kirara, trying to get all the ice while Keiko melted the ice at her feet.

"Hopefully not too long." Kagome said as she finally got little Shippo out of his cage of ice. "Yes, got him." Kagome said as she cuddled Shippo to her chest. The little fox demon was unconscious and cold, but breathing none the less.

"Help me with Miroku, will you?" Inuyasha said as he was now clawing at the ice near the monk's head.

"Uh," Kagome said as she rushed over to the half demon after she put Shippo gently against a tree. "Maybe you shouldn't be that strong near Miroku's head." Kagome said as she recharged her hands and melted the ice there.

"Feh, the lecher needs to get out one way or another." Inuyasha grumbled as he started clawing the ice away near the monk's ankles. Kagome sighed.

"By the time you're done un-icing him, he's going to lose all his limbs, and for the hell of it, on your part, you're going to neuter him." Kagome said. Inuyasha just chuckled darkly at the thought. "Please don't do it." Kagome said as she closed her eyes to will away the oncoming headache.

"Fine," Inuyasha relented as he got one of Miroku's legs free from the ice.

After the longest time, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara were finally out of their ice prison and into the open. Once the neko manta demon collapsed on the ground, once the ice that was holding her up disappeared, she transformed back into her smaller self.

"Now what?" Kagome asked as she picked up Shippo and Kirara.

"Let's bring them to Kaede's hut. Ours would most likely be frozen as well." Inuyasha said.

"Alright." Kagome said as she started to walk off towards the village with the two unconscious demons in her arms. Inuyasha picked up Miroku and walked next to Kagome. "I'm still worried about Sango though."

"She's strong, I'm sure she can handle herself for a little bit longer."

"But a little bit longer could also be _bad_." Kagome pushed on. Inuyasha went to Kagome and quickly kissed Kagome on the lips.

"Why don't we get these three to Kaede's, have them treated, then I'll go look for her in the forest." Inuyasha said.

"You're not going alone, are you?" Kagome asked.

"Well Kaede probably needs you and Keiko is probably tired."

"At least take Avion with you. She doesn't get tired." Kagome said.

"Alright." Inuyasha said.

"Avion, after we get these three in Kaede's hut, I want you to go with Inuyasha, okay?" Kagome asked. "Can you do that for me?"

"Of course, Kagome, I'm your helper after all. I'm a part of your spiritual power, therefore being your servant."

"Don't say servant. I feel like I'm controlling you." Kagome said with a shudder.

"But you are. You decide whether I'm alive or not." Avion countered back.

"Well… then don't think of it that way." Kagome said.

"You two bicker almost as much as you and I." Inuyasha said to Kagome.

"Nah, we bicker a lot worst." Kagome said playfully.

"Maybe," Inuyasha said as they made it to the village. "Hey, old hag!" Inuyasha called.

"Aye, Inuyasha, have you seen your forest?" Kaede asked as she came out of the hut. "Oh my, what have they gotten themselves into?"

"They were trapped in ice and might have hypothermia. Can you help them?" Kagome asked.

"Sure child, bring them in the hut." Kaede said as she entered the hut followed by Inuyasha, Kagome, Avion, and Keiko. "Where's Sango?"

"We're not sure," Kagome said sadly.

"I'm going to look for her," Inuyasha said as he got up after placing Miroku on a mat. Avion, who was on Kagome's shoulder, flew up in the air and waited for the signal to follow. "You stay here." He said to Kagome sternly.

"Fine, but if you're gone _too _long then I'm going to go look for you." Kagome said back.

"I'll come back, don't worry." Inuyasha said as he kissed Kagome's head quickly before going out the door followed by Avion.

"Bye," Kagome whispered as she watched the two run out the door and into the forest of ice.

"Kagome, come help me with warming their bodies, please." Kaede asked.

"Of course." Kagome replied as she went over towards Miroku's body and covered him in a blanket. Kaede stroked the fire a bit to make the hut become warmer. "Kaede, do you know what happened?"

"Nay child, only after a night two days ago, the forest became a chill." Kaede said as she started mixing herbs in boiling water. Kagome stayed quiet as she covered Shippo and Kirara with a blanket as well. "Would you mind going outside and retrieving a few herbs?" Kaede asked after a while of silence.

"Sure, which herbs do you require?" Kagome asked as she stood up and picked up a wooden basket.

"The herbs that are dark green while having a peculiar scent and the leaves are circular." Kaede explains. "This herb will help heat up their bodies from hypothermia." Kagome nodded and went outside to gather the herbs for her friends.

* * *

Bare feet skid as they slip on the ice that covered the forest ground. Finally able to stop from his slips, Inuyasha turns his head from side to side.

"Where are we heading?" Avion asks as she flies over Inuyasha's head.

"I'm going to check our own hut, see if Sango hung out there." Inuyasha said as he started to run against the ice again.

"Careful Inuyasha, you don't want to crack your head open when you slip."

"Keh, I'm half demon, I'll be fine." Inuyasha grumbled as the hut he shared with Kagome came into view.

"Alright, but Kagome won't be very happy about it." Avion said as she made her way into the door way to the wooden hut.

"Feh," Inuyasha said as he stepped foot in the hut. "Sango! Are you in here?" Inuyasha called out. Avion flew into each room coming out with no new news. "Do you see her?"

"No," Avion said as she landed on Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Stupid ice, if it weren't for that fact, I would've scented her out by now." Inuyasha said.

"I wonder what happened." Avion said absently as they left the hut in search for the missing demon slayer.

"The only way we'll find out is when the others wake up and we ask them. For now, all we can do is look for Sango." Inuyasha said as he rushed through the forest with Avion following in the air.

"You're right, but what if Sango's not in the forest?" Avion asked. "What if something bad happened?"

"We don't know that," Inuyasha said as he found Miroku's and Sango's hut. The two then went inside and found Hiraikotsu and a sword leaning against the wall, covered in frost. "She didn't have any weapons with her though, except for that hidden blade."

"I hope we're not too late." Avion said as she went into a different room, coming out empty handed. Inuyasha picked up the weapons and strapped one to his back while putting the sword next to Tetsusaiga.

"She's never been captured before, why now?" Inuyasha asked as he made his way out of the hut and looked towards the starry night sky.

"Kagome was away, Sango is most likely taking her place."

"But why? How are they so sure that we will go after her?" Inuyasha said as he leapt into a tree, almost slipping out of it because of the ice under his feet.

"Won't you?"

"Well, yeah, but still." Inuyasha grumbled while he flew in the air before landing on the ground. "Damn, Hiraikotsu is annoying when you jump around." Inuyasha grumbled as he adjusts the weapon on his back. Avion chuckled to herself as she watched the half demon fidget with the weapon.

"Why don't we return to Kagome? She's probably worried." Avion suggested.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Inuyasha said absently as he walked towards the village. _'Did Sango get captured?' _

* * *

A groan was heard as a person sat up against a cold intolerant wall while their wrists were chained against it. The person shifted a bit before coming into consciousness.

"You're awake," Another person stated as they entered the dark cell. The person chained to the wall by their wrists instantly flung themselves forward but was thwarted back by the chains.

"Damn you," the person on the wall said.

"Sango was what the monk called you. I assume that's your name." The person at the door said.

"What significance does that have to do with anything?" Sango seethed as she struggled against the chains.

"None really," the girl said. "But your priestess friend will pay for your life."

"Pay? Pay what?" Sango asked.

"Her body, life, soul, Shikon Jewel shards, anything that my payer wants really."

"Payer? Who's that?" Sango asked.

"You don't need to know. But what you will do is stay quiet until your friends arrive. And once they do," the girl said as she walked towards Sango and cupped the demon slayers chin to make her look at her face.

"And once they do… What? What are you going to do to them, demon?" Sango asked getting angrier with every second passing.

"The name's Chiyo, surely you remember." The ice demon, Chiyo, said as she let go of Sango's face. "But once they do, you will do as I tell you."

"And what will that be?" Sango said growling. _'Like hell I'm going to do what you say.' _Sango thought.

"You'll see, that is, assuming they come for you." Chiyo said as she smirked. The ice demon then walked towards the cell doors and walked out while closing the door behind her.

"Damn, how did I get into this?" Sango asked herself quietly as she struggled against the chain bindings.

* * *

Inuyasha entered the old priestess's hut quietly as he watched Kagome pour a liquid down Miroku's mouth and into his throat.

"Hey, did you find Sango?" Kagome asked once she saw Hiraikotsu strapped to the half demons back.

"No, but we found her weapons in the hut she shares with Miroku." Inuyasha said as he set Hiraikotsu down against the wall.

"She doesn't have them with her?" Kagome asked in concern.

"I guess not," Inuyasha said as he settled besides Kagome. "How are they doing?"

"I'm having a hard time getting Miroku to go back to a normal temperature." Kagome said sadly as she poured the last drop of the hot herbal liquid down Miroku's throat. "But Shippo and Kirara seem to be doing okay."

"Woof," Keiko said as she watched the neko manta demon fidget before opening her red eyes. Kagome went over towards the two two-tail demons and kneeled down next to them.

"Kirara?" Kagome said as she petted the cat demon. "How are you feeling?"

"Mew," Kirara said weakly as she curled up into a ball to conserve the little warmth around her.

"Cold, huh?" Kagome said as she cuddled Kirara in the blanket. Keiko went over towards Shippo and started to watch over the fox demon.

"Where's Kaede?" Inuyasha asked.

"She's in the back room." Kagome answered. "I told her to get some rest."

"Oh alright." Inuyasha said as he leaned against the wall.

"Is something bothering you?" Kagome asked.

"No, not really."

"Don't lie to me." Kagome said as she made her way towards the half demon that was leaning against the wall.

"It's just this whole situation. What if Sango was captured? She's never been captured before, that's always you." Inuyasha said playfully at the end as he flicked Kagome's nose.

"Hey, like it's my fault." Kagome defended. Inuyasha chuckled slightly. Kagome leaned against his shoulder and got comfortable. "I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine, can't be any worse than what you've been through." Inuyasha said. Kagome tensed at the comment.

"Uh…" Kagome said nervously as she looked up to see the half demon's face. "Inuyasha that could still be a _very _bad situation."

"Oh," Inuyasha said. "I'm sure she's still okay, for now, let's just get these guys back on their feet."

"Yeah, I guess." Kagome said as she leaned into Inuyasha for warmth. The chill from the forest came with the wind and blew across the small village as everyone sleeps in peaceful silence. Inuyasha silently put his arm around Kagome's shoulder as she snuggled closer to his warmth.

"Are you cold?" Inuyasha asked as he started to look for an extra blanket.

"A little, but I'll survive." Kagome said. She then looked towards Keiko and found the inu manta demon snuggled against Kirara, trying to keep her warm. Inuyasha then took off his fire rat kimono and lifted Kagome and placed her on his lap. "What are you doing?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha wrapped the red kimono around the both of them.

"Keeping you warm, what else?" Inuyasha asked. "Why don't you get some rest before the sun rises?"

"Alright." Kagome said as her eyes became heavier. "Are you sleeping?"

"I'll look after the others." Inuyasha stated.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, get some rest. I'm half demon; I don't need as much sleep as you humans do."

"Always the one to throw the 'I'm half demon' remark around." Kagome said with a small smile as she drifted off. Inuyasha smiled down at her and leaned his head against the wall behind him.

…The Next Morning…

Kagome groaned as she was pulled back from dreamland by the sun hitting her face. She slowly opened her eyes to see the occupants in the hut all sound asleep, even Inuyasha.

'_Silly, you said you would stay up.' _Kagome thought as she looked at his serene face. At that time, a soft moan was heard on the other side of the small hut that was extended. Kagome looked over and saw Shippo curling up into a ball to preserve his warmth. Kagome slowly untangled Inuyasha's arms that were around her midsection and placed his kimono around him. She then made her way towards the fox demon and put a hand on his forehead. _'He's not sick.' _Kagome thought happily, she then went over to Miroku and checked up on him.

"You up?" Kagome quickly looked over and saw Inuyasha putting his kimono back on.

"Good morning." Kagome said. "You hungry?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he stretched his arms in the air. "Did the others wake up?"

"Shippo might come to in a minute or two, but Miroku isn't doing too well."

"He's only human. It might take him a while." Inuyasha said. "I'm going to get some fish."

"Alright, but half of the river is frozen." Kagome reminded.

"Keh, like I care. The fish that are frozen will only be caught and brought back here." Inuyasha grumbled as he left the hut. Kagome only smiled and shook her head.

"Morning child." Kaede said as she came out of the back of the hut.

"Good morning, Kaede, did you sleep well?" Kagome asked.

"Aye, child, thank you for asking." Kaede said as she took a seat near the fire. "Have any of them awoken?"

"Only Kirara and Shippo should come to in a minute or so. But I'm worried about Miroku." Kagome said.

"I'll make more herbal remedy for him." Kaede said as she plucked some herbs from the basket from yesterday and started to boil some water over the fire.

"Thanks Kaede." Kagome said as she saw Shippo blink his eyes open. "Shippo,"

"K-Kagome?" Shippo said unsteadily.

"Hey, how you doing?" Kagome asked as she petted the fox demon.

"I'm cold." Shippo whimpered as he curled more into the blanket.

"I can imagine," Kagome said sympathetically as she pulled more of the blanket around him. "Keiko, how's Kirara?"

"Woof," Keiko said as she got up from her position around Kirara and stretched. _"She's okay." _

"Thanks Keiko," Kagome said as she petted her beloved two tail dog demon.

Kaede slowly poured the hot liquid down Miroku's throat as he reflexively swallowed the liquid down. At that time, Inuyasha arrived back with more than enough fish for everyone in the hut, unconscious or not.

"Keh; told you Kagome that the fish frozen in the water were a free victim that didn't even put up a fight." Inuyasha said cockily.

"Right," Kagome said amused as she began to get the skewers ready for the fish.

"How are they doing?" Inuyasha asked.

"Shippo woke up, Miroku's still unconscious." Kagome informed. Inuyasha sat the fish next to Kagome as she began to stab the fish and cook them near the fire.

"Mew," Kirara said as she stretched out and came near Kagome, asking for fish.

"Hey, Kirara, you feeling better I see." Kagome said. "Let's wait till the fish is cooked, okay?" Kirara nodded her furry head and went over towards Keiko who was trying to keep Shippo warm. She then curled herself around the fox demon as well, trying to get at least one more companion to feel better.

"Kagome," a female voice called from the door, then came in.

"Avion, I was wondering where you went." Kagome said as she turned around to face the spiritual bird. "What's up?"

"To the east, a village said that there's unusual ice that appeared. I believe it is similar to the ice in Inuyasha's forest." Avion reported.

"Really?" Inuyasha asked. "Well now we can go over there and kick their ass."

"Did they say anything else, Avion?" Kagome asked.

"No," Avion replied.

"Thanks," Kagome said with a smile. "Do you need a recharge?"

"A little," Avion admitted. Kagome motioned for Avion to come to her and placed the bird's feet in her hands. Kagome's eyes then glows an eerie pink of her spiritual power while her hands formed a bubble around the spiritual bird. Kaede and Inuyasha stared in awe as they saw the recharge happening. Inside the bubble that housed Avion, shoots of spiritual power was seen and penetrated Avion's body. After a minute, Kagome blinked her eyes back to their normal brown color and the bubble dropped. Avion flew up into the air and shook herself for a second. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Kagome said happily as she continues cooking the fish as if nothing happened.

"W-what was that?" Inuyasha asked, finally able to find his voice.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked as she briefly looked at him before looking back at the fish.

"That bubble and your eyes." Inuyasha said as he made motions with his hand.

"Aye, child, you have immense power indeed." Kaede said.

"And Avion," Inuyasha rambled on.

"Thanks Kaede," Kagome said then turned to the hysteric hanyou. "Relax, Inuyasha, I was just recharging Avion. There is more than one way, but that way was just more fun."

"More than one way?" Kaede asked. "How so?"

"Well, I could just release energy from my hands directly into Avion, or I could trap her in a bubble like barrier and shoot energy into her, which doesn't hurt by the way, or I could be training my aim and shooting beams of spiritual power into her while she's flying around." Kagome explained. "As long as energy enters her one way or another, it's recharging."

"Interesting." Kaede said.

"As long as you don't do that to me, I'm okay with it." Inuyasha said as he plucked a fish that was cooking and started eating.

"Of course not." Kagome said with a shake of her head. "Keiko, Kirara, Shippo, do you want some fish?"

"Mew,"

"Woof,"

"Yeah," Shippo said as the three jumped up and went towards the fire. He then grabbed a fish and started munching while Kagome handed one to Keiko, Kirara, and Kaede. "How's Miroku doing?"

"He's not a demon so I guess the hypothermia is catching up to him." Kagome said as she looked towards the monk.

"Shippo, do you care to explain what happen?" Kaede asked.

"Well, we were walking back to the hut at night when we were attacked by this ice demon named Chiyo. We tried to fight, but Sango and Miroku couldn't see in the dark very well, so they couldn't fight. It was up to me and Kirara, but before we could do anything serious, the ice demon covered us in ice. So here we are." Shippo said trying to think back to two days ago.

"And what happened to Sango?" Kagome asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

"The ice demon named Chiyo took her. She said something about you not being here and in order to get her back, you have to give her something." Shippo said sadly.

"See, Kagome, I told you Sango was only captured because you weren't here." Inuyasha said smugly.

"Shut up, Inuyasha." Kagome hissed a bit. "We'll just have to get Sango back, whether I give them something or not."

"You're not going to do anything rash are you?" Shippo asked as he went over and sat in Kagome's lap.

"I can't promise you that." Kagome said as she petted his head.

"Kagome, don't do it. I'll protect you." Inuyasha said sternly.

"Well we have to get Sango back." Kagome argued.

"Why don't ye wait until the monk awakens? Then ye should start planning." Kaede suggested.

"Yeah, I guess." Kagome said. _'What are we going to do?' _

* * *

_*_

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING & REVIEWING!**

**I LOVE THEM ALL!**

**THANK YOU!**


	39. Playing in Ice

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha. He and the others belong to Rumiko Takahashi, EXCEPT my own made up characters.**

* * *

Playing in Ice

"And what happened to Sango?" Kagome asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

"The ice demon named Chiyo took her. She said something about you not being here and in order to get her back, you have to give her something." Shippo said sadly.

"See, Kagome, I told you Sango was only captured because you weren't here." Inuyasha said smugly.

"Shut up, Inuyasha." Kagome hissed a bit. "We'll just have to get Sango back, whether I give them something or not."

"You're not going to do anything rash are you?" Shippo asked as he went over and sat in Kagome's lap.

"I can't promise you that." Kagome said as she petted his head.

"Kagome, don't do it. I'll protect you." Inuyasha said sternly.

"Well we have to get Sango back." Kagome argued.

"Why don't ye wait until the monk awakens? Then ye should start planning." Kaede suggested.

"Yeah, I guess." Kagome said. _'What are we going to do?'_

…Afternoon…

A groan was heard from the corner of Kaede's hut as the monk's eyes twitched slightly. Kagome looked over from her position on the other side and started towards the man. She changed the cloth that was positioned on his forehead and silently listened to his breathing.

"Miroku?" Kagome asked as she put a hand on his cheek to check his skin temperature. Miroku groaned again before slowly opening his eyes.

"Ka-Kagome?" Miroku asked as he blinked to clear is vision.

"Yeah, it's me. How are you doing?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"What happened to me?"

"You were trapped in a block of ice before Inuyasha and I got you out."

"Oh, well thank you." Miroku said as he shivered.

"Are you cold?" Kagome asked as she got another blanket that was next to her and opened it from its folded form then covered Miroku in it.

"Thanks," Miroku said as he snuggled deeper in the warmth. "How are the others?"

"They're all okay." Kagome said avoiding the fact that Sango wasn't with them.

"Did you get to Sango in time?" Kagome sat stock still before looking Miroku directly in the eye. "Please tell me you got to her in time."

"Uh…" Kagome said unsurely as she looked away from his violet eyes. "Miroku…"

"Where is she?" Miroku demanded.

"Inuyasha and I… We didn't get here until two days _after _you were frozen. We didn't see Sango anywhere." Kagome said quietly. "I'm sorry Miroku, but we'll find her. Don't worry." Miroku stayed quiet for a while.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just a little bit under a day." Kagome replied.

"Sango's been gone for three days then." Miroku said.

"Yeah." Kagome said slowly as she looked out the window and towards the forest where all of this began. She then looked back towards the monk only to find him looking at her.

"Why didn't you go after her?"

"We didn't know what happened until Shippo woke up this morning." Kagome said. "And we needed you to wake up too."

"I see."

"Miroku, don't be mad. There's a rumor about ice in the east, we'll go there once you're healthy." Kagome suggested. Miroku then began to get up weakly. "What are you doing?"

"Let's go, right now." Miroku said determinedly.

"But you just woke up, and you still look like your body is freezing cold." Kagome said as she gently pushed him down. "Just lie down and eat, we'll find her tomorrow."

"But you don't know what's happening to her!" Miroku said loudly as he struggled in Kagome's grasped.

"No, but I trust her enough to know that she can take care of herself for _one _more day! She wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." Kagome said as she finished in a soothing voice. "When I get captured you do this to Inuyasha all the time, maybe you should take your own advice." Kagome said as she finally pushed Miroku back on the futon and pulled the blanket over him. Miroku stared at her intently before backing down and accepting the truth.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Kagome."

"Don't be, I know you're just worried. I understand." Kagome said with a warm smile.

"So to the east?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, that's what Avion said when she went to the next village over." Kagome said then looked out the small window and looked at the sun. "I bet you're hungry, huh?"

"I bit." Miroku admitted. Kagome stood up and went over towards the fire pit where a bit of stew was still cooking.

"Let me just warm this up for you." Kagome said as she rekindled the fire.

"Thank Kagome."

"You're like my older brother, no need to thank me at all, Miroku." Kagome said truthfully as she got out a wooden bowel and filled it with stew.

"That's nice Kagome, because you're like a little sister to me too." Miroku admitted with a soft smile. Kagome smiled back and put the bowl down near Miroku's head. Kagome then put an arm behind Miroku's shoulder and helped him sit up.

"Here, eat up." Kagome said as she handed him the bowl and a spoon.

"Thanks Kagome," Miroku said.

"Stop saying that," Kagome said playfully as she pushed Miroku's shoulder in a fun manner.

"Alright," Miroku said as he ate his soup while Kagome went back to reading a book that was sitting on the other side of the hut. "Where are the others?"

"Well Shippo, Kirara, and Keiko are out playing with the village children, Kaede is out in her herb garden, and Inuyasha went to his frozen forest to scout it out for any other frozen people. I volunteered to watch over you." Kagome said as she looked up from her book.

"That was nice of you, Kagome."

"No problem." Kagome said as she smiled at the monk and continued reading while he ate his food.

"What are you reading?"

"Just a stupid math book, I can't keep up with school." Kagome groaned as she hit her head on the hut's wall.

"I'm sure you'll do fine." Miroku encouraged as he put down his empty bowl.

"I highly doubt that, Miroku." Kagome said. "You still hungry?"

"No, I'm okay." Miroku answered. "Why don't you go out and get some air?"

"You sure?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, you've probably been stuck in here for a while."

"Cool, thanks Miroku. Call if you need help." Kagome said as she went outside and stretched out her stiff muscles. "I won't be far."

"Enjoy yourself." Miroku said as he laid back down on his futon. "I might as well take a small nap myself." With that the monk fell asleep with the comfort of his new little sister nearby outside.

* * *

Inuyasha rushed around the forest as he observed the ice within it with his golden eyes. He jumped into the high tree branch of the Sacred Tree and looked around his frozen territory.

'_Territory… I guess this forest is really mine.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked around him. _'I hope this ice goes away soon.' _He then jumped down and headed towards the village. Once there, he found Kagome standing on the wooden fence facing towards the frosty forest. _'I wonder what she's doing.' _Inuyasha wondered as he crept up behind her and hit the back of her knees.

"Ah!" Kagome screamed as her knees buckled and she fell back only to land in Inuyasha's capable arms. "Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed.

"Hey," Inuyasha said amused as he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek briefly.

"Don't do that!" Kagome said loudly as she crossed her arms. "Humph." Inuyasha just chuckled and sat her back on the fence.

"I'm only playing around, Kagome. You know I wouldn't let you fall." Inuyasha said as he put a hand on either side of her and leaned in.

"You didn't have to hit the back of my knees like that. I mean what if I fell forward?"

"Then I would've caught you." Inuyasha said.

"Humph." Kagome said as she turned her face away.

"I love you too much to let you fall." Inuyasha said as he kissed her nose. Kagome still didn't look at him. Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry I did that."

"Hm…" Kagome said as she crossed her arms.

"Alright, be that way." Inuyasha grumbled but didn't move from his position.

"You're the one that made me fall." Kagome grumbled back.

"I didn't make you fall _completely, _just into my arms where I could catch you." Inuyasha said back. Kagome just stayed quiet and looked away. "Don't be childish."

"I'm not, you're the one-"

"Yes I _know _I was the one that made you fall back." Inuyasha said, cutting the priestess off. "I'm sorry, please forgive me." Inuyasha then started to nuzzle his nose under Kagome's chin, submitting to her.

"And I thought the male was usually the dominate one in a dog relationship." Kagome said smugly.

"Keh," Inuyasha grumbled as he pulled away. "How's Miroku?"

"He woke up. I think he's taking a nap right now." Kagome replied.

"So are we going after Sango tomorrow?"

"Maybe, Miroku sure wants to. I can't blame him." Kagome said. "I want to go after her just as much, but we can't do it without him, and he might not be up to it." Kagome stared of towards the east.

"We'll get her back." Inuyasha encouraged. "I got you back plenty of times."

"Ha-ha," Kagome said sarcastically, clearly not amused.

"I love you." Inuyasha said as he kissed her on the lips. The gentle caress of his lips on hers was sensual as his emotions poured out of him and into the priestess. Kagome kissed him back gently then leaned into his chest. Inuyasha slowly pulled away, letting their lips linger for a bit longer. He then stared his golden eyes into her chocolate orbs.

"Wow," Kagome sighed out. Inuyasha smiled and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I told you I love you." Inuyasha breathed out.

"I love you too." Kagome said. The two stayed in silence for a while staring into each other's eyes, doors to the others soul.

"What do you want to do now?" Inuyasha asked.

"Uh…" Kagome started but then thought of something. "You haven't seen Avion at all today, have you?"

"She's your bird," Inuyasha said.

"I know, but I haven't seen her all day. I'm starting to worry."

"Just call her."

"Yeah, I guess." Kagome said. "But I thought I'd ask you first."

"Well she was with me when we were scouting out the forest." Inuyasha answered.

"Oh, okay," Kagome said relieved. "Where is she now?"

"She's with Miroku inside the hut." Inuyasha said with a shrug.

"Okay," Kagome said as she lazily kissed Inuyasha a second time.

"What was that for?" Inuyasha asked as they parted lips.

"Just for being my mate."Kagome replied. Inuyasha smiled and lifted Kagome's right wrist, where his teeth marks were. Inuyasha then re-bit the mark and licked it. "Ow, what was that for?"

"Just reclaiming what's mine." Inuyasha said as he continued licking the mark.

"Does that mean I have to do that to yours?" Kagome asked.

"No, I just did it for fun." Inuyasha said with a smirk. Kagome's mouth dropped as she pulled her wrist away.

"You hurt me for fun?" Kagome said horrified… playfully horrified.

"Of course not, love. I did it so that my mark scent is stronger for a few days and your blood re-entered my body.

"So?" Kagome asked.

"So… when Koga shows up, that wimpy wolf could just run with his tail between his legs."

"How do you know he's going to be here in a few days?"

"I don't, I'm just reinforcing it for him and the ice demon person that we have to get Sango back from."

"Oh, alright." Kagome said as Inuyasha took her wrist again and started licking the fresh wound.

"Kagome," an old womanly voice said from behind Inuyasha. Kagome looked over the half demon's shoulder and saw the old priestess walking their way.

"Hello Kaede," Kagome said as she hopped off the fence and pushed Inuyasha back a step so she could stand. "How may I help you?"

"Has Miroku awoken yet?" Kaede asked.

"Yes he has." Kagome replied.

"And how is he?"

"When I left, he was doing okay. It didn't seem he had a fever or anything." Kagome said.

"That's good." Kaede said. "I'll check up on him."

"Alright," Kagome said as she watched the old woman leave. "Its sundown, do you want to start dinner?"

"Feh, I'll get the fish." Inuyasha said as he kissed Kagome on the head then leapt over the fence and towards the river.

"Okay, thanks." Kagome said as she went towards the village. The priestess looked around for a bit before finding a group of children running around in circles with Shippo, Kirara, and Keiko. "Hello children." Kagome said as she walked up to the group.

"Hi Lady Kagome." The chimed together.

"Are you having a good time playing?" Kagome asked as she kneeled down to the children's height.

"Very much so." A little girl, that looked to be the oldest of the group, said.

"Well it's getting quite dark, I'm sure your mommies and daddies are getting worried. Why don't you get home and help with dinner?" Kagome said.

"But we were having fun, Lady Kagome." A little boy whined. Kagome sighed and cocked her head from side to side.

"Okay, how about this, why don't you play for a little bit longer and I'll escort you home?" Kagome relented.

"Yay!" The children yelled as they resumed their playing. Kagome sighed again as she watched the children play while she leaned up against a tree and crossed her arms and looked towards the setting sun.

'_Only a few more minutes.' _Kagome mused.

…Half an Hour Later…

'_Okay, the sun officially set.' _Kagome thought to herself. "Okay children, let's go back home!" Kagome announced. An ocean of groans was heard from the children and Shippo. "Yes, let's go, it's already dark out." Kagome said as she ushered the children towards their respective homes. Kagome lead the group of children to the nearest hut and knocked on the wooden wall.

"Yes?" a man's voice said from inside, whom then came out. "Oh Lady Kagome," the man said then bowed his head. Kagome bowed back then placed her hand on the man's son. "How may I help you?"

"I'm escorting your son back home, sir." Kagome said as she slightly pushed the boy into his hut.

"Bye Lady Kagome!" The little boy said as he went towards his mother.

"Oh thank you Lady Kagome, I was about to go look for him." The man said.

"No problem." Kagome said then bowed in dismissal. "Come children." Kagome then lead the group to another hut but was stopped.

"Lady Kagome, please accept this as gratitude." The man said from behind her. Kagome looked back and saw that he had a vegetable in his hand.

"Oh, thank you." Kagome said from lack of other words. "You are most generous." The man bowed then went to his family. They then continued on their way with Shippo scampering around the children while Kirara and Keiko were on both of Kagome's shoulders.

By the time Kagome was done escorting the children towards their homes, the priestess had varies of gifts ranging from food to clothing. The sun already set fully, not leaving a drop of sunlight. The only light was from the moon above.

'_If it weren't for the fact that I gain slight night vision from Inuyasha, I might not be able to see.' _Kagome thought to herself as she followed Shippo's trail towards Kaede's hut, where most likely the others were eating dinner.

Once they were at the hut, Shippo went in first, followed by Kagome who had the two manta demons on her shoulders.

"Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha asked.

"And where did you get all of that from?" Miroku asked. Kagome sighed as she leaned against the hut wall and slid down. Keiko and Kirara jumped down from her shoulder and towards their food.

"I've been escorting children around the village and towards their homes." Kagome said as she put all of the objects she received on the ground. "Here's some extra food… or something." Kagome said.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked amused as he went and sat next to her, giving her a cooked fish.

"Let me tell you one thing," Kagome said sternly. "Don't escort hyper children." Miroku and Kaede laughed at her while Inuyasha shook his head with amusement.

"But, Kagome, you were doing really well!" Shippo piped up. "They listened to you."

"I wish I could've seen this." Miroku said.

"Shut up, Miroku." Kagome said as she bit into her fish.

"And where did you get all of these items, child?" Kaede asked.

"The villagers gave them to me in thanks for delivering their children back when it was dark." Kagome said nonchalantly.

"I see." Kaede said with a smile.

"You could keep them; I don't really know what to do with them, truthfully." Kagome said as she finished her fish dinner. Keiko and Kirara also finished their dinner and were now playing with each other. "So, Miroku, how are you feeling?"

"Much better." Miroku answered.

"So are we heading east tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku nodded.

"We have to get Sango back." Miroku said.

'_I just hope nothing bad happened.' _Kagome thought to herself, not wanting Miroku to feel depressed. "Agreed." Kagome said. Inuyasha nodded.

"Why don't ye get to sleep? Ye have a long journey." Kaede suggested as she headed towards the back room to sleep herself.

"We will; thank you Kaede." Kagome said. Miroku then settled back into the futon he was in all day and started to close his eyes. Kagome then unfolded another futon and laid on it while Inuyasha sat next to her against the wall. Shippo, Kirara, and Keiko were cuddled up against each other while Avion sat next to Kagome's head and cuddled herself in. Soon the bustling hut was a peaceful serene environment.

…Next Morning & After Breakfast…

"What? Why do I have to?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Because you're strongest." Kagome retorted.

"But you're the only one that knows how to use the thing!" Inuyasha yelled back. Miroku was standing with his arm crossed around his staff.

"But I already have something on my back." Kagome said next. Kirara was transformed and ready to go with Keiko next to her paw and Shippo on her head. Avion was flying around in circles around them as they waited for the couple to stop fighting.

"So? You threw this thing before and it could be used as another weapon for you until you have to give it to Sango when we get her back!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Ugh!" Kagome yelled then turned to the monk. "What do you think, Miroku? Or maybe you should carry Hiraikotsu?"

"Uh…" Miroku said as he sweated a bit. "In all truth, Kagome, I believe you should carry it."

"What!?" Kagome yelled.

"Ha!" Inuyasha said mockingly.

"Why?" Kagome asked.

"Well, Sango will need her weapon once we get her, and you are the only one that understands the concept of the weapon." Miroku said. Kagome grumbled then went into the hut, passing Kaede. She then put her bow and quiver of arrows down in the corner and came out.

"Fine, give it to me." Kagome said as she put her hand out to receive the weapon. Inuyasha handed her the sword Sango carried then handed her Hiraikotsu. Kagome placed the sword next to hers and strapped Hiraikotsu to her back.

"Aren't you bringing you bow and arrows?" Miroku asked.

"Well I can't carry both on my back." Kagome said as she adjusted the strap. "And besides, I have other weapons in this battle suit of mine." Kagome said. She wore her white battle suit which was a white dress that went to mid thigh and grey leggings underneath that went down to the end of her knees. Her shoes were flats with equipped swords on the side of them like her forearm protectors. Now, Kagome's hair was in a high pony tail, using the red scarf she used to wear with her school uniform. Her obi was a grey color that held gas and smoke bombs and had a dagger strapped to her thigh. The collar of the battle outfit was like Sango's and protected her neck and the jewel shards that were under it.

"Are we set to go?" Inuyasha asked irritably.

"Geez, and you were the one to argue about who would carry Hiraikotsu and the sword." Kagome grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah." Inuyasha said. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"No," Kagome said still a little ticked about everything. Miroku then climbed onto Kirara and got ready to head off.

"Do you want to ride with Kirara?" Miroku asked.

"No thanks, I could run." Kagome said as she readjusted the strap again then bent her knees and bounded off using her spiritual powers. As she was in the air, followed by Inuyasha then Kirara with Shippo and Miroku, and then Avion above her with Keiko running on the ground, Kagome sighed. _'I shouldn't be mad.' _Kagome thought.

"Hey bitch, wait up." Inuyasha said.

'_Then again...' _Kagome thought as she landed and took off faster this time.

"You know Inuyasha; you really shouldn't call her names, especially when she's mad." Miroku said as Kirara went near the half demon in her flight.

"And she was about to be not mad if you didn't say anything." Avion commented as she flew lower towards them.

"And how do you know that?" Inuyasha grumbled.

"Because for one, I can read her emotions and thoughts, and for two, I'm connected to her soul and spiritual powers." Avion said then went off towards the priestess who was in front of the group.

"Keh," Inuyasha said as he started to run faster. Keiko who was on the ground running also sped up to catch up with Kagome, while Kirara casually gained on them.

…Few Hours Later…

"Let's stop," Kagome said as she landed and took a few steps forward to gain back her balance from the jumps.

"Feh, wench, I'm not even tired." Inuyasha grumbled, though he was sweating from the intense running speed Kagome was going.

"Yeah neither am I, but we could use a drink." Kagome said as she pointed towards a river next to them but deeper into the forest.

"How are you not tired, Kagome?" Miroku asked as Kirara landed. "You're only human, and that speed was extremely fast."

"Comes with the territory of spiritual powers." Kagome said with a shrug.

"Miroku has spiritual power and he would've been tired hours ago." Inuyasha said as they started to walk towards the river.

"That's because Miroku didn't go into the training of running with his spiritual powers for hours on end." Kagome countered back.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed." Miroku said as the group leaned down and took a handful of water to drink while Kirara and Keiko just licked it into their mouth's like normal animals.

"Are we almost there?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Mm, not quite sure." Kagome said. "But we did travel pretty far."

"It's only the afternoon," Inuyasha said. "We should be getting there pretty soon."

"From the village I went to a few days ago, it should only be another hour and we'll be there." Avion said.

"Let's have lunch then." Kagome said as she took out a pouch that was strapped to Hiraikotsu and opened it to find the vegetables that the villagers gave her the day before. The group made lunch and ate it quickly before settling down for a few minutes.

"What are we going to do once we find the demon?" Shippo asked nervously.

"We fight." Inuyasha answered from his perch in a tree.

"Or I could go and try to find Sango while you guys fight." Kagome said. "Maybe Miroku should go and find her."

"But she's an ice demon, I'm sure her whole territory is plain ice." Miroku said. "How are we going to get through there without countless attempts to attack it?"

"Why don't we get going?" Inuyasha said as he jumped down and started walking off. Kagome, who was leaning against the same tree, got up and helped Miroku to his feet. Kirara once again transformed and Shippo and Miroku got on. Kagome then picked up Hiraikotsu and strapped it to her back before bouncing off and finding Inuyasha who was out of the forest and waiting for them on the dirt path.

"Ready?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said. "Do you want me to carry Hiraikotsu?"

"After that big fuss back at the village you _want _to carry the thing?" Kagome asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Keh," Inuyasha said. "I was just trying to help."

"Well thanks anyways, but I got it covered." Kagome said. Inuyasha nodded then waited for the others to get out of the forest.

* * *

"What do you want with me?" a female said.

"Silly girl, I want you to lure the priestess to me." The ice demon, Chiyo, said as she looked at a wall of ice. An image started to appear, showing a group containing a dog half demon, a priestess, a monk, fox demon, dog and cat two tail demons, and a spiritual bird running towards their location towards the east. "And look, they are coming for you, my pretty."

"Damn you." Sango seethed. "They will defeat you." Chiyo laughed bitterly at the comment.

"My, my, I won't let that happen if I want to keep my payment." Chiyo said with a sinister smile.

"And what's the payment?" Sango asked.

"Now, now, that's for me to know, and for you to never find out." Chiyo said as she went to a back room. Sango then tried to move her arms, but they were still chained to the wall behind her.

'_Damn it, my arms are numb and they're tingling. This isn't good if I want to get out of here.' _Sango thought to herself as she tried to wiggle the chains loose from the wall.

"You won't get out, so stop trying." Chiyo said without looking behind her. Sango growled, though she was human. The ice demon then walked back towards Sango and placed a spear with a long pole attached to it. "Now, this is your weapon, you are to attack your precious friends."

"What? Who the hell said I would do that?" Sango asked, getting angrier. Chiyo just smiled at her then kicked Sango hard in the temple, effectively knocking her out.

"_I_ said that you would do that." Chiyo said as she brought her hand and covered Sango's head with it.

* * *

"Shippo watch out!" Kagome yelled as Shippo recklessly ran into a patch of ice. He then slipped and started screaming and crying as he was carried towards an open field. Shippo twisted and turned as he tried to use his claws to stop from slipping on the ice.

"Oh Shippo," Inuyasha sighed in exasperation as he put his hand on his forehead and shook his head.

"I'll get him," Miroku said as he ushered Kirara to follow the sliding fox demon. Once they were above him, Miroku leaned down and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt then brought him up to his chest. Kirara in turn, turned around and headed back towards the others. Keiko climbed up to Kagome's shoulder and Avion went of the other one.

"You okay, Shippo?" Kagome asked once they got back. Shippo panted and had wide eyes while clinging desperately to Miroku's robes. Miroku looked down at the distressed fox and tried to pry him off his chest.

"You're a demon, suck it up." Inuyasha grumbled as he looked around the clearing. "It looks like we're here."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed as she looked around. "We're alone too."

Once Miroku finally got Shippo to let go of his monk robes, he jumped off of Kirara and placed the poor fox child on the fire cat's back. He then propped his staff in front of him and got ready for something to just pop up.

"Don't be so sure, Kagome." Miroku warned as he and Inuyasha went out ahead and into the middle of the clearing.

"Ah, monk, so nice to see you again." A female voice said from the frozen forest at their left. The group looked and saw a female, at fair height, had long light blue hair in a high pony tail and dark blue eyes. She wore a white headband and a simply blue kimono that had darker blue flowers on it.

"Where's Sango!?" Miroku yelled at the demon.

"What do you want with us?" Inuyasha asked next.

"Hm," Chiyo said not amused. She then looked behind the two males and saw the priestess who was next to a growling inu manta demon and a hissing neko manta demon with a kitsune on her back. A spiritual bird hung over head as she got prepared to strike from the sky. "So the priestess came."

"You stay away from her." Inuyasha growled. Chiyo chose to ignore him.

"Yeah, I came, now give us back our friend." Kagome said as she stepped up to where Inuyasha and Miroku were standing.

"Kagome, stay back." Inuyasha said quietly to her. Kagome just ignored him. _'Would these women stop ignoring me?' _Inuyasha thought irritably.

"My payer would like you." Chiyo said sinisterly.

"Payer? Who's that?" Miroku ask.

"What's the payment?" Inuyasha asked. Chiyo just shrugged.

"It's a sacred jewel shard." Kagome said suddenly.

"What?" Inuyasha hissed. "Who gave that to you?"

"Well, now that you know, it doesn't hurt to tell, since the priestess spoiled my surprise." Chiyo said with an amused smile.

_Flashback_

_Chiyo sat lazily on her mountain home that was covered in snow no matter what time of year it was. She sat staring at the sun as it set on another day. Just then footprints were heard crunching against the snow behind her. Chiyo whipped around and saw a man in a white baboon suit that had a blue face._

"_Who are you? What do you want?" Chiyo asked as she prepared to attack the intruder._

"_Do not worry; I am not here to fight." A male voice said. Chiyo stared at the man intently but didn't put down her fist that were glowing a slight blue as she was ready to control ice._

"_Then what _do _you want?" Chiyo asked._

"_I am here to seek a proposition." _

"_Proposition?" Chiyo asked confused as she slightly lowered her fist. "What kind?"_

"_I would just like you to capture a girl for me and bring her back. Freeze her in ice if you want." The man said sinisterly._

"_A girl?" Chiyo asked. "And what will _I _gain from this?"_

"_This," the man said as he reached in his sleeve and pulled out a sparkling shard._

"_A sacred jewel shard?" Chiyo asked. _

"_Yes, you will obtain this shard and one more if you complete the task." Chiyo sat thinking for a while. "This one shard can give you unlimited power."_

"_Hm," Chiyo said while thinking it over. "Alright, who's the girl?" The man smiled as he approached the ice demon and started telling her about the group who were hunting him. "So I get this shard, then one more if I complete the task?"_

"_Yes," the man said._

"_Alright, I'll get the girl. I don't see what's so important but whatever, as long as I get two jewel shards." Chiyo said._

"_Very well, I would like her delivered to me at this exact spot. Don't fail me." The man said. "Take this," _

"_What is it?" Chiyo asked as she held out the hand that wasn't holding a Sacred Jewel shard in it._

"_This is a Saimyosho nest. Use it wisely."_

"_Um, alright," Chiyo said as she looked at the wasp nest that was conveniently a ball in her hand._

"_Use it against the monk when he takes the beads off his right hand." The man said._

"_Why?"_

"_You'll find out." With that, the man turned around and started to walk back._

"_Wait," Chiyo said. "Shouldn't I get to know your name?"_

"_Naraku." The man said then started to walk out of the snowy mountain again. Chiyo stared at the man then at the items in her hand._

'Kagome, huh? The priestess of the group.' _Chiyo mused._

_Flashback End_

"Of course Naraku would do something like this." Inuyasha seethed.

"So you know each other." Chiyo said.

"Naraku is back," Miroku said quietly.

"Yeah," Kagome answered.

"Hey look over there," Shippo said as he saw a silhouette in the forest. (If you're wondering what _silhouette_ means: an outline of someone or something.) Everyone, not including Chiyo, looks towards the frosty forest and saw a woman's figure. Kagome unstrapped Hiraikotsu and gripped the leather handle while Miroku put his staff in front of him and Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga.

"Ah yes," Chiyo said. "Let's play in ice."

"What?" Kagome said as she saw Chiyo's hands glow blue before bursts of ice came out of nowhere and started to fly around. Just then the ice demon disappeared and out came the silhouette figure.

"Sango," Miroku said quietly as he saw Sango in her demon slayers outfit with a spear with a long pole.

"Now what?" Kagome asked.

"We have to block her attacks." Inuyasha said to his mate. "Hey Sango!" Sango moved her eyes to look at the half demon. "Are you possessed or something?" Sango didn't like that question very well and launched herself at Inuyasha. She sliced with the spear as her eyes glows a blue hue. "Sango!" Inuyasha yelled as he blocked the spear with Tetsusaiga. The spear pulsed, and then Tetsusaiga started to become frozen in a block of ice.

"Inuyasha, let go of it!" Miroku yelled. Inuyasha let go of Tetsusaiga and saw it be completely covered in ice.

"Damn," Inuyasha said as he jumped away from Sango.

"Sango, don't you like us anymore?" Shippo asked innocently. Sango turned towards the fox and started to go after him.

"Oh no you don't." Kagome said as she slammed Hiraikotsu to Sango's side. "Sorry Sango, but you have to snap out of it." Kagome then charged up her hands in spiritual power.

"Careful Kagome," Miroku pleaded.

"I know," Kagome answered back. "I won't hurt her." Sango and Kagome squared each other up, neither moving. Kagome then widened her eyes and threw the bone boomerang and her dear sister. Sango expertly dodged the weapon and came at Kagome with the spear, ready to pierce right through the priestess.

Kagome saw her coming and jumped up so the spear passed her and she caught Hiraikotsu in her hand. Before coming down, Kagome lodged Hiraikotsu in the ground in front of her and let Sango swing at it before hitting her. The spear lightly scraped the boomerang then Kagome came out behind it and kicked behind Sango's knee's making her fall to the ground. With a grunt, Sango landed on the ground with a blank expression on her face. Kagome pinned Sango's arms above her head then released spiritual energy.

'_Let's see what's going on in your body, Sango.' _Kagome thought as she probed Sango's body with her spiritual power. Kagome's eyes then glows a pink color as she looked into Sango's mind.

"Miroku, what is she doing?" Inuyasha asked as he came up to the monk.

"Is she going to be okay?" Shippo asked.

"I think she's looking in to see what's making Sango be possessed. It could be a demon inside her body or mind control. I believe Kagome's looking to see what's up." Miroku said.

"She's going to be okay, right monk?" Inuyasha asked.

"I believe so." Miroku said.

"You better hope so." Inuyasha said as he watched his mate try to fix their friend.

* * *

'_Hm, she's using her spiritual powers to counter my power.' _Chiyo thought. _'It doesn't matter, let her save her friend, I have no use for the demon slayer. After she fixes her friend, I will take her in a block of ice.' _

* * *

'_Hm, Kagome is trying to probe the demon slayer's body. Very well, as long as she ends up in my arms by the end of this.' _Naraku thought as he looked in Kanna's mirror.

* * *

*

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**A/N: Naraku is back! You didn't think I forgot about him, did you? ;) (Although I don't exactly like him)**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! :)**

**I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!**

**THANK YOU!**


	40. Killing Chiyo, Ice Demon

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Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha… probably never will. *sigh*

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Killing Chiyo, Ice Demon

Kagome saw her coming and jumped up so the spear passed her and she caught Hiraikotsu in her hand. Before coming down, Kagome lodged Hiraikotsu in the ground in front of her and let Sango swing at it before hitting her. The spear lightly scraped the boomerang then Kagome came out behind it and kicked behind Sango's knee's making her fall to the ground. With a grunt, Sango landed on the ground with a blank expression on her face. Kagome pinned Sango's arms above her head then released spiritual energy.

'_Let's see what's going on in your body, Sango.' _Kagome thought as she probed Sango's body with her spiritual power. Kagome's eyes then glows a pink color as she looked into Sango's mind.

"Miroku, what is she doing?" Inuyasha asked as he came up to the monk.

"Is she going to be okay?" Shippo asked.

"I think she's looking in to see what's making Sango be possessed. It could be a demon inside her body or mind control. I believe Kagome's looking to see what's up." Miroku said.

"She's going to be okay, right monk?" Inuyasha asked.

"I believe so." Miroku said.

"You better hope so." Inuyasha said as he watched his mate try to fix their friend.

* * *

'_Hm, she's using her spiritual powers to counter my power.' _Chiyo thought. _'It doesn't matter, let her save her friend, I have no use for the demon slayer. After she fixes her friend, I will take her in a block of ice.' _

* * *

'_Hm, Kagome is trying to probe the demon slayer's body. Very well, as long as she ends up in my arms by the end of this.' _Naraku thought as he looked in Kanna's mirror.

* * *

Miroku, Inuyasha, Kirara, Keiko, and Shippo looked on as their two female friends sit still as Kagome did her searching through Sango's body. Kagome's eyes glow an unnatural pink of her spiritual power as all was silent around them.

"Wow, Kagome is a lot strong than we anticipated." Miroku commented. Avion then flew down towards the monks shoulder and landed.

"I'm not _that _strong Miroku." Avion said, though it wasn't her voice.

"What?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked the bird.

"Well, it's Kagome communicating through me." Avion said. The others looked as though she were crazy. "Let me explain."

"Yeah that might help." Inuyasha said getting irritated.

"Well, since Kagome is concentrating on her searching through Sango, she can't exactly move right away and talk, but she can still hear everything that goes on around her." Avion explained. "And even if Kagome does find the source that is controlling Sango, she can't get rid of the threat. She can only pin point it and tell you what to destroy or who to kill."

"Oh," Miroku said a bit sadly. "But what about Sango?"

"Right now, we're doing all we can, you have to believe that, Miroku." Avion tried to explain. "Without knowing what's making Sango act this way, and just killing that ice demon, we won't know if Sango will still be controlled or not."

"Yeah, remember that time with the salamander demon?" Shippo asked. "Inuyasha killed the demon, but the other women from the village were still being controlled."

**(Um… yeah. Let's just say that happened because this fic was suppose to be after episode 126 and that other episode with Miroku and Sango came AFTER that, but… it happened. So go along with it :).)**

"Yeah, that damn demon was getting on my nerves." Inuyasha grumbled then looked back towards Kagome. "And so is this ice demon."

"Sango wait!" Kagome yelled as she jumped away from the demon slayer and positioned her forearms in front of her. "Don't!" Kagome yelled before Sango shot out her hand and aimed blue light at the priestess. Kagome had a face of shock on her face before being frozen into a block of ice.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha and Miroku yelled as their priestess friend was glazed over with blue ice. Her eyes became the same blue as the ice and her arms were frozen in front of her. Keiko and Kirara growled as they saw Kagome being frozen. Keiko turned and growled at the demon slayer as she got up from her position on the ground where Kagome had pushed her.

Kirara growled as well, but her ears were plastered to her head, at a lost at what to do. Inuyasha flexed his claws as he looked at both of the girls. With Tetsusaiga also frozen in ice, his only other weapon was hand on hand combat. Miroku raised his staff to a defensive position that was horizontal with his body while the staff was in both of his hands. He didn't dare to make a move.

Shippo was on Kirara's back as he looked worriedly at the two women. Avion flew towards Kagome and started to melt the ice that surrounded her body with little success.

"What do we do now?" Inuyasha asked Miroku. Miroku ground his teeth together.

"I'll hold her off; you try and get Kagome out." Miroku said sadly.

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked. "I know how it feels to fight with… with the women that you love… It's not easy."

"I know exactly how it feels," Miroku said. "Have you forgotten that I've fought her once?"

"No, but the second time… It gets harder as you fall deeper for her." Inuyasha said sympathetically. Inuyasha then quickly whipped his head around and found that Sango's sword was a mere yard from his face. He then quickly grabbed Tetsusaiga's scabbard and put it up and blocked the sword, but not before it was sheer inches away. "Miroku go!" Inuyasha yelled as he pushed Sango off of him. Miroku gulped but decided to help Avion with the ice over Kagome's body.

"Ah-ah-ah," a female voice scolded from the tree line as she made her way out. "Sango, come." Sango spared a side glance at the ice demon before jumping away from the half demon and making her way towards her controller, taking her spear at the same time.

"You better take off that control you have over her!" Miroku yelled as he stopped his smashing on the ice surrounding Kagome.

"Yeah, and take that ice off of Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. Kirara and Keiko then jumped out of a tall tree and tried to pounce on the ice demon and tried to subdue the demon slayer. Tried. Kirara was quickly shot down with a spear of ice that went through her leg while Keiko avoided the ice spears and made her way towards Chiyo, before getting frozen herself in another ice block.

"Pathetic." Chiyo said. The ice demon then shot four triangular ice daggers towards Inuyasha that pinned him to the tree.

"Hey!" Inuyasha said as a growl bubbled out of his chest. Out of nowhere a flying piece of paper came out and attached itself to Chiyo's arm. She then screamed in pain as the spiritual power shot out and coated her body.

"You go Miroku!" Shippo said happily as he punched the air above him. Miroku stood in front of Kagome's frozen body as he held a second Sutra, just in case. Inuyasha growled as he readied his claws.

'_Keiko and Kagome are frozen in ice, while Kirara was pierced with a few icicles that were shot her way. Shippo can't really help all _too _much, and Avion's trying to get the two out of the ice. Looks like it's me and Miroku.' _Inuyasha thought. "Shippo!"

"Yeah?" Shippo asked as his name was called.

"You help Avion." Inuyasha said shortly. Miroku glanced at the half demon. The two men nodded to each other and prepared to attack. Chiyo stopped her screaming as she tried to catch her breath after the blow from spiritual power.

"Damn you monk!" Chiyo yelled. "Your lady will pay for your mistake!"

"Don't you dare!" Miroku yelled as he charged towards the ice demon. Chiyo quickly shot her hand towards Sango and pierced her arm with an icicle. "Damn you!" Chiyo just smirked before putting an ice wall in front of her so Miroku would just run into that instead of attacking her body. "You coward! Stop hiding behind a barrier and come out and fight!"

Inuyasha saw his chance as the two were momentarily distracted. He quickly jumped into the shadows of the forest and quietly ran in a circle so he stood behind the demon slayer and the ice demon. He then squatted down and readied his attack.

"Me? A coward?" Chiyo scoffed. "Can't you break simple ice? Or are you _that _weak? So weak that you can't protect a mere woman." Miroku growled as best as he could for a human.

'_She's right about one thing. I can't even do the simple task of protecting Sango.' _Miroku thought. _'Whether or not I can, I'll definitely get her back in one piece, whether we decide to split up or not.' _

'_That damn monk, he's thinking something along the lines of breaking it off with Sango.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked through the lining of the bushes as he waited. _'I've had that conversation with myself many times. Like now, but Kagome's my mate. And I couldn't be happier, and I'd be damned if I let her go off again.' _

"What are you thinking monk?" Chiyo asked darkly. "Maybe you shouldn't even bother loving this girl, it is most obvious that she can protect herself better than how you can protect her." At that, Miroku looked down.

'_Now,' _

Chiyo was suddenly caught off guard as she was slammed into her own ice wall. Her neck being held captive with clawed hands as her own hands were held by the other clawed hand behind her back as her cheek pressed against the ice. Miroku looked shocked before contemplating what was around him.

In the distance, Shippo and Avion looked on as Kagome and Keiko were still held in ice. Kirara on the other hand was on the edge of the forest as she writhed in pain from the ice that was in her body. Blood dripped from the wound, but the ice held off some of it.

"What the hell?" Chiyo asked loudly as she looked back. "You damn half breed!" Inuyasha only smirked.

"Well, for a half breed, I sure did catch a full demon of guard." Inuyasha said. Chiyo quickly disabled the ice wall and fell forward, taking Inuyasha with her when he didn't expect the sudden movement. Chiyo's eyes then glows an eerie shade of fuzzy blue before she pierced Inuyasha's stomach with a small icicle that came from her own claws. Inuyasha grunted in pain but didn't move from his position on top of her back and held her down.

"Inuyasha watch out!" Shippo yelled from afar. Inuyasha looked behind in and saw that Sango was about to pierce him with her newly acquired spear. Hiraikotsu was lying where Kagome had pinned it earlier, in the middle of the battle field. Inuyasha was about to get stabbed before Miroku ran up and placed his staff between Sango's blade and Inuyasha's back.

"Miroku," Inuyasha said as he looked at his brother like friend. Miroku smiled, a bit sadly, before fighting with the demon slayer. Miroku pushed Sango back away from the half demon that held her controller to the ground.

"That annoying monk," Chiyo said under her breath, but Inuyasha heard it.

"You don't talk like that around me and my friends." Inuyasha growled before getting the air knocked out of his lungs as four more pieces of ice were plunged into his gut. _'Damn, these things burn. But they're just icicles.' _Inuyasha thought warily as his abdomen started to burn and he started to choke on air. _'These things are making it hard for me to breath.' _Chiyo smiled as she saw his face contort in pain and a bit of panic. His eyes showing that he was confused.

"That's right half breed; those will burn your skin and innards while they are making it hard for you to _breath!_" Chiyo smirked before finishing in a yell as she jabbed Inuyasha with her elbow to knock him to the side, and then doing a summersault to get back on her feet before standing up.

"What the hell are these things?" Inuyasha wheezed out as he shakily stood up.

"Dry ice spears. Dry ice release carbon dioxide which makes it hard to breath and may kill you in due time, and the ice also burns your skin because of their incredibly low temperature." Chiyo smirked. Inuyasha growled the best he can. "Aw, puppy can't growl anymore? How sad."

"You're getting on my nerves." Inuyasha said as he plunged forward. He then decided to kick the ice demon in the side. Chiyo merely placed her hand up to her side and grabbed his ankle before spinning him in the air, making him land on the painful ice spears. _'Damn, I need to get these things out of me.' _Inuyasha thought as he shakily got up on all fours and looked down at his bleed stomach. He lifted a hand and searched for the spears that were previously sticking out of his stomach. _'Where'd they go?' _Inuyasha asked himself in his mind as he felt another burning sensation that was worse than the one before.

"They're in your body, you poor thing you." Chiyo said sarcastically. "Too bad I made those things so that they get absorbed in your body. Oh well."

"Damn you." Inuyasha growled as he slowly got to his feet and stood in front of the demon.

Hm?" Chiyo asked as a taunting glint in her eyes showed itself. "Damning me?"

"You bet," Inuyasha snarled before launching himself once again at his enemy. Chiyo only smiled tauntingly.

Only a few yards away from the ice demon and the dog half demon's battle, stood two humans. One with clouded over brown eyes as she was controlled by the opponent and one with determination in their eyes and love. Miroku stood in front of Sango as she faced him, her spear raised, ready to strike down. He ran towards her as Sango's eyes narrowed and launched towards him as well. A slight spark was seen as the metal of the spear connected with the metal of the staff.

Inuyasha on the other hand was now fighting against a sword made from ice as Chiyo made it grow larger in her hand. Chiyo had ice coat the sword that she created when it started out as a dagger and gradually grew. The half demon launched an attack with his claws.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha yelled as his claws glows a golden yellow color. When he swung his arm down at the ice demon, Chiyo easily side stepped the attack. Inuyasha stumbled forward. _'Oh no,' _Inuyasha thought. Chiyo grinned as she raised her sword and started to swing it down.

_**KINK**_

Inuyasha turned back around and saw Kagome while her leg was swiping down from her previous kick. Inuyasha saw that the ice sword was flying like Hiraikotsu when it was thrown. The sword then landed on the other side of the battle field where he saw Avion and Shippo trying to get Keiko out of her ice prison. Kirara was now licking her wound that was free from any icicle. A puddle of water was seen near her, courtesy of Shippo and Avion when they melted it.

Kagome then bent her upper body down and did a roundhouse kick to Chiyo's face, effectively knocking her a few feet away. Kagome was now positioned crouched on the ground, panting and sweating a little bit from overexertion while the blue tint on her lips showed signs of the priestess suffering from hypothermia.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said as he slowly got up as his stomach surged with a burning sensation from the dry ice, the blood still dripping.

"You okay?" Kagome wheezed out from her pants. Inuyasha nodded then studied her a little longer.

"Kagome, get out of here, you can't fight." Inuyasha said. "You're too sick to fight."

"I'm fine." Kagome said as she got on her feet.

"But Kagome-" Inuyasha started but was stopped as he was pushed to the side by Kagome. Chiyo just barely missed them with her claws.

Miroku blocked every swing thrown at him, getting minor cuts here and there. One particularly serious wound was the slash across his back when the demon slayer tricked the monk into missing her, then going behind him and swinging the spear across his back. The monk's golden staff clashed with the sharp blade of the spear repeatedly as Miroku backed up.

He then quickly found himself backed against a rough tree trunk when he briefly looked back behind him. Sango pushed him further up the trunk before she was face to face with him. So close that Miroku could feel her even breathing, though he was breathing rather harshly.

'_This isn't good,' _Miroku thought. He then saw that his love swung the spear at him at rapid speed. Miroku's eyes widen before he placed his staff in front of his neck, where Sango was going to cut him. Sango's wrist jerked a bit at the unexpected contact. Miroku saw her jerky movements briefly before twisting his own wrist so that it made Sango's spear twist in an awkward angle, making her drop the spear. The monk quickly hit the offending weapon away with his staff and quickly held Sango off before she could grab her sword that was at her hip.

Miroku quickly made Sango trip forward when his hands grabbed her own and pulled forward. Miroku suddenly moved out of the way and brought his staff up and hit Sango upside the head. The demon slayer saw white light behind her eyes before collapsing forward. Swiftly, Miroku lurched in front of him and caught Sango before she fell to the floor.

He then laid her gently against the tree he was previously pushed against and quickly got to his feet. He looked around and saw that Kirara was in her smaller form, in the brink of consciousness from blood lost, while Shippo and Avion still worked on getting the last of the ice away from Keiko's body and the Tetsusaiga. Miroku then looked on the opposite side and saw Kagome and Inuyasha weakly fighting Chiyo.

"I'm sorry I had to do that Sango," Miroku said quietly as he kneeled down and kissed her softly on the temple. He then rushed over towards his friends, ready to help them fight.

The ice demon shot out her right hand and created little triangles of smoking dry ice and shot them towards the weak priestess who was barely standing on her own two feet. Inuyasha was kneeling on the ground, clutching his own stomach as the five shards of dry ice imbedded into him caused his whole body to burn. His breathing harsh as carbon dioxide was exerted through his system from the ice itself. Inuyasha looked up in time to see Chiyo shoot out another five spears of the deadly ice at his mate.

"Kagome, move!" Inuyasha yelled weakly as he tried to get up and push her aside. _'I'm suppose to protect her, damn it.' _Inuyasha thought angrily as he finally got on his two feet and started limping his way towards her. Kagome shoot her head to clear her vision slightly but found that sharp objects were heading her way. Kagome tried to erect a barrier, but failed due to strength loss. "Kagome!" Kagome gasped as she saw the flying objects get closer.

Sparks of gold were seen as two solid objects clashed, obviously one object to be the color of gold. Kagome looked up when she didn't feel the pain course through her body. Miroku stood in front of her while his staff blocked the ice.

"You don't hurt her." Miroku warned. Kagome blinked rapidly.

"Miroku," Kagome said weakly.

"Kagome, Inuyasha, you okay?" Miroku asked without taking his eyes off of his smirking opponent.

"Feh," Inuyasha said weakly. "Thanks for protecting her." He said quietly.

"She's my little sister, of course." Miroku said with a smile. Inuyasha smiled and nodded his head before wavering off balance a little.

"Well, isn't that sweet?" Chiyo asked as she lifted her right forearm so it lay diagonal with her body. She then cracked her five knuckles of her right hand before making her claws glow an uncanny blue. Kagome's eyes widen for a fraction of a second before going to the unclear brown.

"Careful," Kagome warned the two males who stood in front of her. Inuyasha and Miroku gave her a sideway look without taking their face away from facing the ice demon. "The jewel shard is in her right hand."

"Hm," Miroku said with a nod.

"Gotcha," Inuyasha said as he readied his claws.

"Ah, so you _can _see the shards." Chiyo said, looking at Kagome. Kagome narrowed her eyes.

"So? Is it your concern?" Kagome asked. Chiyo just shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't care." Chiyo said. "This shard helps power the ice that comes out of my right hand. That's how I made that dry ice that is currently burning your body inside out, half demon." Inuyasha growled. "Too bad it still isn't strong enough to cover this whole place with dry ice so all of you can suffocate to death. Oh well, it'll be more fun having a little battle."

Miroku and Inuyasha narrow their eyes then charge forward. Miroku put up his staff in an attempt to block off the ice Chiyo was throwing at them. Inuyasha used his claws to slice through most of the shards, but some still scraped his body. Kagome tried to run forwards but stumbled back and held her head in one of her hands. Feeling nauseous, Kagome stays back and ready's to attack with her remaining strength from afar. With the two males backs turned to her, Kagome was on her own to cope with her sickness. Without being demon, or half demon, hypothermia caught up with her body as she staggered frontwards before catching herself with her leg weakly thrown in front of her. The priestess's breathing became harsher as her lungs started to slow as did her heart.

Chiyo caught the golden staff as the rings jingled above. Her hands wrapped around the pole of the staff and made ice slightly appear on the holy weapon. Miroku tried to kick Chiyo in her side but was knocked off balance when the demon that was holding his weapon twisted it and made him fall back.

Inuyasha jumped over the fighting two to land behind them, he turned around and saw Tetsusaiga in a block of ice while Shippo and Avion tried to melt the surrounding frozen liquid. Inuyasha whipped his head towards Miroku and Chiyo when he heard a grunt of pain come from his friend. With the quick movement of his head, that lead to moving his abdomen, making it burn even more. Inuyasha lost his balance and almost fell over before catching himself. Though, no one even noticed he was now behind the ice demon.

Kagome, who still stood a few yards away, looked at the ice demon and saw three different people, all looking the same.

'_Damn, I see three of that ice demon.' _Kagome thought as she tried to blink away her unclear vision, but failed. _'I have only enough energy to have one shot; I hope I don't hit the others… though I see three of each of them.' _Kagome then lifted one of her hands and pointed two fingers at her enemy. She then concentrated and aimed the best she could for a moving image of one person that turned into three. She then shot out a beam of spiritual power.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Miroku asked as he got up from the ground in time to almost be hit by the spiritual power to the right side of his opponent. Miroku briefly looked at his friend then quickly back at the opponent in front of him.

"Sorry, Miroku. I-" Kagome said but was overcome with dizziness.

"Hey, are you okay?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha stayed silent as he tried to bear his own pain as he doubled over.

"Touching," Chiyo said in a bored tone. "But not for long!" The ice demon the used the frost covered ground to make it have an earthquake affect near Kagome's feet, sending a wave of ground underneath her, sending her flying. Kagome screamed as she got flung from the ground and grunted as she made contact with a tree. Her body hitting harshly, before her head came in contact with the rough bark. Kagome saw lights behind her eyes as she slumped to the ground and lay motionless as her mind slipped into darkness.

"Kagome!" Miroku yelled as he looked back at the sickening sight. Kagome's lips tinted blue from hypothermia while her head oozed out blood from the contact with the tree. Chiyo smirked before her eyes grew wide and she screamed. Miroku whipped his head back to the ice demon and saw a clawed hand emerge from her chest from behind her. The monk looked back and saw Inuyasha's tired face.

"You don't do that to Kagome." Inuyasha snarled the best he can in his weakened state. "You'll die now for doing so." Chiyo breathed hard but stayed alive due to the shards power in her hand. She stayed standing, motionless, with Inuyasha's hand and forearm through her chest, effectively making her paralyzed for the moment until he removed the limb. Miroku saw that the ice demon wasn't falling when her heart was pierced.

'_Shouldn't she be dead?' _Miroku thought then looked at her right hand. _'The shard.' _Miroku realized.

"Miroku get something sharp and dig it into her right wrist." Inuyasha ordered. Chiyo tried to struggle but failed as immense pain shot from her chest and throughout her body. Miroku nodded then looked around. The first thing his eyes landed on was Kagome's limp body against the tree. Miroku ran to his dear little sister and looked at the sword at her hip.

"I'm borrowing this," Miroku said to her before reaching for the sword, only to be shocked with spiritual power. "What the-?" Miroku asked. He then used his spiritual power and saw that the weapons that she used more were infused with spiritual power that is helping to protect her so that an enemy can't get to her weapons and kill her with them. Miroku saw a large concentration of the power on the sword and Rykotsu, the small boomerang attached to her hip near the sword.

"Miroku, hurry!" Inuyasha complained. Shippo and Avion looked in awe and shock at the scene as they tried to get the last of the ice away from Tetsusaiga. Avion on the other hand was weakening quickly from all the power she poured towards melting the ice and helping Kirara stop her bleeding. Shippo felt weary as his little body dropped out the last of his fox fire magic as he looked at Tetsusaiga.

Miroku looked around Kagome again, hoping there was at least one item that wasn't common in her use in battle. He then spotted something with a low concentration and sweated a bit. The dagger that was strapped to her thigh hardly saw battle on its blade. Miroku sighed. The handle of the dagger was slightly covered under Kagome's skirt that was a part of her dress. Kagome lay oblivious to the struggle concerning Miroku. Miroku gulped down a lump in his throat then pushed her dress up to get the handle of the dagger. It sparked with slight spiritual power, but nothing Miroku couldn't handle. He then grabbed the dagger and pulled it out.

"I swear I wasn't doing anything this time." Miroku said as he ran off towards Inuyasha who still had his arm through Chiyo.

"About time." Inuyasha said. Chiyo tried to move her right hand but Miroku caught it and pierced the dagger straight through. Chiyo gasped then choked on air as she took her last breath and disappeared into the dust of the wind. Inuyasha's arm dropped back to his side. The shard laying tainted purple on the frosty floor.

As quickly as the white ice appeared into their lives, it disappeared with their deceased controller. Inuyasha and Miroku sighed. The dog half demon then looked at the shard on the ground then at the sky.

"Naraku was using her; just like everyone else." Inuyasha said as he then looked at his mate, bleeding against a tree.

"Yeah," Miroku said. He then looked at the shard on the ground and found it corrupted. "We need Kagome to purify the shard before _any _of us touch it." Inuyasha nodded before going over to where Kagome was thrown. He then kneeled down and checks her temperature to find it a scary cold, his fear for her running up and down his spine.

'_Her temperature is too cold.' _Inuyasha thought as his stomach lurched from the burning sensation. _'Damn, I thought this would go away too. I guess not.'_

'_I hope they're both okay,' _Miroku thought as he started to walk towards them to comfort his half demon friend, who was a brother to him.

"Miroku watch out!" Shippo yelled from the other side of the clearing that served as a battle field. Miroku looked around quickly and was met with a sword that went through his arm. He then screams in pain. Inuyasha looked towards his friend and his breath caught in his throat for a moment.

"Sango," Inuyasha whispered before looking at Kagome and struggled to get her into his arms. Inuyasha lifted her in his arms bridal style, trying to avoid the demon slayer's view until he can get Kagome to a safe place, far from their controlled friend.

Miroku breathed hard and grunted as Sango pulled out the sword. Blood poured from the wound and drenched his monk robes. The red liquid then dripped down to his right hand and over the cloth that covered the wind tunnel.

"Sango," Miroku sighed out as he looked into her eyes and saw they were still cloudy. "You're still being controlled." Sango then narrowed her eyes and launched forward. Miroku staggered before moving in time to avoid the attack.

* * *

The image of blood dripping from a clawed hand as it pierced through the chest of an ice demon showed in the silver mirror. Red eyes stared at the image before looking out the window that was next to the person. A white clad girl sat on her legs as she held on to the mirror, her black colored eyes showed no emotion as the image kept playing.

The man with red eyes pointed two fingers out of the window. After only about half a minute after the signal, a horde of giant wasps with purple eyes flew out of the eerie, dark castle and headed towards where the forest was losing its frost. A woman with red eyes looked out the window as she leaned on the door frame.

"She dead?" the woman on the door frame asked. The man sitting down with the little girl in white in front of him stayed silent. "Hm,"

"Kagura, go with them." The man ordered.

"And why would you have me do a ludicrous thing such as that, Naraku?" Kagura asked.

"Make sure they get the shard back." Naraku said darkly.

"Humph," Kagura said before going towards the window and plucked a feather from her bun on her head. The white feather then quickly turned larger and she got on, following the group of Saimyosho.

"Kanna," Naraku said quietly. The white clad girl looked up but didn't say anything. "Watch Kagura." With that, the image of the fight between the monk and demon slayer switched to an image of Kanna's sister who was flying on her feather, mindlessly following the wasp demons.

* * *

"Lady Kaede!" a male villager yelled as he ran from the forest towards the old priestess who was picking herbs in her garden.

"Yes, what is it?" Kaede asked kindly as she slowly got up from her kneeling position and stood up.

"The forest," the man said as he pointed towards Inuyasha's forest. Kaede looked over towards the forest and saw that water dripped from the now green vegetation. With her one eye, she scanned the sky and the depths of the forest the best she could. She then smiled.

"Yes, I see. That is wonderful news." Kaede said.

"Where did the ice come from?" The man asked.

"A demon." Kaede said. "It seems that Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others have defeated her."

"We shall pray for their safe journey home." The man said.

"We shall." Kaede replied with a smile. _'Though, I can't seem to think that they escaped unharmed.' _Kaede thought. _'Then again, they never do.' _

* * *

Miroku panted as he dodged another attack from Sango. Her sword bloodied with his blood. Inuyasha came up behind her to hold her under her arms. The demon slayer then kicked her leg back and hit Inuyasha in the part where a man does not want to get hit. Inuyasha doubled over from the pain in his groin and the pain in his stomach from the dry ice that still lay inhabitant in his body.

'_Damn, I can't breathe. Stupid dry ice.' _Inuyasha groaned in his mind. Miroku then tried to trip Sango, but failed and got his cheek scraped from the sword.

'_What am I going to do?' _Miroku thought desperately as he blocked another swing from Sango's sword.

* * *

*

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that was shorter than my other chapters, but that was a hard chapter to write ^^;**

**I promise the next one will be better! :)**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I LOVE IT THAT YOU GUYS STILL READ THIS! **

**Please check out my new fan fic ;)**


	41. Saving Sango and The Gang

**Disclaimer: :P… I don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Saving Sango and The Gang

Miroku panted as he dodged another attack from Sango. Her sword bloodied with his blood. Inuyasha came up behind her to hold her under her arms. The demon slayer then kicked her leg back and hit Inuyasha in the part where a man does not want to get hit. Inuyasha doubled over from the pain in his groin and the pain in his stomach from the dry ice that still laid inhabitant in his body.

'_Damn, I can't breathe. Stupid dry ice.' _Inuyasha groaned in his mind. Miroku then tried to trip Sango, but failed and got his cheek scraped from the sword.

'_What am I going to do?' _Miroku thought desperately as he blocked another swing from Sango's sword.

* * *

"Make sure they get the shard back." Naraku said darkly.

"Humph," Kagura said before going towards the window and plucked a feather from her bun on her head. The white feather then quickly turned larger and she got on, following the group of Saimyosho.

"Kanna," Naraku said quietly. The white clad girl looked up but didn't say anything. "Watch Kagura." With that, the image of the fight between the monk and demon slayer switched to an image of Kanna's sister who was flying on her feather, mindlessly following the wasp demons.

* * *

Landing with a thud the man with a black robe and a purple monk robe over it got his air knocked out of his lungs at contact. The woman standing above him wore a black cat suit with a pink cloth hanging over her personal body parts while she had pink elbow and knee pads. She then proceeded to lift a spear high into the sky before getting knocked to her side as a red clad body that crashed into her. The man with silver hair, dog ears, and wearing a fire rat kimono tumbled to the ground with the demon slayer rolling with him.

Sango skidded on her side while Inuyasha moved his body off of the demon slayer and skidded into a summersault. Sango stopped her sliding and slowly sat up with her feet underneath her, slightly to her side. Inuyasha groaned as he clutched his bloody stomach with his hand as he slowly got up as well.

Miroku on the other hand, quickly got up and ready to defend his half demon friend from further damage to his body. Truthfully, Miroku was grateful for the half demon's assault on Sango, but a part of him wished that things were different, that it wasn't Sango but him himself.

"Inuyasha, go to the others." Miroku said in a commanding voice. "You're too hurt to fight."

"No, I'm not leaving you to fight her alone." Inuyasha strained out as he sat with one knee on the ground and the other one propped up. He then struggled to get up to a standing position.

"No way," Miroku said. "I can deal with it on my own."

'_That sounds a lot like me.' _Inuyasha thought sadly. "Don't be like me, Miroku."

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked as Sango came by and swung her spear at Miroku's staff, making him get pushed back an inch. Inuyasha got up and leaped forward and caught Sango's spear and threw it off towards Kirara, Keiko, Avion, Shippo, and Kagome near the edge of the clearing. Avion lay on the ground as most of her energy was used while Kagome drained some to heal her own wounds and bodily problems. Shippo sat panted next to the priestess, checking on her every now and then while Kirara and Keiko lay sleeping off the effects of the ice.

"Admit you need help. You can't do everything on your own." Inuyasha said as he glanced at Miroku briefly and saw shock in the monk's eyes. Inuyasha then grabbed the fist that Sango was swinging at them and placed it behind her back while he walked around her speedily and grabbed her other hand.

_Flashback_

"_I don't need your help!" Inuyasha yelled at the priestess._

"_You know," Kagome said quietly. "You're not alone anymore."_

"_What do you mean wench?" Inuyasha grumbled._

"_I'm always here for you." Kagome said with a smile. "You can't do everything on your own." Inuyasha stayed quiet for a few seconds, contemplating the words._

"_Keh."_

_End Flashback_

'_Kagome.' _Inuyasha thought as he held onto Sango's wrist as Miroku put a sutra over her heart.

Moments passed, nothing happened except for a slight wave of spiritual power that ran through Sango's body as she stood still, hands being held by the half demon. Miroku took a step back, readying another defensive move as it was plainly obvious the magic paper didn't work. Sango's eyes glows an eerie blue for a second before reverting back to the lifeless brown eyes. Sango then kicked her leg out and kicked at Miroku's leg. Miroku didn't see the move coming, so his knee was kicked sideways, toppling over. The demon slayer then put a foot between Inuyasha's ankles and hooked it with his own foot; bringing it forwards and making him fall backwards. Without his usual reflexes due to injury, Inuyasha fell and hit his head rather hard on the dirt ground.

"Sango, you have to stop." Miroku pleaded. "I know you can hear me, somehow." Sango just stared at the monk without a single thought running through her mind. She then popped out the sword that was in her right forearm and charged at Miroku. The monk caught the blade with his staff before it connected with flesh and pushed her back.

Inuyasha lay on the ground for a moment, dizziness catching up with his mind, sight, and hearing. The half dog demon closed his eyes for a second, willing away the sky that was spinning in a circle. He then slowly got up from the ground and saw two battles occurring. The two battles were of the same people at almost the same location. Once he shook his head again, the two images merged into one. The half demon then ran towards the two and tried grabbing Sango's neck to hold her back.

Miroku saw his friend trying to grab for his girl's neck and quickly willed away the guilt that travelled through his body as he allowed his brother like friend to choke his love. Sango moved her eyes to look at Inuyasha with the side of her eyes. She then threw her arm at Inuyasha and caught him in the stomach making stop and gag. The demon slayer then backed up a step then punched the ground in front of Inuyasha. With the last of the energy she got from Chiyo, the ice demon, she made the ground come up and push Inuyasha back and into a tree off in the distance.

A weight pushed her down and land on her back on the rocky ground as a staff was pinned to the ground mere inches away from her head. Sango stared up with unemotional eyes as she saw the concerned purple eyes of a man. Miroku pushed her down more as he turned his head and saw Shippo tiredly crawl to the unconscious Inuyasha as he leaned against the tree he was thrown against.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo asked in concern as he placed a small hand on Inuyasha's knee. The little fox demon then looked at his father figure's stomach and saw the blood slowly drip from the wound, a small amount of smoke that was made up of carbon dioxide spill out of the wound as well. "Inuyasha, you have to wake up." Shippo said in a small voice. "Please?"

Inuyasha groaned a bit but didn't open his golden eyes. Shippo's eyes watered with unshed tears as he started to shake Inuyasha's knee with both of his small hands. Shippo then looked across at all of his unconscious team mates. Kirara, a wound through her leg, was unconscious from blood loss. Keiko, who had hypothermia, turned a paler color of fur as her nose was no longer wet. Avion was lying on the ground while losing her energy fast as Kagome drew it back unconsciously. Pink energy seeped out of Avion as her form blinked in and out of sight. And Kagome, whose face was pale, and lips slightly blue as her breathing were ragged while blood dripped from her numerous wounds, especially the one on her head when she was thrown against a tree.

"Inuyasha." Shippo whined as tears spilled over his eyes. His vision blurred while he looked at the half demon. "You're stronger than this, I know you are. Come on," Shippo begged. "Miroku needs you, and Sango, and everyone else." When the words didn't move him, the fox cub carefully climbed up to Inuyasha's shoulder and hugged his neck. "Please don't give up. Kagome needs you, and so do I."

With that, Inuyasha took a calming breath while Shippo curled himself so his face was buried between Inuyasha's neck and shoulder, taking in the forest like scent of the half demon. The said half demon slowly opened his eyes and looked off towards the blurry battle field.

"Sh-Shippo," Inuyasha groaned out as his throat became dry.

"Inuyasha," Shippo said as he lifted his head. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah." Inuyasha groaned as he started to get up. The movement of Kagome near him made him stop and look. "Kagome?"

"Huh?" Shippo said as he turned his head. The little fox demon then got down from Inuyasha's shoulder and made his way towards the unconscious priestess.

"S-spear." Kagome groaned out quietly. Inuyasha then made his way towards his mate and kneeled down beside her.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called out as he weakly put a hand on the priestess. "What about the spear?"

"S-spear," Kagome said again. "D-de-" Shippo and Inuyasha waited patiently for the priestess to finish the sentence.

* * *

'_This is quite entertaining.' _Kagura thought as she hid behind the trees with the Saimyosho buzzing and flying behind her, trying not to make a scene. A large crash was heard towards the right side of the clearing as a red clad figure flew towards a tree. Kagura turned her head and saw the half demon slide down the tree as his head tipped forward in unconsciousness. She then watched as the monk and demon slayer battle it out.

The monk in the purple robes pushed the demon slayer down to the ground as they stared intently in the other's eyes. The monk then was sliced in the stomach by an unsuspecting blade that was still attached to the demon slayers arm. The monk groaned as he fell to his side while clutching his injured abdomen. The demon slayer quickly rolled to the other side and got up to her feet.

The demon slayer then tried to get to her staff but was tripped as the monk grabbed her ankle weakly. She fell to the ground with her arms out in front of her to keep her balance.

'_Hm, maybe I'll wait to get that jewel shard that's still on the ground and enjoy the entertainment first.' _Kagura thought a bit darkly as she continued to watch.

* * *

"Do what?" Inuyasha asked as his hand got coated with more of his own blood as it clutched his heaving stomach.

"Th-there's a controlling sphere in the spear." Kagome said in a whisper. "Destroy it to get S-Sango b-back."

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked smartly. _'Sphere in Sango's spear? And to get her back is to destroy the weapon. But what sphere?' _Inuyasha thought to himself as he looked towards the spear. "Hang on Kagome, I'll finish this." Inuyasha said quietly as he made his way towards the weapon. He then picked it up and looked thoroughly at it. _'What the hell?' _

A groan was heard as Miroku knocked Sango once again to the ground. Inuyasha looked behind him and saw Miroku wrestle with the demon slayer.

"Inuyasha, get that thing away from her." Miroku strained out as he held Sango down.

"Hey, monk, do you see a sphere in this thing?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku quickly looked back and forth between the staff and Sango as he tried to focus on his opponent at the same time as he was trying to focus on the question being asked.

"I'm a little busy right now." Miroku said. "But what on Earth possessed you to ask something like that?"

"Kagome said that we had to destroy the sphere in the spear to get Sango out of this stupid trance." Inuyasha said as he kneeled down as the pain in his stomach soared through his body.

"What?" Miroku asked as he and Sango rolled a bit before the monk pinned her down again. "How did she get to that conclusion?"

"I don't know," Inuyasha said as he inspected the spear again. "She might have gotten it from right before she was frozen in ice. She _was _trying to find the source before then, after all."

"Oh yeah." Miroku said. "Nice memory."

"Keh, she's my mate, I know everything she does." Inuyasha said as he inspected the spear again. "Damn it! Why can't I find it?"

"Get Tetsusaiga and destroy it, Inuyasha!" Shippo said from afar as he struggled to drag the untransformed Tetsusaiga to Inuyasha. Inuyasha nodded then slowly made his way towards the fox demon. He then grabbed the sword from Shippo and found that the metal was cold from the ice that it was recently trapped in.

Inuyasha transformed the sword then threw the spear high in the air before lifting the sword above his head and waiting for the right moment to strike.

'_The only way to ensure that this stupid thing is gone is to use the Wind Scar.' _Inuyasha thought. _'It'll be the last ounce of my energy, but I _have _to do it.' _Inuyasha then watched as the wind clashed with each other before slicing through it.

Once the yellow lights disappeared to once they came, a small blue sphere floated down towards Inuyasha's feet. Miroku watched in interest as he held Sango's struggling body. The spear disappeared into the dust in the air like its creator, Chiyo. Inuyasha looked down at the spear and weakly lifted Tetsusaiga above it and let the large fang drop to the ground with the sphere underneath it, crushing the small orb. The half demon then staggered and dropped the fang as he fell to the ground, unconscious. His body spent, Inuyasha fell into the darkness of his mind.

Miroku looked on as the sphere got shattered like the Shikon Jewel itself. But just before the sphere of control was crushed, Sango got her right arm out of his grip and punctured his back with the blade in her right forearm. Miroku got the air knocked out of him as he fell unconscious, half on top of Sango.

Sango gasped as the control over her mind faded and she fell into unconsciousness just like her other friends did. Her mind working overload as it tried to discern the situation that they're facing.

Shippo cautiously looked around as he saw all of his friends fall to injury and unconsciousness. He then took a step towards Inuyasha and tried to pull on his arm to get him over towards Kagome, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion. But to no avail, Shippo then scampered towards Miroku and Sango and tried to wake one of them. Abruptly a gust of wind swept through the clearing, making Shippo fly back towards where Kagome lay.

"I must say, that was entertaining," a female said from the other side of the clearing, where no one was located.

"Kagura!" Shippo yelled as he struggled to get up.

"Humph." Kagura said as she leaned down and picked up the tainted shard. "I'll be leaving."

"Wait! That's our shard!" Shippo yelled at the wind demon. Kagura looked back briefly before hopping on her over sized feather and flying away, but now before sending a wind blade towards the little fox and knocking him unconscious when the wind blade hit a rock and made it fly towards the fox's temple on his head. With that, Kagura flew off with the shard in hand and the Saimyosho flying behind her.

* * *

"Hm, so she didn't betray me." A sinister voice said in a dark room. Kanna's blank eyes stared down at the floor as she concentrated on the image in her mirror. "Kagura, one more mistake and your time will run short."

"Naraku," Kanna said quietly. "Kagura has come back."

"Very well," Naraku said. With that, he got up and walked towards the front door of his eerie castle that was protected by an unseen barrier.

* * *

Kagura landed in the clearing that was once a garden, until Naraku took over the castle, and hopped off her feather. She walked towards the front sliding door that now had holes in it due to the miasma and went inside. She was met with Naraku's smirking face as he leaned against the wall.

"Kagura," Naraku said.

"Naraku," Kagura said back.

"How was the mission? Took you longer to just retrieve the shard, hm?" Naraku asked.

"Humph, like I have to explain myself." Kagura said defiantly.

"I have your heart, Kagura, remember that." Naraku snarled a bit. "Now, do you have something for me?"

"Humph." Kagura scoffed as she reached into her sleeve and pulled out the corrupted shard before throwing towards Naraku._ 'That bastard, he was watching me by using Kanna.' _Kagura thought as she glared at Naraku's back, boring holes through his body.

* * *

…Two Hours Later…

Sango groaned as she felt a weight on half of her body. She slowly opened her eyes and adjusted to the setting sun of the day. Orange linings burst through the sky as the last rays of the sun escaped from its core and made its way to Japan. Sango then thought back to what happened in the last few days.

'_Chiyo… That ice demon kidnapped me and put me under some kind of control.' _Sango thought. _'But what happened after that?' _She then turned her head to see Miroku's pale face leaning over her shoulder. Sango blush fifty shades of red promising the monk fifty beatings when he woke up. The demon slayer then slowly lifted Miroku up and slipped out about half way before she saw the blood covering the monk. "Miroku," Sango said. She then looked around the clearing and gasped.

Littered on the ground were blood, weapons, and her friends. Inuyasha lay with Tetsusaiga at his feet while in his unconscious state as blood lay underneath him where his stomach was located. Shattered glass was near where Tetsusaiga laid carelessly on the ground, slightly out of reach of the half demon. Kagome lay away from her mate as her skin turned a slightly bluish color while a blood puddle pooled from her head as her head was turned to the side away from Sango. Miroku who still lay slightly on top of Sango had blood staining his monk robes in the back.

Shippo lay at the end of a skid mark as blood dripped diagonally from his face starting at his temple. Kirara had a hole through her leg has Keiko lay slightly next to her with slightly lighter fur and a lighter colored nose as it wasn't wet with health anymore. Avion, who laid a little ways away blinked in and out of sight as the last of her energy was spent to make a small barrier around the clearing to ward off other demons who try to attack.

The demon slayer look in shock at her friends and what she considered family other than Kohaku. Sango then looked at the weapons around the battle field. In the middle lay Hiraikotsu, pinned to the ground, while a dagger was far in the corner of the clearing, reflecting the last of sunlight, while Sango's sword was lying next to the dagger as it was stained with blood. Sango then looked down at her own arm and found blood stained on the blade in her arm that she didn't remember using.

"Oh my god," Sango strained out as she cover her mouth with her left hand in shock, since she couldn't even look at the blade in her right arm. She then hurriedly got out from under Miroku and rushed towards the edge of the clearing to throw up the contents in her stomach behind a bush. Wiping her mouth slightly after she spit out the vile liquid that came out of her belly, Sango looked back and wanted to barf all over again. "What have I done?"

The demon slayer then crawled towards Miroku and started to slightly shake him. After a minute of light shaking, Sango stopped and checked the wound on the monk's back. She then looked from both the monk's wound to her forearm blade and grimaced. She then got up to her feet and went over to Inuyasha. After checking that he didn't have any wounds on his back, she carefully flipped him over to find a large amount of blood in his abdomen area with a slight gas leaking from it. Sango slapped him lightly on his cheek to wake him but to no avail.

The demon slayer then moved over to Kagome and flinched at her friend's appearance as guilt washed over her body, willing it to fall. Sango held herself up and kneeled next to her friend. Lightly, Sango check Kagome's temperature and found it too cold for her liking. Sango looked around and couldn't find any source of help. She then lightly lifted her friends head and found dry blood caked into her hair where a wound was in the back of her head. Sango gulped as she tried to rouse Kagome, but it was another failed attempt.

Sango went over to the two two-tail demons and found that they couldn't be awakened either, but were in better condition than the humans and half demon. She looked at Shippo and carried him back towards the two manta demons and set him down as well as Avion.

Sango then went back towards Inuyasha and lifted him from under his arms and dragged him towards the larger group. She laid him down next to Shippo then had Kagome lay next to him. She then made her way towards Miroku and lightly rolled him onto his injured back, whispering a slight apology, she lifted him, again, under his arms and dragged him to lie next to Kagome. With tears dripping down her face in a rapid speed, Sango went and gathered all the weapons that lay strewn about. After putting the weapons in a pile, Sango fell to her knees and started to sob loudly.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry." Sango said as she put her hands over her face cried harder. "Please wake up, I'm sorry!"

Flashes of her friends' faces as they had good and bad times together went through her mind as she cried even harder. Sango found it harder and harder to breathe as she hugged her knees to her face. Eventually, the day's events caught up to her as her body collapsed sideways and the sun set over the horizon, letting darkness take over the land. Sango cried herself to sleep, though she tried to stay awake and protect her friends, but found it too difficult as she lost herself in the darkness.

* * *

"La, la, la," a rather plump raccoon dog demon sang as he strolled down the dirt path leading towards another demon. Night has fallen when the raccoon dog awakened from his slumber by instincts. The little demon then started to stroll down a road to find some food. "Such a warm night." The demon commented to himself.

The wind suddenly shifted as his nose was assaulted with the smell of blood. He turned his beady black eyes towards the direction and took a whiff.

'_Stupid humans and their wars.' _Hachi thought to himself as he took another whiff and found a light demonic blood scent through the air as well. _'And they have to bring us demons into it.' _

The demon then started to walk once again towards a familiar village he's been once before.

* * *

Sango woke up to the sound of a night bird making a call out to the sky towards his friends. She blinked her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Only to be able to see the outline of everyone's body, she found that they haven't moved or shifted from the position she put them in. Sango then got up and went into the forest to gather a few pieces of wood that was around then made her way back towards her unconscious friends. After placing a few surrounding a rock in a circle, Sango set up the twigs and sticks inside it and made a small fire by rubbing two sticks together.

Willing the chilly cold of the night away, Sango walked to the other side of the fire so her friends could have the warmth as she watched over them. She eyed each one of them intently, waiting for any movement besides irregular breathing.

'_At least they're all alive.' _Sango thought. _'I just hope that they can make it through the night.' _With that, Sango shakily got up to her feet and hefted Hiraikotsu to her shoulder before launching it at a small branch of a tree and broke it off, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. She looked over her shoulder once she caught Hiraikotsu and made sure her friends didn't wake from the noise, though, she wished they would wake up. Sango then cut up the wood but letting Hiraikotsu fall on it and break of the piece. The demon slayer than gathered the wood and made a second fire to keep her friends extra warm.

After the second fire was up and going, Sango sat down with Hiraikotsu lying next to her on the ground as she started thinking.

'_What have I done? Did I really do _all _of this to them? And where's that demon, Chiyo?' _Sango thought as she stared into the eye of the fire. _'How am I going to get them back to the village?' _

…Morning…

No movement was made as the small makeshift camp was silent. The monk, priestess, and half demon lay in worse condition than the fox, cat, and dog demon. Sango sat on the ground with her legs to her side as she dipped in and out of consciousness.

A groan was heard from the fox demon as he slowly blinked his emerald eyes open. Sango's eyes snapped towards the sound as she quickly got up and walked towards her fox demon friend.

"Shippo," Sango called out lightly. Shippo groaned again as his eyes adjusted to the morning light.

"S-Sango?"

"Yeah," Sango said as a small sad smile placed on her lips. "How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts." Shippo said as he tried to sit up. Sango lightly pushed him back down.

"Lie down and rest. I have to go find food." Sango ordered slightly as she looked at his childish face. _'At least he's awake. How am I going to help them though? There's no river, no medical supplies, and I can't drag _all _of them back to the village myself.' _Sango thought.

"What about the others?" Shippo asked.

"I'm sorry Shippo, I shouldn't have let this happen." Sango said sadly as a tear went down her face. "I'm so sorry." Shippo looked up as he felt a tear splatter on his cheek.

"It isn't your fault." Shippo said. "Most things happen on accident. And the accident is something that we can't control." Sango gave a slight chuckle sadly as she looked down at him.

"Did Kagome tell you that?" Sango asked. Shippo nodded slowly as he turned his head and saw Inuyasha next to him. Sango then looked at his line of vision and saw him stare at Inuyasha. "Shippo, do you know what's inside Inuyasha?"

"Yeah, Chiyo shot him with something called dry ice." Shippo said. Sango looked at him then nodded and went over towards Inuyasha.

"Sorry, Inuyasha, I have to look at the wounds." Sango said as he hesitantly opened his fire rat kimono and found five puncture holes with the clear gas coming out of it. Sango wanted to gag, but held it in as she tried to locate the little pieces of ice. "I can't see them."

"That's because the ice demon made it so that his body absorbed them." Shippo answered. Sango gritted her teeth together before closing his kimono back up. She then looked towards the sun to find it getting higher in the sky.

"I can't clean their wounds." Sango said sadly. "Any idea how we're going to get them back to the village?"

"I can probably carry two of them." Shippo said.

"No, you're hurt; I'm not going to let you." Sango answered sternly.

"Mew," Sango whipped her head around and found Kirara shakily stand up, only to plop back down because of her injured leg. Sango placed a comforting hand on Shippo's head before going over to the two manta demons that have woken up. Keiko shivered every now and then, but nothing serious as her demonic body fought off the hypothermia. Sango kneeled down to the two demons and petted their heads.

"Hey," Sango said. "I'm so sorry this happened." Kirara and Keiko looked at each other before cocking their heads. Sango gave them a small smile before looking back towards the other three who were unconscious and Avion who was still blinking in and out of sight. Sango gulped before looking at Shippo. _'I can't risk him.' _

"Sango," Shippo called out.

"Yes, Shippo?"

"They're not going to die, right?" Shippo asked. Sango was stunned into silence. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she struggled for an answer.

"I hope not Shippo." Sango said as she looked off into the forest.

"We need to get them to Kaede's."

"I know Shippo, but how?" Sango asked.

* * *

"Ah, raccoon dog, what brings you here?"

"I came by looking for Master Miroku."

"I see," Kaede said as she sipped her tea. "Well I'm sorry; Miroku and the others have gone to go retrieve Sango."

"What happened to her?" Hachi asked.

"She was kidnapped, dear demon." Kaede said then looked out the door with her one eye. "Hm, raccoon dog."

"Yes?" Hachi asked.

"Do you mind retrieving them?"

"Um, well," Hachi said nervously as sweat beaded down his face.

"It won't be dangerous." Kaede reassured.

"O-okay," Hachi said as he started to get up. "Where are they?"

"To the east." Kaede replied. Hachi nodded then went outside and turned into a large yellow, crooked, rod that had a black ring around its tail. Hachi then flew towards the east to find his master and his master's friends.

* * *

"Sango, I'm hungry." Shippo said as he sat up.

"Alright, Shippo." Sango said. _'I'm kind of hungry too.' _"Can you wait here and watch over the others while I try and find some food?" Shippo nodded eagerly.

"You can count on me."

"I know," Sango said as she patted his head then hefted Hiraikotsu on her back and went towards the forest to gather what little food was around. Once inside the forest, Sango wandered a little farther than she intended and found herself half a mile away from the others.

"Sango!"

The demon slayer looked up from her position in the middle of the forest and found an odd yellow shaped figure in the sky.

"Hachi," Sango said quietly as the raccoon dog demon landed next to her. "Oh Hachi!" Sango said excitedly as she hugged the stunned demon.

"Uh…" Hachi said intelligently as he blushed.

"I'm sorry," Sango said once she let go of the plump demon. "I'm just so happy you're here."

"Why?" Hachi asked nervously.

"Can you _please _help me with the others? They're all injured and I can't carry them all back alone." Sango begged as she put her hands together in plead.

"Master Miroku is hurt?" Hachi asked stunned.

"They all are," Sango said. "Please, we really need to get them some help, and Kaede would know what to do. I'll do anything you ask? What do you want? Money?"

'_Some money would be nice. And food.' _Hachi thought. Sango waited with apprehension for his answer. "Okay, I will fly all of you back for a fair amount of money and food."

"Thank you." Sango said as she hurried back towards the others with Hachi in toe.

The two made it back in record time as Shippo looked up at them from his seat between Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Hey, it's Hachi," Shippo said. "What are you doing here?"

"He's helping us get the others back to Kaede's." Sango said as she dropped Hiraikotsu and started to gather up Kagome. Hachi then quickly transformed by putting a leaf on his head and popping into a puff of smoke and turned into a yellow, misshaped, rod.

**(A/N: I have no idea how to explain that. My bad. Bare with me?)**

After gathering the still unconscious Miroku, Kagome, and Inuyasha onto Hachi's back, Sango lifted Kirara, Keiko, and Avion into her arms while Shippo climbed up on his own. Hachi then took off into the sky and flew back towards Kaede's village.

"How long, Hachi?" Sango asked as she checked her friends' pulses.

"Not too long," Hachi said. "Half a day's journey."

"Alright," Sango said as she looked at her friend's faces and bodies. _'So much blood. And Inuyasha's wounds aren't healing like they should and his breathing is becoming too raspy. Kagome's body isn't getting too much warmer either and she still looks so pale. It seems like Miroku is doing better out of these three. Did I really do all of this to them? How could I?' _Sango thought.

…Later…

Sango sighed as she saw the village in front of her. She then looked back at her friends who still lay unconscious on their backs with blood staining each and every one of them.

"We're almost there." Hachi said as he got nearer to Kaede's hut. Sango nodded. By this time, Kirara, Keiko, and Shippo were fully healed from their wounds and sickness. Kirara jumped off of Hachi's body and burst into flames as she transformed. Keiko and Shippo hopped onto the fire cat as they went to go warn Kaede of their arrival and dire need of help for the others. Sango gave a sigh of relief before gathering the many weapons and getting ready to jump off of Hachi.

Once the raccoon dog demon was near the ground, Sango hopped off and went straight into the hut; only to throw the weapons in the corner and rush back out to gather her friends. Kirara carefully lifted Miroku off while Sango carried Kagome on her back carefully.

Inside the wooden hut, Keiko and Shippo were setting up three mats so their friends would be comfortable while Kaede was gathering her herbs in a pile and boiling some water while preparing the bandages that came from Kagome's duffel bag of medical supplies. Kirara carefully carried Miroku inside quickly followed by Sango who held Kagome. Kirara placed Miroku to the far left side while Sango placed Kagome to the far right side, leaving a space in the middle for Inuyasha. Once Kirara settled Miroku down, she went back out and gathered Inuyasha on her back and carried him inside.

"Shippo, do ye mind going to get more water?" Kaede asked as she held a wooden bucket for the fox demon. Shippo nodded as he eagerly grabbed the bucket and scampered off with Keiko following behind him just in case. With that, Kaede started to push the extra tub of water towards Kagome and started to undress the priestess. "Sango, do ye mind helping?"

"Of course not." Sango said as she quickly went towards Kagome and helped the old priestess dressing her wounds. While Kaede started to take Kagome's weapons out of her outfit, she couldn't help but feel a slight shock from them when she touched them. After placing the weapons down beside her, Sango and Kaede wrapped Kagome up in bandages and gauze.

Following, Kaede and Sango went to dress Inuyasha's wound while Kirara placed a blanket over Kagome's nude form, besides the many bandages. Keiko and Shipp came back with the bucket of water and Keiko immediately placed a warm cloth on Kagome's head while Shippo tried to help Avion. Hachi stood watch outside as he waited. Kaede started to undress Inuyasha while Sango blushed profusely.

"Um, Kaede, I really don't think I should be doing this." Sango said nervously. Kaede looked up at Sango confusedly until it clicked in her old mind.

"I don't think we have to remove Inuyasha's pants, dear. Unlike Kagome, it does not seem like he has any wounds on them." Kaede replied.

"But shouldn't you check? Just in case?" Sango asked as she turned her head away to look on the opposite wall behind her.

"Yes, that would be best," Kaede said. "Shippo, would ye mind looking at Inuyasha's legs to see any wounds?" Shippo looked away from Avion as he looked at Kaede then Inuyasha.

"Uh, sure." Shippo said cautiously as he made his way towards Inuyasha. After inspection from Shippo and lots of blushing from Sango, it was determined that Inuyasha had no wounds on his legs. Shippo was then sent to do the same to the monk.

"Oh dear." Kaede said as she looked at the half demons severely damaged abdomen.

"What? What's wrong?" Sango asked.

"It's dry ice." Kaede said as she tried to look for the actually piece of ice. "And it looks like his body absorbed it."

"The ice demon made the ice go into his body." Shippo said as he came over and sat near Inuyasha's head. A groan was heard from the left side of the hut. Sango, Kaede, and Shippo turned their head and saw Miroku blink his eyes open.

"Miroku," Sango said as she made her way towards the monk.

"S-Sango?" Miroku said unsteadily.

"Hey," Sango said. "Does anything hurt?"

"My back, but I'll be okay." Miroku said bravely. "How are Inuyasha and Kagome?"

"Well," Sango said as she looked away.

"Kagome is healing slowly," Kaede answered for the demon slayer. "But Inuyasha is the one we should worry about."

"What's wrong with him?" Miroku asked.

"It looks like we need spiritual power to get rid of the ice inside, but it's going to hurt him." Kaede replied. "I can get rid of two or three, but my power isn't strong enough to get rid of all five."

"I'll do it." Miroku said as he tried to get up but stopped when a shoot of pain ran through his back. Sango looked at him in concern as she helped him lie back down.

"But Miroku, you're hurt." Sango said. "You can't."

"What about Inuyasha?" Shippo asked as he placed a small hand on Inuyasha's forehead. Kaede began wiping away the dry blood on the half demon's stomach.

"I do not know, Miroku." Kaede said solemnly. "We'll just have to wait for Kagome to wake."

'_Kagome,' _Miroku thought for a minute.

_Flashback_

_The first thing his eyes landed on was Kagome's limp body against the tree. Miroku ran to his dear little sister and looked at the sword at her hip. _

"_I'm borrowing this," Miroku said to her before reaching for the sword, only to be shocked with spiritual power. "What the-?" Miroku asked. He then used his spiritual power and saw that the weapons that she used more were infused with spiritual power that is helping to protect her so that an enemy can't get to her weapons and kill her with them. Miroku saw a large concentration of the power on the sword and Rykotsu, the small boomerang attached to her hip near the sword._

_Flashback End_

"Kaede, where are Kagome's weapons?" Miroku asked.

"Why, Miroku?" Sango asked.

"I have an idea." Miroku said.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEIWING! :)**

**A/N: Sorry if that chapter wasn't very good. ^^;**

**SEE YOU NEXT TIME!**

**-MEERKATLUVR789**


	42. Only Human

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Only Human

"Kaede, where are Kagome's weapons?" Miroku asked.

"Why, Miroku?" Sango asked.

"I have an idea." Miroku said.

"How do you suppose, Miroku?" Kaede asked.

"Yeah, what do Kagome's weapons have anything to do with this?" Shippo asked. Keiko and Kirara cocked their heads to the side as they sat next to Avion.

"When I touched her weapons, they shocked me." Miroku explained as he lay on the mat. "If we could get the tip of the weapon and place it near the dry ice, I'm thinking it would purify it."

"Great idea Miroku." Shippo said excitedly.

"Yes, that is a great idea." Kaede said. "But how do we grab the weapon if we, ourselves, can't touch it."

"I'll do it." Sango volunteered.

"Careful Sango, spiritual power hurts humans too." Miroku warned.

"It does?" Shippo asked.

"Yes, Shippo, but it only has half of the effect as it does on a demon." Miroku explained. He then looked towards Sango intently. The demon slayer nodded her head as she went to pick up the sword.

"Wait a minute," Sango said right before she touched the metal of the handle of the sword. "Kaede, how did you remove the weapons from Kagome when we inspected her body?"

"It shocked me, yes, but I was using a spiritual shield over my hands. The effect still had quite the cause though." Kaede said as she slightly opened her old, wrinkly hands to find slight burn marks.

"Oh my god, Kaede, why didn't you tell us?" Sango asked as she made her way towards the old priestess.

"The others are more important right now." Kaede said.

"But even with a shield you got burned, how do we do this without getting her hands charred?" Miroku asked.

* * *

"Mom, what are you doing?" A little boy asked as he walked into a wooden structure.

"Just looking down." The mother said to her son.

"Well, what are you looking for? Is sis' down there?" The boy asked.

"No, Souta," The mother said. "I just have a feeling something bad is happening." Souta walked up to his mother and hugged her around the waist after putting down his soccer ball.

"She'll come back. She always does." Souta said.

"I know," Mrs. Higurashi said as she hugged her son back. "But I can't help but worry."

"Me either," Souta said. "She is my only sister." Mrs. Higurashi giggled a bit.

"You're a good son to have around." She said. "But it'll be nice to have Kagome around a little more often, but this can't be helped." Souta nodded against her stomach as the two looked down the depths of the well.

* * *

"I'll do it." Everyone whipped their head towards the whisper of a voice. Their eyes landed on Avion as she slowly got up and struggled to fly towards the half demon.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"I'll just go inside Inuyasha's body. I don't have that much spiritual power left so I can't hurt him too bad." Avion answered.

"But what will happen to you?" Shippo asked. Keiko came up to her beloved friend and nuzzled her under her beak.

"I'll disappear until Kagome wakes up and revives me." Avion answered.

"Don't leave us." Miroku said.

"I'm not, just helping my master's mate." Avion said. "That's part of my job."

"If you promise to come back." Shippo said as he and Kirara made their way towards the disappearing spiritual bird.

"Don't worry, my soul will still be here. It's Kagome's after all." Avion said.

"Thank you young spiritual bird." Kaede said. Avion nodded before hopping on top of Inuyasha's stomach and slowly seeping in.

"See you later." Avion said as a bright light went around the hut, temporarily blinding everyone's eyes. Once the light vanished, everyone opened their eyes once again and saw that Inuyasha's wounds have stopped burning, bleeding, and releasing carbon dioxide.

"Avion," Sango said quietly.

"Look at Inuyasha," Miroku said from his place on the futon. Everyone looked up and gasped.

"Oh god, he's not going to be happy about that." Sango said as she worried her bottom lip.

"Yeah, not really." Shippo said a bit nervously as Keiko and Kirara inspected the half demon's entire body for any more injuries.

"We should start bandaging him up." Sango said as she nervously lifted the kimono off of the half demon and got a wet cloth to slowly clean the wounds once again.

"I wonder how he will react when he finds out he's human." Shippo asked.

"Probably not a good reaction." Miroku said as he stared at the ceiling as his back injury and the wound on his stomach started to ache.

"Well, the dry ice is indeed gone and he should survive the injuries." Kaede said. "He and us, as well, should at least be thankful for that."

"You're right." Sango said as Kaede started to put green colored gauze over Inuyasha's injuries and Sango wrap bandages around him. "Alright, Miroku, you're turn."

"Oh," Miroku said a bit lecherously.

"Nothing lecherous, monk." Sango warned. "I wonder how Hachi's doing."

"Hachi's here?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, he's outside the door. He's the one that brought you guys back." Sango said. _'That reminds me, I owe him some money and food.' _

"That was nice of him." Miroku said as he struggled to sit up as Sango and Kaede worked on the wound on his back.

"Yeah it was." Sango said. "Shippo, do you mind telling Hachi that he can come inside?"

"Okay," Shippo said as he hopped up and went outside to get the raccoon dog demon.

"There ye go, Miroku." Kaede said as she finished putting the gauze on all of his wounds while Sango finished tying up the bandages.

"Thank you." Miroku said as he was gently pushed down back onto the futon by Sango.

"Now, Sango, how do ye feel?" Kaede asked.

"I'm okay, I guess." Sango answered.

"Something wrong?" Miroku asked.

"I'm really sorry for all of this. I shouldn't have been so careless as to let this happen." Sango said.

"Do not worry, child, things like this happen all the time." Kaede said.

"Yeah, besides, it was an accident. And Kagome told me accidents can't be avoided because you never know what'll happen and when." Shippo said as he came back in with the raccoon dog.

"Kagome is a smart child, a little odd, but smart and powerful." Kaede said with a smile.

"Yeah," Sango said as she looked at her half dead sister. "We're really lucky."

"I agree with that." Miroku said as he looked over Inuyasha and towards Kagome. "She's going to be okay, right?"

"Yes, she should be fine. She just needs lots of rest." Kaede said as she picked up a bucket of water that was tainted red with blood from the cloth they used to wipe off the blood. "Do you mind helping me, Sango?"

"Of course not." Sango said as she got the other two buckets and went outside to dump then out somewhere.

…Around Dinner Time…

"The sun is setting," Shippo noticed as he looked outside.

"Yeah," Hachi said with his mildly high pitch voice. "It's the only peaceful thing that happened today." The fox and raccoon dog demon sat outside the hut while they waited on Sango, Kirara, and Keiko to get back from the hot springs near the village. The demon slayer had to be forced to clean off the blood that was on her body as she refused to leave the side of her friends.

"I hope the others are going to be okay."

"Master Miroku is the strongest monk I've come in contact with." Hachi admitted. "I'm sure he'll pull out of this."

"That's true," Shippo said. "But what about Inuyasha and Kagome? Neither of them have woken up yet."

"That is because their bodies need more rest." Kaede said as she popped out of the hut. "Come young demons, supper is ready."

"What about Sango?" Shippo asked.

"Aye," Kaede said. "Why don't you go and fetch her. I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate dear Hachi going to the springs." With that, the raccoon dog demon blushed before making his way into the hut and sitting next to his sleeping master.

"Alright," Shippo said before scampering off.

"Be careful." Kaede warned before going back in and serving her dinner to the present occupants inside.

Before Shippo could be missed, he came back just as quickly as he left with Sango, Keiko, and Kirara following shortly behind the demon slayer.

"That was quick." Hachi commented.

"Well she was on her way back anyways." Shippo said.

"Yeah," Sango said with a slight smile that instantly disappeared when she saw her battered friends. "How are the others?"

"They are getting better." Kaede asked.

"Relax, Sango," Shippo said. "I'm worried too, but they're right here."

"But you weren't the one that did this to them Shippo." Sango said with gritted teeth as she had her bangs cover her eyes. Keiko and Kirara whimpered as they cautiously approached the demon slayer.

"Sango," Shippo said in a whimper as he slowly approached her as well.

"Do not blame ye self." Kaede said. (A/N: I don't think that made sense.)

"You have no idea what it's like hurting your friends and family," Sango said. "Not like this." The demon slayer then fell to her knees a small tear strayed from her eyes.

"You're acting like Kagome did." Shippo said quietly.

"Huh? What did you say?" Sango asked.

"You. You're acting like Kagome did a while ago." Shippo said quietly as he looked down.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"Aye, Kagome went through this many times." Kaede commented. Hachi sat in the corner of the hut as he quietly listened and ate his stew. Kirara and Keiko rubbed their heads at Sango's leg as they tried to comfort the distressed demon slayer.

"Kagome," Sango said quietly. "What happened to her?"

"Well don't you remember all of the times she was used against us?" Shippo asked. "With the Dark Priestess, and Naraku, and other demons that want to kill us."

"Oh yeah," Sango said. _'All of those times,' _she thought.

"She was ready to kill herself," Shippo said with a tear in his eye.

"Aye, the girl has a weakness, and after so many times being exposed to that, she finally let it out." Kaede said solemnly.

"Wait, but every time she was manipulated she never even thought of…" Sango trailed off.

"Yes, Sango, but this was a different time when ye and Miroku went to your village to fix the graves." Kaede said.

_Flashback_

'Damn it!' _Kagome thought as she ran through the forest while getting cuts and scrapes on her body from the trees and bushes. _'Why? Why can't I just be useful for once? Why can't I just _not _be used against them?!' _Kagome thought with tears running down her cheek. _

_After a while of running, Kagome stumbled on a root and fell to the ground. She looked up and found that she made her way towards a cliff. _

'Maybe if I just end things now, they won't have to go through that again.' _Kagome mused while she got up and looked down the cliff. There, she found that sharp rocks at the bottom with the ocean waves crashing into them. _'Maybe this way they won't find me.'

"_Kagome!" a voice called but fell on deaf ears as Kagome nearly took a step forward. "Damn bitch! Don't you dare!" _

_With that, Kagome closed her eyes as she tipped forward. A clawed hand grabbed her upper arm while another clawed hand grabbed around her waist, pulling her back up. Kagome opened her eyes to find that she was falling back towards the ground she was standing on and fell on top of another person, bringing a grunt to the person._

"_What the hell were you thinking?!" _

"_Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. "What are you doing here? Why are you stopping me? Didn't you always want me gone?"_

"_Kagome," Inuyasha breathed out. He then flipped them over so Kagome lay on the ground beneath him while he was on top, his body not touching hers in any way. "Don't you dare say that. Don't you ever say that!"_

"_Why? Isn't that what you want?"_

"_No," Inuyasha said. "You're the first person that actually started to care about a pathetic half breed. I don't want to lose a friend."_

"_Don't lie."_

"_I'm not!" Inuyasha yelled. "I'm not. What are you thinking? Doing something so stupid!"_

"_It's just better this way, Inuyasha. You all will be better without me."_

"_Isn't there an easier way?" _

"_No," Kagome said. "The only way to get everyone happy is for me to die and give Kikyo her soul."_

"_Don't," Inuyasha whispered. "Don't say another word."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because you're listening to me now." Inuyasha said sternly as he showed his fangs a little bit. "Don't do something so stupid as to kill yourself ever again! Why do that in the first place?" Kagome stayed quiet. Inuyasha growled fiercely as he sat up and grabbed her shoulders to shake her a bit. "Kagome!" _

"_Oh, did you want me to answer?"_

"_Kagome," Inuyasha growled._

"_I don't want to be used against you guys any more. I'm only a burden anyways." Kagome said. Inuyasha crushed her body to his as she gasped at the sudden movement._

"_Don't you say that. Don't say it." Inuyasha said. "It's not true."_

"_Kikyo can do what I can. Probably better." With that, Inuyasha tightened his hold._

"_Don't bring her into this; she has nothing to do with it." Inuyasha said. "Unless she does…"_

"_No, not at all." Kagome said unemotionally._

"_You're making a mistake doing what you were about to do, Kagome." Inuyasha said. "Too many people need you."_

"_Like who?" _

"_Sango, Shippo, Miroku, your mother, Souta…" Inuyasha said as he trailed off. "Me…" he said quietly._

"_Humph, you wouldn't care."_

"_Stupid," Inuyasha said with gritted teeth. "You're so stupid."_

"_You call me that all the time. I'm starting to believe it." Inuyasha's eyes widened before his breath caught in her throat._

"_No, don't believe that." Inuyasha said desperately. "Just don't."_

"_Hm," Kagome said as she tried to push away from Inuyasha's body._

"_You're not useless. You're not a burden." Inuyasha ranted on. "Please don't do this."_

"_Are you begging?" Kagome asked._

"_Do you want me to beg?" Kagome stayed quiet. "Keh… Just promise me you won't do this again. Promise you won't. I don't want to see you die." Kagome still stayed quiet. "PROMISE ME, KAGOME!"_

"_Alright," Kagome relented as she leaned her head on his shoulder and started to cry. "Alright, I promise."_

_After that day, Inuyasha kept a closer eye on the priestess, making sure she didn't stray without someone else with her, even if it had to be himself following her. They slept at a village far from Kaede's that night when she was manipulated to hurt the half demon. Shippo curled himself next to Kagome closer than usual and followed her as well. Sango, Miroku, and Kirara weren't due back for a few more days._

'It's probably better that Sango and Miroku don't know about this.' _Inuyasha thought as he stayed up for the night, just until he absolutely knew that the priestess was sound asleep in her sleeping bag._

_Flashback End_

"That's horrible," Sango said shocked. "But that doesn't sound like her."

"It really wasn't her." Shippo said quietly.

"What do you mean Shippo?" Sango asked.

"It turns out that the demon that controlled her messed with her mind, trying to get her to kill herself and finish its mission." Kaede answered.

"She's okay though, right?" Sango asked.

"Yes, by the time you got back, Kagome was back to normal. I had to looked through her mind to get rid of the spell that made Kagome want to commit suicide." Kaede said.

"Oh, Kagome." Sango said. "Why does everything happen to her?"

"Because she's the guardian of the Sacred Jewel." Kaede answered.

"Besides, the other demons want to get rid of her anyways just to eliminate a potential killer." Shippo said.

"But if the demons just don't attack, they won't have to get killed." Sango said.

"Yeah, but they don't know that." Shippo said. He then looked towards Kagome and found Keiko curling herself into Kagome's neck. Kirara walked over towards Inuyasha then Miroku and nuzzled his cheek for a second to try and rouse him, but was unsuccessful.

"I'm really sorry for all of this." Sango said.

"Don't think too hard about it." Kaede reassured.

"Yeah, if we didn't care about you then you would've been dead by now." Shippo said trying to get his friend a little more cheerful. "And Kagome too." Sango cracked a smile at his sarcastic statements.

"Yeah, well, I still feel bad." Sango said.

"You're not going to do anything rash are you?" Shippo asked.

"No, nothing rash." Sango said.

"This stew is delicious, you should try it." Hachi said suddenly as he tried to get the tension out of the hut.

"Yes, why don't ye have some stew?" Kaede asked as she handed a cup of soup to the fox demon and demon slayer. Keiko and Kirara looked up then went outside.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sango called back, but they were already gone.

"Probably to get some fish for themselves." Kaede said.

"They should be okay," Shippo said though his voice was laced with concern.

"I should probably follow them." Sango said.

"No, they can take care of themselves," Shippo said. "They are a pretty strong duo."

"Alright, if you say so." Sango said.

…Two Days Later…Afternoon…

A groan was heard inside the wooden hut as violet eyes opened themselves up towards the ceiling. The man behind the eyes looked up for a moment before turning his head and seeing his two other friends laying down on their own futons, apparently still in a coma like state.

"Miroku," a slightly squeaky voice said from next to him as light padding of paws were heard on the wooden floor.

"Ugh, Shippo?" Miroku asked.

"You're awake," Shippo said. "Finally."

"Finally? What do you mean?" Miroku asked.

"You've been out for two days." Shippo commented. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Miroku said as he struggled to get up and lean on his elbows as he still lay under the blanket that covered him. "How are the others?"

"Never woke up." Shippo said sadly and quietly.

"They're still alive right?" Miroku asked, fearing the worst.

"Yeah, Kaede checked them yesterday and this morning." Shippo said. Miroku then nodded and looked around to find that Keiko lay with her body curled tightly next to Kagome, resting slightly.

"Where are Sango, Kaede, Hachi, and Kirara?"

"Well, Kaede is helping the villagers with some stuff." Shippo said cutely. "And Hachi went to visit Mushin but he said he'll be back in a few days."

"And Sango?"

"Well…" Shippo said as he cocked his head and stuck a finger tip in his mouth.

"Well… what?" Miroku asked.

* * *

"Hiraikotsu!"

Crackling and tumbling was heard as the large bone boomerang weapon hit tree after tree while it whipped in a circular motion. The trees feel in the place they were cut down as the weapon weaved its way back towards its owner's hands.

Sango caught the weapon then wiped her brow with the back of her hand as she surveyed the damage. After breathing a sigh, Sango then used her weapon to cut the tree trunks that she cut down into smaller sizes. Kirara came up in her larger form and helped with the cutting.

"Meow," Kirara said in her deeper cat voice as she nudged Sango.

"I don't want to take a break, Kirara." Sango responded. "I need to do this." Kirara growled a bit. "I promised Hachi that I'd pay him for bringing us back, and the only way I can make money is to slay a demon or cut some fire wood and sell it to the villagers.

"Mrrr." Kirara growled.

"I know Inuyasha won't be happy with me cutting his forest trees, but this is the only way. No demons are attacking in the local areas and if they attack this village, then I won't get paid anyways. This is our village to protect, and we don't get paid for it. We live here anyways, or in the forest, but still." Sango lectured. "Alright, Kirara, ready to get paid for this stuff?"

"Mew," Kirara said as she stood still while Sango tied several bundles of wood on her back while she strapped some wood onto her own back and carried some with her hands.

"Alright, let's go." Sango said a bit tiredly as the labor began to take a toll on her body.

"_Take a break will you? You're only human." _Kirara meowed out.

"Not now, Kirara." Sango answered as they walked back towards the village.

* * *

"She what!?" Miroku nearly yelled at the scared fox demon.

"She's working on getting money by selling fire wood." Shippo whimpered.

"Why the hell is she doing that?" Miroku asked hotly.

"Because she needed to pay Hachi for taking us here and getting you guys treated."

"Grrr," Keiko growled lightly as she lifted her head and stared at the two.

"Sorry Keiko," Shippo said. "We didn't mean to wake you."

"_I wasn't sleeping." _Keiko barked out.

"Oh, well, then what?" Shippo asked.

"_Don't wake Kagome. She still needs to recover, and her mate." _Keiko said as she narrowed her dog demon eyes that glowed purple.

"Oh, right, sorry." Shippo said.

"Weird how you can understand her." Miroku mumbled a bit. "And she can understand all of us, but I have no idea what she's saying."

"Well, that's because you don't speak demon. All demons speak the same language no matter what they are. But the ones that are able to speak with humans are usually half demons and the demons with a humanoid form." Shippo explained.

"Then how come Kagome can understand Keiko? And how does Sango understand Kirara?" Miroku asked, now curious and interested. "They're only human."

"Well that's because Kagome is Keiko's master and Sango is Kirara's master. The master understands them because it's like owning them. You would want to know what was up." Shippo explained.

"So if Inuyasha spoke in demon to someone, Kagome could understand it?"

"Well yes, because Inuyasha is her mate, and since Kagome learned the demon language by Keiko, she can pick up a few things. Same with Sango."

"Great, now I'm the only one that doesn't know what you talk about in your little demon language." Miroku sulked.

"Relax, you're only human." Shippo said. Miroku grumbled before looked to the side and found a black haired Inuyasha, resting on the futon.

"Inuyasha's still human."

"Yeah," Shippo said sadly.

"So does he know the demon language when he's human?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't he? He learned it already." Shippo said.

"Damn," Miroku said. Shippo only shook his head.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, but I'll get it." Miroku said as he got up and looked around the hut before deciding to get a fish from the river then maybe taking a bath in the springs.

* * *

"Yes, finally." Sango sighed. "I got enough money to pay Hachi."

"Mrow." Kirara meowed before transforming into her smaller kitten form. _"That's a relief."_

"You bet," Sango said before staggering a bit. "I guess I'm a bit tired."

"Mew?" Kirara said as she tilted her head as she walked alongside her master.

"No, you don't need to carry me; we're almost to the hut anyways." Sango said as the hut came into view.

"Sango!" Miroku called out as he walked out of the hut's mat covered door. "I was about to look for you."

"Hey, Miroku," Sango said as her eyes brightened up. "You're awake."

"Yeah," Miroku said as he walked towards the demon slayer. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sango said as he led her back into the hut.

"Ye are back, Sango." Kaede said from her spot attending tonight's dinner of stew, once again.

"Yep," Sango said as she plopped down and leaned against the wall.

"How'd it go?" Shippo asked as he crawled towards her and sat in her lap.

"I got all the money." Sango said. "But I'm starving now."

"It is to be expected." Kaede said.

"Sango, why didn't you just come to me with this problem?" Miroku asked.

"Well I didn't know you were awake, for one." Sango said. "And two, I wanted to do this on my own with Kirara. It's my fault this happened anyways."

"It's not your fault, Sango." Miroku said.

"Yes! Yes it is!" Sango yelled then breathed in deeply before letting the air rush out of her lungs. "Just let me think that. I don't need you or anyone else saying it wasn't my fault."

"Alright," Miroku said quietly, a little stunned by her outburst.

…Just After Dinner…

A groan was heard as the half demon turned human twisted his head to the side slightly before opening his now brown eyes.

"Hey look," a high pitched voice said as the owner of it got closer. "Inuyasha's waking up."

"Inuyasha?" a young woman's voice asked. "Can you hear us?"

"Let him adjust his senses first," an old voice said.

"You okay?" A man's voice asked next. Inuyasha groaned again before his vision finally cleared.

"Miroku?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at Miroku's face that was right in front of him. Then he saw Shippo's orange hair scurry in his peripheral vision. "What happened?"

"You passed out." Sango said from the other side of him. Inuyasha turned his head and looked at Sango before he felt two small weights on his two thighs. The half demon then struggled to get his elbows up to lean on them. When Inuyasha looked down, he saw Keiko and Kirara sitting on his thighs, avoiding his stomach to make sure his wound wasn't irritated by the weight.

"When?" Inuyasha asked the demon slayer.

"Two maybe three days ago." Miroku answered.

"How do ye feel right now?" Kaede asked.

"A little blind, maybe a little deaf." Inuyasha admitted. The other occupants in the room, besides Kagome, sweated at the thought.

'_He's definitely not going to be happy about this.' _Sango thought nervously.

'_This isn't good.' _Miroku thought as he put a hand behind his head.

'_I wonder how this will work out.' _Shippo mused.

"Do you know why ye feel like that?" Kaede asked.

"Not really." Inuyasha said before a piece of his hair fell into his eye sight. "What the-?" Miroku gulped.

"Well, Inuyasha, you kind of…" Miroku started.

"Is it the new moon?" Inuyasha asked as he tried to look outside. Keiko and Kirara hopped off his legs then skipped outside to look up at the moon. They returned shortly and went back to their previous position.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"No."_

"Mew," Kirara meowed. _"It's actually half a moon."_

"What!?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Am I the only one that doesn't know what they said?" Miroku asked.

"Pretty much, actually." Shippo answered.

"How the hell did that happen!?" Inuyasha screamed.

"Well, there's really a simple explanation." Sango said trying to calm the half demon turned human down.

"I'm human!" Inuyasha yelled. "Human!"

"Yes, we know." Miroku said.

"How, monk?" Inuyasha hissed darkly, almost as if promising death.

"Well, the dry ice that was inside your body," Shippo started.

"That had to be purified in order to save you," Miroku continued.

"So Avion sacrificed her last power to seep inside your body and purify it." Sango said next.

"Thus making the bird disappear and the spiritual power run throughout your body. But the concentration of the power had to be large in order to purify all of the dry ice, therefore making your demon blood recede." Kaede finished.

"And how long have I been _human_?" Inuyasha said between grinding teeth.

"Uh, two days." Shippo said unsurely. Inuyasha growled loudly and impressively for a human before it receded.

"Fine," Inuyasha relented.

"Really?" Miroku asked. "That went better than I thought it would."

"What do you mean by that!?" Inuyasha yelled, sitting up abruptly. He then winced as sharp pain ran all through his body. Keiko whimpered as her master's mate, making him her second master, hurt himself and the scent of blood permeated the room.

"Inuyasha," Miroku, Sango, and Shippo said as they got ready to help the half demon.

"I'm fine," Inuyasha gritted out. "Just an old wound."

"Two days is hardly old." Sango said worriedly.

"Don't forget, you're human right now." Miroku reminded.

"Don't remind me." Inuyasha said before looked behind Sango. The demon slayer saw where he looked and frowned. "Kagome,"

"Inuyasha, why don't you lie back down and rest?" Sango suggested.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said as he started to drag himself out of the comforts of the futon and blanket. Kirara and Keiko jumped off his legs while watching him closely.

"Inuyasha, ye should rest. Kagome should be fine." Kaede said.

Knowing that she couldn't stand in Inuyasha's way, Sango moved while helping him sit by Kagome's side. Inuyasha stared down at Kagome's still pale face, though her lips weren't a bluish color anymore, her blood had yet to regain its coloring.

"How she doing?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"Better," Sango answered.

"She just needs rest." Miroku said. Shippo stayed quiet as he made his way towards the half demon and placed his hand on Inuyasha's knee.

"It's late," Kaede said. "Ye should start heading to bed."

"I'm not sleeping." Inuyasha said quietly.

"Ye need the most rest, Inuyasha." Kaede reminded. "Kagome will be there in the morning."

"Why are you being so careless?" Inuyasha asked as his eyes darkened slightly.

"She's not, Inuyasha." Miroku said.

"She's looking out for all of us." Sango said. "Thank you, Kaede."

"Ye are welcome." Kaede said.

"Come on, Inuyasha. You do need rest." Miroku said as he tried to lead his friend back to his original bedding.

"No," Inuyasha said simply. "Not until Kagome wakes up and says she's okay."

"Inuyasha, her body's still healing." Shippo said. "You don't know when she'll wake up."

"I don't care." Inuyasha said. "I'm waiting."

"You're killing yourself." Sango said sternly. "I'm making you at least lie down. If you don't want to sleep, then don't. But lie down and stare at Kagome when you are."

"Sango," Miroku said a bit stunned.

"What?" Inuyasha asked quietly.

"You're going to at least lie down and let your wound heal." Sango said as she pulled him by force and make him lie down. Inuyasha struggled but found it difficult with his injury.

"Sango, let go!" Inuyasha nearly yelled.

"Woof," Keiko said as she softly licked his cheek. _"Don't worry, I'll watch over her."_

"Fine, Sango, I'll lie down," Inuyasha relented when the pain in his stomach became too much to handle for his human body. "But I'm not sleeping."

"That's fine," Sango said. "You're bed ridden until your wound heals anyways."

"Keh," Inuyasha said a bit weakly. He then turned his head to the side so his cheek pressed against the rectangular pillow while his body still lies on his back.

"But you should get some rest, Inuyasha." Sango said before she got comfortable next to Miroku, though making sure his wandering hand stayed away from her backside.

"Feh," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Get some rest, Inuyasha." Miroku commented.

"You and Kagome are only human." Shippo said. "You won't heal as fast as you'd like to."

"Whatever." Inuyasha said. Kirara curled up next to Shippo who was at Kagome's feet while Keiko curled herself up next to Kagome's neck. Kaede had moved to the back room for the night. _'Kagome, please be okay. I'm sorry.' _

A silent groan was heard from the priestess, but it was lost to the human ears of the hut. Keiko's eyes opened as she brought her head up and nuzzled Kagome's cheek. She then looked towards Kirara and Shippo and found that they were fast asleep, exhausted from the day's activities. Keiko then looked back at Inuyasha, only to find that he passed out because of the pain in his abdomen.

Keiko silently stood up on her four paws and started nudging Kagome's cheek. She was then slightly shocked by spiritual power and jumped away. Right then, Kagome's body glow a bright pink before a bubble barrier surrounded her body. The inu manta demon barked loudly to rouse everyone in the hut awake. Shippo and Kirara woke first, followed by Miroku and Sango, then Inuyasha. Kaede made her way out of the back to see what was happening.

Inside the barrier, Kagome's body glows a whitish pink while the bubble barrier floated a foot above the wooden ground with her in it then filling with a clear water to fill the whole bubble, with no clear breathing air.

"What's happening?!" Sango asked loudly.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he covered his eyes slightly with his sleeve from the bright light.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! :)**

**I REALLY APPREACIATE ALL OF THE REVIEWS!**

**Can you guys please review some more? I'm begging… please?**


	43. Bubble

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Inuyasha, like all of the other fan fiction writers. Sad, huh?**

* * *

Bubble

A silent groan was heard from the priestess, but it was lost to the human ears of the hut. Keiko's eyes opened as she brought her head up and nuzzled Kagome's cheek. She then looked towards Kirara and Shippo and found that they were fast asleep, exhausted from the day's activities. Keiko then looked back at Inuyasha, only to find that he passed out because of the pain in his abdomen.

Keiko silently stood up on her four paws and started nudging Kagome's cheek. She was then slightly shocked by spiritual power and jumped away. Right then, Kagome's body glow a bright pink before a bubble barrier surrounded her body. The inu manta demon barked loudly to rouse everyone in the hut awake. Shippo and Kirara woke first, followed by Miroku and Sango, then Inuyasha. Kaede made her way out from the back to see what was happening.

Inside the barrier, Kagome's body glows a whitish pink while the bubble barrier floated a foot above the wooden ground with her in it then filling with a clear water to fill the whole bubble, with no clear breathing air.

"What's happening?!" Sango asked loudly.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he covered his eyes slightly with his sleeve from the bright light.

Once the initial shock from everyone faded, they looked at Kagome intently. They found that she was in the bubble of spiritual power and that the inside of it was filled with water while Kagome floated in the middle in the fetal position with her hair floating around her.

"What happened to her?" Shippo asked as he got close to the bubble that was floating in mid air.

"Don't touch it." Kaede warned. Shippo instantly stopped his approach and retreats his hand.

"Why?" the fox demon asked.

"Because, ye will get purified." Kaede said.

"What is it?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha just stared as his girl floated motionless inside.

"How do we get her out?" Inuyasha asked as he was ready to sharpen his claws.

"First off," Kaede said. "Ye should not break the bubble."

"Why the hell not?" Inuyasha asked, irritated.

"Because this is Kagome's healing abilities to their fullest." Kaede said. "With proper training, Kagome can erect one of these bubbles and heal herself without getting hurt again. You cannot break the bubble barrier without another priestess."

"It's a healing ability?" Sango asked.

"Yes, all priestess's can make one of these." Kaede said as she watched Kagome's peacefully sleeping face.

"What does it do besides heal her?" Shippo asked.

"Well, it doesn't exactly heal the young priestess." Kaede said.

"Then what the hell does it do?" Inuyasha asked, his anger rising.

"The bubble barrier protects the wounded body until it heals while the water inside it helps purify the wounds and whatever impure substance is in the body." Kaede said. "Other than those facts, Kagome will heal at her own pace."

"So if she wakes up, she can come out, right?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Not necessarily," Miroku piped up. "I've read something about this. Priestess's are mysterious creatures,"

"Hey, Kagome is not an animal!" Inuyasha said loudly.

"That's not what I meant." Miroku said calmly. "I meant that priestess's can do things that humans can't even imagine doing."

"Oh I get it," Sango said. "Priestess's can do so much magic that they match demons in their own game, right?"

"Yes, priestess's can match any demon magic used and match the demons abilities. Just like how Kagome can run and jump just as fast and high as Inuyasha."

"Keh," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms but found it painful when his forearms hit his stomach wound.

"Careful, Inuyasha." Sango said as she saw the half demon wince.

"Feh,"

"Anyways," Miroku said. "When Kagome awakens, she might be strong enough to open her eyes and regain consciousness but the bubble barrier won't be let down until her body is fully ready to fight again."

"What about breathing? She needs to breath." Inuyasha said with a bit of worry lacing his voice, though truthfully, he was extremely concerned for his mate.

"I'm not sure," Miroku said. "Kaede, do you know?"

"Aye," Kaede said. "The water inside the barrier has all of the things that a human needs to survive. It provides the body inside the barrier with food, water, and oxygen."

"How?" Shippo asked.

"The water is pure water, and if only for a few days, a priestess's body can live off of pure water. Waterfall water is pure, so if a priestess were to live for a maximum of three days under a waterfall, she is able to." Kaede answered. "The priestess's body feeds off the purity of it, making her power stronger and her body needs less."

"I see." Sango said with a thoughtful look. "But why'd Kagome put it up?"

"Sometimes a priestess does this by accident," Kaede answered.

"We'll just have to wait until Kagome awakens until we can ask." Miroku said.

"In the time, why don't ye get some more rest?" Kaede said. With that the old priestess walked back towards her room in the back. Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Keiko, and Kirara looked at each other before looking at Kagome.

"We should rest." Sango suggested. "Kagome's going to be fine."

"Yeah," Miroku said as he started to lie back at his original spot.

"Inuyasha, are you going to sleep?" Shippo asked.

"I don't need the sleep." Inuyasha mumbled as he kept a close eye on Kagome.

"You're human now," Shippo reminded. "You need the rest more. Maybe even more than Kagome."

"Yes, Inuyasha, rest. Kagome won't appreciate if she wakes up and find her mate dead." Miroku said, trying to slightly lighten the mood.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Lie down, Inuyasha." Sango said sternly. "Your body would appreciate to have a break."

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"Do it for Kagome."_

'_For Kagome, huh?' _Inuyasha thought. "I'll lie down."

"Alright," Sango said. Shippo curled up next to Kirara while Keiko went and sat down near Inuyasha's head.

"_You know, she's going to be okay. Besides, we're all watching over her, and she's done this before." _Keiko said quietly to Inuyasha as he lay down and turned his head to face the two tail dog demon. _"I'll watch over her. I always do. You should rest."_

"Keh, you too, huh?" Inuyasha asked.

"_Please?" _Keiko pleaded as she nuzzled her head into Inuyasha's neck. _"For Kagome."_

'_For Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought. With that, he let his eyes drift close and let sleep take over his body.

…Morning…

'_Damn, I'm still human.' _Inuyasha grumbled in his mind.

"Inuyasha, do you want some stew?" Sango asked as she washed the half demon sulk to himself.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed but took the bowl that was handed to him anyways and started to eat slowly while side glancing at Kagome's form that was floating in the middle of water inside a bubble of a spiritual barrier. _'She still didn't wake up.'_

"Inuyasha," Sango called to him softly. Inuyasha took his eyes off his mate and looked at the demon slayer. "I'm sorry." Inuyasha cocked his head a bit and looked extremely confused.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked. Miroku and Shippo stared at the discussion intently while Keiko and Kirara took a light nap after their breakfast of fish. Kaede, on the other hand, was up and around inside the heart of the village, helping the village people.

"For everything. For what happened to Kagome. For what happened to you." Sango said with her eyes down casted.

"You don't have to apologize." Inuyasha said softly as he turned around and stared at Kagome's limp form.

"Why not?" Sango asked.

"It wasn't you fault." Inuyasha said without looking at the demon slayer as he kept eating his stew and staring at the priestess.

"But-" Sango said but was cut off by a raised hand coming from the now human half demon.

"Don't," Inuyasha said simply. "We got hurt because we were trying to protect one of own. These injuries weren't from you on purpose."

"You know," Sango said with soft eyes. "You're sounding more and more like Kagome."

"Maybe it's the mate bond." Shippo piped up.

"Or maybe Inuyasha decided to listen to Kagome for once." Miroku said. Inuyasha just stayed silent as he put down his now empty bowl.

"Do you want more stew?" Sango asked. "Your body is taking up a lot of energy trying to recover, you know."

"And you're still human." Shippo said as he made his way towards the half demon and sat in his lap. "Inuyasha?" The half demon looked down at the fox demon.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked softly. "What is it?"

"Are you okay?" Miroku asked from behind the fire, on the other side of the half demon.

"Hm," Inuyasha said with a closed mouth while his eyes glazed over.

"She's going to be okay." Sango assured. "If she's in that bubble, that means she's healing on her own." The now human Inuyasha stayed silent through the exchange.

"Why don't you bathe?" Shippo asked. "You haven't done that in a few days."

"I'm not leaving her." Inuyasha said simply.

"You're not leaving her." Miroku said. "You're simply taking care of your own needs."

"Kagome's needs come first. That's how it always is for a mate." Inuyasha said.

"Is this why you're acting this way?" Sango asked. Inuyasha's eyes snapped to the demon slayer without moving his head.

"Hmph." Inuyasha said as he turned away.

"Is that the only reason why you care for her?" Sango asked as her anger grew. "Is being her mate the only reason why you would put Kagome on your priority list?"

"Sango," Miroku said as he tried to calm down the girl.

"No, Miroku, let's see what his answer is." Sango said as she crossed her arms.

"No," Inuyasha said quietly. "If I didn't care about her just a tad, we couldn't have become mates."

"Really? How so?" Miroku asked, now interested.

"The bond would reject them." Shippo answered as he stared at Inuyasha. _'Is what Sango said true? No, right…? They love each other; I've heard them say it.'_

"What are you trying to say, Sango?" Inuyasha asked in a monotone voice, obviously not in the mood to talk. He was also extremely tired, being asleep one minute then waking up the next repeatedly.

"I don't know," Sango said softly as she slumped down. "I'm sorry. I guess I was just mad at myself and took it out on you. I'm sorry." Inuyasha nodded a little before turning his eyes back towards Kagome.

"You know," Miroku said. "Why don't you come with me and we'll go check up on our huts?"

"No thanks." Inuyasha said as he continues to stare.

"But Inuyasha, don't you want to check over the forest and the place where you and Kagome will _live_?" Shippo asked.

'_Kagome's more important than a hut that can be rebuilt.' _Inuyasha thought.

"I think we all just need a little air." Sango suggested as she got up from her seat and walked towards the door mat. "You guys coming?"

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she woke from her cat nap. The two tail demon then wandered her way towards the monk and silently asked what was up with her master. Miroku shrugged his shoulder before walking towards the demon slayer and out the door.

"Why don't we leave Inuyasha alone?" Miroku suggested. "Come on, let's go wander the village."

With that over with, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara walked out the door and towards the village where they can find something entertaining while they gave their half demon friend some time alone, though Keiko was still in the hut.

Inuyasha sighed as he walked over to a wall and leaned on it and sitting crossed legged. He then leaned his head back and hit his head against the wall with a thump. While his eyes were half lidded while Inuyasha watched as Kagome was curled in the fetal position and floating in the middle with her hair fanned out all around her.

Keiko slowly opened her eyes and carefully stood up and stretched before walking over to the human half demon. Keiko placed her two front paws on one of Inuyasha's knees and lightly whimpered. Inuyasha looked down then silently picked up the two tail dog demon under her upper paws and settled the furry creature in his lap between his legs.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she looked at the saddened man. _"Why so glum?"_

"Why?" Inuyasha asked so quietly that the person would have to have demonic hearing, luckily, Keiko was a demon. "Do you even need to ask? My mate's in a bubble and I can't get to her and while I'm in a human form."

"_You know, you should be grateful towards Avion," _Keiko reminded.

"Don't think I'm not," Inuyasha said as he continues to stare ahead of him. "It's just that if something happens I can't protect her while she's still unconscious."

"_And what about the others and me? We can protect you guys. That's what we were trained to do." _Keiko said with a cocked head.

"I know, but it makes me feel better if _I _was the one protecting everyone."

"_It's that pack leader instincts, huh?"_

"Pack leader instincts? What the hell are those?" Inuyasha asked as he finally looked down at the inu manta demon who had her two front paws on his stomach while she stood on her two hind legs.

"_You don't know?" _Keiko asked with a confused face. _"Well, so basically any demon that is originated by an animal that live by codes of a pack is basically the pack. Wolves, ducks, and certain types of fish are some of those animals that you usually see in a group. Dogs are one of them."_

"So you're saying that I'm following instincts?"

"_You're catching on pretty quickly." _Keiko commented. _"Anyways, since you're part dog demon, this group of friends you have, you treat like family, therefore wanting to protect them. And by being the first to start the pack with Kagome, you're leader because you're male while Kagome is second leader, though she still has to listen to you."_

"And the others?" Inuyasha asked with interest.

"_Well, you and Kagome can both have a right hand man or two. Koga has two, being Hakkaku and Ginta. I believe that your right hand man is Miroku while Kagome has Sango."_

"What about you and Shippo?"

"_Well other than those four important roles, we basically are just family in the same pack. All have the same importance." _Keiko said while she made herself comfortable in the area between Inuyasha's bent knees while she rested her head on his ankles and also looked at Kagome. _"But if you two were to have children, then they would go before your right hand men and would be protected at all cost because they are the next leader before they battle each other to see who the _real _leader is."_

"That's complicated." Inuyasha mumbled.

"_It's instincts. Don't worry," _Keiko said as she started a low growling, trying to sooth her master's mate's nerves. _"Why don't you rest?"_

"Because I'm not going to let anything happen to her." Inuyasha said confidently.

"_I'll be here." _Keiko reminded.

"But still,"

"_I know, I know." _Keiko barked almost irritably. _"But I don't think Kagome would like it if she woke up and found her mate dead."_

"Keh," Inuyasha said tiredly.

About half an hour later of pure boredom sitting in the hut and watching over a non moving body, the human's eyes started to drift close while Keiko's purple eyes stayed awake and growled lowly, trying to lull the half demon turned human to sleep without his noticing. Inuyasha finally drifted into a light sleep while Keiko smiled happily to herself and wagged her two tails.

Footsteps were heard coming from outside of the wooden hut. Keiko lifted her head from Inuyasha's ankles and perked her one pointed ear from side to side while the flopped ear lifted slightly. Keiko, careful to not wake the sleeping man, stretched her neck further while she lifted her front paws up to a sitting position as she waited for the humans to come in.

"I hope Inuyasha's okay," Shippo said as he burst through the door.

"Woof," Keiko barked quietly though loud enough for them to hear the command.

"Quiet?" Sango asked before she looked towards the sleeping Inuyasha then nodded.

"This isn't fair; I'm the only one that doesn't know what the demon language is." Miroku grumbled.

"Oh hush," Sango hissed quietly. "Inuyasha finally got to sleep, let's not wake him."

"Alright," Miroku said.

"Mew," Kirara meowed. _"Why don't we go into the forest and check it out?"_

"That's a good idea." Shippo said as he looked at the peacefully sleeping human before skipping off back outside. _'He needs the rest. I shouldn't bother him like I usually do.' _Shippo thought.

Miroku and Sango shrugged before also walking out of the hut with Kirara trailing behind them. The small group then trailed towards the Bone Eaters Well to see the area.

Once there, the group found the clearing with the well that was fairly clean with extra water puddles from the melted ice. Shippo ran down towards the wall of the well and hopped up.

"When do you think Kagome will go back?" Shippo asked.

"Why did you ask that, Shippo?" Sango asked confusedly. Usually the hyperactive fox demon didn't want the priestess to leave their world.

"I don't know," Shippo sighed. "I'm just thinking of when she won't return."

"Shippo, she'll always return." Miroku assured.

"How do you know that?" Shippo asked.

"Remember that time when Inuyasha took her jewel shards and pushed her down the well?" Miroku asked while Shippo nodded.

"He did?" Sango asked, amazed yet confusedly.

"Yes," Miroku answered. "Well she came back that time. Now that she and Inuyasha are mates, I don't think she'll permanently go to her world."

"That's a good point." Sango commented.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she hopped towards the fox demon and rubbed his shoulder with her head.

"I guess that makes me feel better." Shippo said with a smile as he lifted Kirara into his arms and jumped down.

"Let's go check out the huts," Sango suggested.

"Yes, but be careful. The wood was soaked in ice then water." Miroku said sternly. The group nodded in agreement as they made their way towards the closest hut, Inuyasha's and Kagome's, considering that hut was closer to the well and the Sacred Tree.

The group of Kirara, Shippo, Sango, and Miroku walked passed tree after tree until they saw a small clearing that was manmade, obviously by Inuyasha. The hut looked in good condition but part of the roof was missing.

"I'm going to go in and check it out." Sango said but was stopped when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"No, I'll go, you stay out here." Miroku said as he walked through the soggy door mat with the jingling of his staff. The monk crept through each creak and crevice before going into a room, Inuyasha's and Kagome's room which had a separate door mat on the door frame.

* * *

Kaede walked into her wooden hut with a basket of herbs in her arms. What she saw shocked her slightly though she quickly recovered and quietly put the basket down. Inside was a sleeping half demon turned human with black hair and his original fire rat kimono. The two tail dog demon sat between Inuyasha's crossed legs with her head resting on his ankles, eyes blinking every few moments.

Kaede smiled at the resting man, and then made her way to the back of her wooden hut. Keiko watched as the old priestess went into the back room to most likely take an old lady nap. Her purple eyes then scanned the room and found it eerily quiet. Without another person awake, Keiko was feeling a bit lonely.

* * *

"You know," Sango started. "It isn't so bad."

"A little fixing up and it should be as good as new." Miroku said.

"Why not don't we start fixing their hut now?" Shippo suggested innocently.

"Why not?" Sango asked. "Besides, we should leave Inuyasha to rest anyways."

"That's a good idea." Miroku said. "We should probably get our own hut fixed up too, while we're at it."

"Okay, Kirara." Sango called. "Ready to get some wood?"

"Mew," Kirara meowed cutely before bursting into a ball of fire and transforming into her larger size. Sango and Kirara then walked off into the forest.

Miroku watched until Sango's back was far enough away so that he couldn't see it then walked into Inuyasha's and Kagome's hut with Shippo on his shoulder.

"So, Shippo, what should we work on first?" Miroku asked.

"Well," Shippo said then looked up above him. "Why not that hole in the roof?"

"That's a nice place to start." Miroku said as he got a stool that was located in the corner of the main room. He then took the stool and brought it outside so that he could stand on it then climbs onto the roof. He and Shippo sat side by side as they waited for Sango and Kirara to return with the wood.

A little while later Sango and Kirara came back to the clearing with fresh wood in their clutches while wood chips and leaves littered their bodies and hair. Kirara carried a bundle of larger pieces of wood that was strapped to her back while Sango carried her Hiraikotsu and a collection of smaller pieces of wood in her arms.

"Hey, Sango." Shippo said cheerfully. "Did you get the wood?"

"Sure did." Sango said as she set the wood pile down then wiped her forehead with her arm.

"Alright, Shippo, let's get to work." Miroku said as he got down from the roof and gathered the wood.

**(A/N: Remember, these are one story huts.)**

…Dinner Time…

"I'm exhausted." Shippo sighed as he leaned on Miroku's shoulder.

"Me too." Miroku agreed as they continue walking towards Kaede's village.

"Who knew fixing two huts could take so much work?" Sango asked to no one in particular as she carried the smaller Kirara in her arms.

"And they weren't even that damaged." Miroku said.

"It is because ye bodies are still healing." Kaede said as they entered.

"Well that's good to know." Shippo said as he fell off of Miroku's shoulder and landed on his side on the wooden ground. "At least I know I'm not as weak as Inuyasha thinks I am."

"Shippo, you know Inuyasha doesn't mean it." Sango said as she sat down and placed Kirara next to her.

Keiko watched as the group came in then decided to get out of Inuyasha's warm lap and stretch out her curled body. Keiko let out a jaw clenching yawn that bared her fangs and sharp teeth before jumping off of Inuyasha and landed in front of him. She then walked towards the others and sat down quietly.

"Inuyasha is still asleep, I see." Miroku said.

"Woof," Keiko barked softly.

"All day, huh?" Shippo asked. "Do you think we should wake him?"

"Maybe," Sango said. "I'm a little worried; he's been asleep all day."

"I think ye should wake him to eat. His body needs the nutrition." Kaede commented.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"I'll do it."_

The two tail dog demon walked up to the sleeping half demon turned human then sat down near his hand and started to nudge the limb with her small head, making low growling noises in the process. When Inuyasha didn't awaken, Keiko slowly crawled up his arm and nuzzled under his chin. Inuyasha groaned slightly but didn't awaken. Keiko whimpered for a second before bending down and biting the nape of his neck and shoulder. Suddenly a hand came up and slapped Keiko on the head. The two tail dog demon yelped loudly before closing her eyes tightly and falling to the floor.

"Keiko," Sango said worriedly before she started to get up off the floor.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and blinked a few times before his vision refocused. Inuyasha looked around and saw the bubble that housed his mate. He then looked down and found Sango picking up Keiko who only had one eye open while the other one watered. Inuyasha then vaguely remembered that he slapped something on his shoulder.

"Oh god, Keiko," Inuyasha said as he got up and went over to the demon slayer and the inu manta demon. "I'm sorry,"

"Woof," Keiko said weakly as she jumped out of Sango's arms and started licking one of her front paws then rubbing her injured eye with it. Sango sat back on her heals while Kirara and Shippo came up to them. Kirara lightly rubbed her head on Keiko's uninjured cheek while Shippo went next to her and petted her head softly since it got slapped.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked as he reached over to pet the two tail dog demon. Unexpectedly, a bolt of pink light shot out and hit the area in front of Keiko where Inuyasha's hand was about to approach. The two tail cat and dog demon jumped up and back while Shippo scurried behind Sango, who stood in a battle ready stance. Miroku stood up as well as he protects Kaede from the enemy.

"What's going on?" Sango asked as she looked around the hut.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled. Everyone looked towards the priestess and found that the bubble around her glows a bright pink.

"What's happening to her, Miroku?" Sango asked.

"I'm not sure." Miroku said as he looked in wonderment.

"I believe Kagome is protecting the ones she holds close to her heart." Kaede said. Everyone looked back at the old priestess expectantly. "Come and sit, Kagome will not do any harm and she is not in danger."

"Kaede," Shippo said nervously. "Does Kagome trust us anymore?"

"Of course she does, she just doesn't exactly know what's going on." Kaede said.

"Can you explain, please?" Miroku asked.

"Certainly," Kaede said. "Kagome sensed that one person was harmed, so she latched out towards the source of the harm and prevented it from touching the person they hurt."

"So because Inuyasha accidently hurt Keiko, Kagome sensed something was wrong and prevented Inuyasha from touching Keiko?" Sango asked a bit confused.

"Exactly," Kaede said.

"But did she know it was Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Well if she were awake, she would've," Kaede said. "But since she is not, she just lashes out towards the attacker."

"I'm sorry, Keiko." Inuyasha said while he looked at the dog demon. Keiko growled lightly in contentment, telling Inuyasha that she was okay with it.

"Inuyasha!" Shippo yelled as he pounced on Inuyasha's chest.

"Ow," Inuyasha said. "What is it, runt?"

"Your eyes are gold again!" Shippo said excitedly.

"Aye, they are." Kaede said.

"Looks like you're getting your demonic powers back, Inuyasha." Miroku said.

"That's good, right?" Sango said. "Why don't we have dinner?"

"Great idea." Miroku said as he looked out and saw that the sun has gone down. _'This has been a long day.' _Miroku sighed in his mind as stew was served.

…Around Midnight…

'_At least I got my demonic blood back.' _Inuyasha thought as he sat leaning against the wall. Keiko, Kirara, and Shippo laid together, curled with each other for warmth at the far corner from the half demon. _'Kagome won't let me near Keiko at all.' _Inuyasha thought sadly as he looked into the sparkling bubble. _'Kagome, what are you doing in there?'_

* * *

'_Cousin hasn't been home for a while.' _Aisu thought to herself as she stared up at her hotel room ceiling. _'Brother hasn't scented her out either. Her family said that she was ill and went with her boyfriend to a different city to get treated, but there was no scent of illness at the shrine.' _

"Aisu," A voice called from the bed next to hers.

"What is it, Kasai?" Aisu asked.

"Get to sleep, will you?" her brother asked.

"Why are you even awake?" The ice half demon asked.

"Because I'm never asleep at this time. You just never notice because you're always asleep." The fire half demon said. Just then there were two knocks on the door before it opened and stepped in a rather large man.

"Kids, get to sleep, okay? Tomorrow is a school day." Rokuro said.

"Yes, father." Aisu said. "Sorry."

"What's got you all worked up, Aisu?" her father asked as he walked over to his daughter's bed.

"Kagome," Aisu said simply.

"She's been gone for maybe two weeks." Kasai informed.

"So I've noticed." Rokuro said. "But it's her business. We shouldn't get too involved. At least not yet." Their father said.

"I guess," Aisu said.

"Good," Rokuro said as he stood up and leaned to kiss his daughter's head. "Now both of you get to sleep."

"Alright," Aisu said.

"Good night." Rokuro said as he was at the door.

"Night." Kasai said before turning to his side and getting cozy.

'_But still…' _Aisu thought before she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

…Morning…

'_God I'm bored.' _A female said as she floated in water and watched her companions sleep the morning away. The girl then leaned back towards the wall of a bubble with her legs bent as though there was a stool under them. She then placed her hands behind her head as she looked out the small window at the sunrise. _'I wish I could go out there.'_

* * *

Inuyasha groaned awake as he lifted his head from its position as it leaned on his own shoulder. The half demon then bent it the other way and felt his neck give a slight crack. Inuyasha then flexed his back muscles and stretched his arms up in the air.

'_Man, I was never that deep in sleep before.' _Inuyasha thought. _'I guess my body was really worn out. Good news is that in another day, my wounds would have completely healed.' _He then looked around and found that everyone else was still asleep. _'Maybe I'll start breakfast.'_

The half demon got up from his seat against the wall and stretched out his legs before walking towards the door and walking into the forest. He got towards the flowing river and waited as a few fish to swim by and was caught as his prey. Inuyasha then got them back towards the hut after gutting them inside the forest. He then placed the morsel on sticks and started a fire for them to cook by. Once everything was done and cooking, Inuyasha looked up and found someone rolling their ankle as it crossed with their other leg.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said quietly as he stared with wide eyes. The priestess was lying on her back inside the water filled bubble with her feet propped up and rolling her ankle. One hand was behind her head while the other hand rolled a small ball of spiritual power on her finger above her eyes.

After hearing her name quietly, Kagome looked over and saw that her beloved mate was staring at her. She smiled softly and brought the hand from behind her head and waved lightly at him.

"_Hey, what's up?" _Kagome said into his mind without moving her lips. Inuyasha looked confused and looked around the room for a second. _"Silly, it's just me. I'm talking telepathically to you. That's how I communicate when I'm in this thing."_

"Oh," Inuyasha said. "How are you feeling?"

"_Fine," _Kagome said. _"What about you?"_

"One more day and I'll be fully healed." Inuyasha said proudly. Kagome giggled a little bit as a smiled played on her lips.

"_That's good. But you're still way too cocky." _Kagome said. _"How long have I been out?"_

"Around six days." Inuyasha replied sadly as he walked towards her. "I'm glad you're okay." Kagome smiled.

"_I'm glad you're okay too. You had me pretty worried back there." _

"You too." Inuyasha said as he lightly placed his hand on the barrier.

"_Wait, don't," _Kagome warned but Inuyasha placed his hand on the spiritual bubble barrier anyways. A shock went through his hand then throughout his body. _"Hey, are you okay?"_

"I'm fine." Inuyasha said though when he took his hand off of the barrier, it was burned.

"_Inuyasha," _Kagome said as she sat up and looked at his hand from inside. _"You shouldn't have done that. You know this is spiritual power." _

"I know," Inuyasha said. "But it was worth a try."

"_Why?" _

"Because, I just want to hold you right now." Inuyasha said as his bangs covered his eyes while a small smile graced his lips.

"_Oh," _Kagome said with a smile. _"Love you too." _Inuyasha looked up and smiled. Kagome then blew him a raspberry then looked towards the cooking fish. _"Your fish is burning."_

"What?" Inuyasha asked then looked at the fish that was turning a slightly darker brown than it needed to be. "Crap." Inuyasha then jogged towards the fish and placed them _away _from the fire. Kagome laughed as she lay back on her back and formed another spiritual ball.

"_Nice, Inuyasha." _Kagome said with amusement.

"Shut up, wench." Inuyasha growled playfully. "At least I'm not playing with a spiritual ball."

"_Oh ha-ha," _Kagome said sarcastically. _"Why don't you come in here and not be able to get out. You'd get pretty bored too."_

"I'll pass, thank you." Inuyasha said. "Hey, when do you get out anyways?"

"_I don't know," _Kagome answered. _"When my body is fully healed, I guess."_

"Are you sure you're okay?" Inuyasha asked worriedly.

"_I'm fine, don't worry so much." _Kagome said as she tossed the ball up then caught it. _"Hey, Inuyasha,"_

"Yeah?" asked the half demon.

"_What's up with your demonic aura? It feels like it hasn't surfaced for a few days." _Kagome noticed.

"Oh, that's because it didn't." Inuyasha said meekly.

"_What?" _Kagome asked as she sat up. _"What happened?"_

"Well we needed to get rid of the demonic dry ice that that ice demon put in me. So Avion kind of went inside my body and purified it and my demon blood. It only started to come back yesterday night."

"_Oh," _Kagome said softly. 'Avion, once I get out of here, I'll bring you back.'

"Say, Kagome," Inuyasha called as the priestess lost herself in thought. Kagome snapped out of her stupor and looked over towards the half demon. "I'm sorry for hitting Keiko."

"_You hit her!?" _Kagome said loudly, shocked.

"It was an accident, I swear." Inuyasha said as he put his hands up on either side of his head. "She was trying to wake me up and bit me a little bit when I wouldn't. I didn't know, I'm sorry Kagome, I didn't mean to. I would never hurt her intentionally." Kagome sighed.

"_Alright," _Kagome said. _"Be careful,"_

"I know. I'm sorry." Inuyasha said. He then looked around and found that the others haven't awoken yet. "Besides, my mate is human; I'll have to be careful with my claws and everything that's disgraceful towards me."

"_What are you talking about, Inuyasha?" _Kagome asked as she sat with her legs to the side as she floated in the bubble. _"Disgraceful?"_

"Yeah, my claws, fangs, everything." Inuyasha said sadly.

"_You know, if I wasn't stuck in this thing I would smack you over the head."_

"What?"

"_Are you crazy? That's not disgraceful, it's only the way you are. I personally like the claws and fangs. Besides, this way, you'll be able to protect people."_

"I can hurt them too, Kagome."

"_But you don't." _Kagome said sincerely as they looked into each other's eyes. Inuyasha sighed.

"You're too good for me. You realize that, don't you?" Inuyasha asked as he dropped his eyes to look at the ground.

"_No," _Kagome said. _"Why don't you eat breakfast? You're starting to look pale."_

"I am?"

"_I'm worried about you, you know. I think you should eat. I'm right here." _

"And you?"

"_This water is my food for a few days. I'll be fine." _Kagome said with a wave of her hand. _"Now go eat."_

"Alright," Inuyasha said as he shook his head at her command. _'That girl,' _Inuyasha thought with a smile.

"_Love you," _Kagome said as she leaned back and blew him a raspberry. Inuyasha looked back and gave a small laugh.

"Love you too." Inuyasha said as he sat down and picked up a slightly charred fish as he watched Kagome play with the spiritual ball again.

* * *

*

* * *

**A little short? Yes? No?**

**Next chapter, I promise, will be better and have more of a point to it ;) haha**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Onegai?**

**Lol, thought I'd try a little Japanese :) (Onegai = Please)**


	44. Mysteries of the New Moon

**Disclaimer: Yup, still don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Mysteries of the New Moon

"_Love you," _Kagome said as she leaned back and blew him a raspberry. Inuyasha looked back and gave a small laugh.

"Love you too." Inuyasha said as he sat down and picked up a slightly charred fish as he watched Kagome play with the spiritual ball again.

…30 Minutes Later…

Miroku groaned awake as he slowly opened his eyes only to find that he was seeing a bundle of dark brown hair tied in a low pony tail. Sango's form was facing away from the perverted monk as she still slept a soundless sleep. With a wicked grin forming on Miroku's once serene face, his cursed hand made its way the two feet that they were separated and connected itself to Sango's bottom.

The demon slayer jerked awake to the feeling of rubbing on her behind. Quickly, she turned away from the hand, sat up, then grabbed the closest weapon and pounded it into Miroku's head. Miroku's hand dropped from its rubbing as his brain rattled. Concussion.

"Pervert!" Sango yelled as she lifted the iron pot over her head, getting ready to strike again.

"Uh, Sango," Inuyasha said uneasily.

"I think you caused him brain damage this time." Shippo commented as he sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with a fisted hand.

"Mew," Kirara meowed. The two tail cat demon awoke to the sound of metal connecting with a skull. She then slowly walked her way towards the monk's head and poked him with her clawed paw. Keiko tilted her head to the side as she watched the interaction before looking up and making her way towards the glowing orb of spiritual power.

"_Morning, Kagome," _Keiko barked quietly as she walked up towards Inuyasha's shoulder and looked into the bubble to find her master.

"_Good morning, Keiko." _Kagome said as she winked and put a finger up to her lips, signaling for them to be quiet. The two tail dog demon nodded her head before hopping up onto Inuyasha's head and sat between his ears.

"Why do you always do that!?" Sango yelled as she stood up and was about to throw the pot once again at the monk's head.

"_Morning Sango!" _Kagome yelled right before the demon slayer let go of the metal pot. The demon slayer, startled, let go of the pot, only to let it drop behind her with a clang.

"Kagome!" Sango said surprised as her eyes widen for a second. "You're awake."

"_Yup," _Kagome said with a giggle as she looked at Miroku. _"He hasn't changed one bit."_

"You could say that again." Sango said as she crossed her arms. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"_Fine," _Kagome answered. _"But I don't think Miroku will be okay. It looks like you gave him a concussion this time."_

"A what?" Inuyasha asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

"_Oh, you guys don't know what that is." _Kagome realized. _"Well, it's when someone hits their head so hard that their brain rattles or moves, therefore, causing confusion, memory loss, and other fun stuff."_

"Uh oh," Shippo said as he walked up to Miroku's head, where Kirara sat, then started to poke his head as well. "His head doesn't become soft like goo, does it?"

"_No," _Kagome said as she stared at the fox with concern. _"His head doesn't feel like that, does it?"_

"No, I'm just wondering." Shippo said with a smile. "So, Kagome, when are you getting out of that thing?"

"_When my body decides it's fully healed." _Kagome said with a shrug.

"How are you talking to us without using your mouth?" Sango asked as she walked towards the priestess.

"_It's like telepathy," _Kagome said. _"It's only used when I'm in this bubble."_

"Oh," Sango said.

"Why don't you have breakfast, Sango?" Inuyasha suggested as he got up and walked towards the lecher. "I'll take care of the pervert."

"Thanks." Sango said as she sat down near the fire and picked up a slightly charred fish. "Looks like you burned it."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. "At least be grateful I _got _breakfast."

"Of course I'm grateful," Sango said defensively. "But your cooking skills could use improvement."

"_He isn't that bad if you don't get him distracted." _Kagome said nonchalantly as she lay back with her feet propped up and her arms behind her head. _"If I didn't tell him they were burning, you'd be eating fish that was burnt to a crisp."_

"Well thank you for that, Kagome." Sango said with a laugh.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she hopped off of Inuyasha's head and towards Kirara and Shippo. Inuyasha then decided to pick up the lecher under his arms and unceremoniously dropped him so he lay on his back instead of his side.

"_Inuyasha, maybe you should handle a person who has a concussion with a little more care." _Kagome said, concerned for her perverted brother like friend.

"Feh," Inuyasha said as he dropped a blanket over the monk's body. "Maybe, but I don't care."

"_Sure you do," _Kagome said. _"He's your friend."_

"He's Sango's fiancé but she still hits him." Inuyasha commented back.

"_Uh," _Kagome said, at a loss for words.

"That shut you up." Inuyasha commented.

"_Hey!" _Kagome said loudly.

"Inuyasha," Shippo called as he walked towards Sango and grabbed a fish for him, Keiko, and Kirara.

"What is it, runt?" Inuyasha asked.

"Isn't it the new moon today?" Shippo asked. The hut became eerily quiet.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"It is you know. Remember when Kirara and I looked outside at the moon?"_

"Keh, so what if it's the new moon?" Inuyasha asked.

"_Well, for one," _Kagome said. _"You're still recovering."_

"And two," Sango said. "You've already been human for a few days."

"Keh, like I care." Inuyasha said stubbornly as he made his way towards his mate and sat down near the bubble.

"_Alright," _Kagome relented as she closed her eyes.

"You know what?" Sango said after she chewed a piece of fish that was in her mouth and swallowed it. "This is the first new moon since Kagome came back."

"And the first new moon that they've been mates." Shippo said next.

"Feh," Inuyasha said as his face reddened slightly from the last comment made by the fox demon.

"Mew," Kirara agreed.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she bit into her own breakfast.

'I wonder what will happen today.' Kagome thought as she looked on at her bickering friends. 'There always seems that something goes wrong on the new moon.'

* * *

"Oh dear, I must hurry," little Myoga, the flea demon, panted as he hopped up and down on the dirt ground. "Master Inuyasha will turn human tonight." Myoga hurriedly hopped onto a high rock, looking into the field of grass he was currently in the middle of.

The tiny flea demon sigh a heavy sigh as he looked at the vast meadow. Trees over grown in places were standing into the far off forest, where Myoga had to cross to make it towards his desired destination.

A few hours of continuous jumping from rock to rock and on the ground ever few feet, Myoga found his way towards an empty clearing in the forest. A chill pasted through the air as he approached a blood drenched clearing.

"I wonder what happened here." Myoga thought to himself. He then went towards a puddle of blood and sniffed it. _'Kirara's blood.' _Myoga thought as he looked around more and found trees with cracks and indents on them while puddles of water were located everywhere, mixing with the red blood. Shards of broken glass lay in one spot as a staff of sorts was near it.

After inspecting the puddle of Kirara's blood, Myoga made his way over to other puddles of blood. The red liquid was formed so that it was clearly seen where the bleeding body was laid on the ground. The flea demon carefully sniffed the ground, finding the not to pleasant smell of his master's blood loss that wasn't going into his own stomach.

"I hope Master Inuyasha is okay." Myoga thought out loud as he looked up into the sky. "Oh dear, I must hurry before nightfall and something really bad happens." With that, Myoga hopped quickly towards the village, which was some ways away. _'Maybe I'll get a crow to get me to the village before it's too late.'_ Myoga thought as his little body sweated with perspiration.

* * *

"_Go outside!"_

"No!"

"_I said go!"_

"Like I listen to you!"

"_You're killing yourself!" _Kagome yelled as she floated inside her bubble while trying to intimidate her mate into going out into the outdoors.

"Well I'm staying here!" Inuyasha yelled back as he bared his fangs at his own mate.

"_Then I'm not talking to you!" _Kagome threatened.

"Who wants to talk to you anyways!?"

"_Then why are you staying in here?!" _Kagome yelled back as she got in Inuyasha's face as far as she could. Inuyasha's scowl found its way into the barrier and into Kagome's eyes as she turned slightly red from anger. Inuyasha's face was full of anger as his blood rushed towards his face.

"Even when one of them is in an unbreakable barrier, they don't stop fighting." Sango commented as she blinked at the fighting pair with interest in her eyes.

"It's definitely a sight to wonder." Miroku said, though his mind was still a bit fuzzy from the hit in the head he took that morning.

"You'd think since they're mates they'd be nicer to each other." Shippo commented.

"Mew," Kirara said. _"Why don't we go outside?"_

"That's a good idea, Kirara." Sango said as she got up.

"What did she say?" Miroku asked.

"Woof," Keiko answered. _"She said let's go outside to let those two be alone."_

"You know, Keiko," Miroku started to say as he stood up with the two tail dog demon on his shoulder. "You answering that question doesn't help me."

"Woof," Keiko said with an innocent look. _"Sorry,"_

"Still not helping." Miroku said in a slight sing song voice.

"She said sorry." Shippo said finally.

"You know, you're really annoying when you keep having a one sided conversation with yourself." Sango commented as they got out of the hut and walked up to the old wooden fence that was surrounding part of the village.

"Why don't you pick up one of your scrolls and learn the demon language? It'll be so much easier that way." Shippo said as he hopped up onto Sango's shoulder then down onto the fence, only to sit down and lean his back on one of the support poles.

"I don't think that's anyway to learn the demon language." Sango said as she blinked a few times.

"This is hopeless." Miroku sighed.

"Woof,"

"Mew," Kirara and Keiko said at the same time. _"You think?"_

* * *

"_If you hate me so much then why don't you get away?" _Kagome yelled with her arms crossed.

"Because!" Inuyasha yelled back, intelligently.

"_Nice answer, care to elaborate?" _Kagome asked with a scowl.

"Ela..bo… Wait what?" Inuyasha said as he let one of his dog ears flop down in confusion. Kagome slapped a hand on her forehead.

"_Explain why, Inuyasha." _Kagome explained.

"Sorry I'm not from your _fancy _time. If you didn't want to become a mate and be bound to the past then you didn't have to." Inuyasha said stubbornly.

"_Oh not this conversation again."_ Kagome said, irritation exceeding normal range.

"And why not this conversation? You too ashamed to tell me that you don't want to be my mate in my face?" Inuyasha asked.

"_I can't believe you'd ask me that."_ Kagome said shocked.

"I can't believe you mated a half demon, but you did." Inuyasha shot back.

"_Ugh," _Kagome said as she crossed her arms. _"You are impossible. I just about give up." _

"Good, everyone else I've known has given up on me. At least this way I'd know you're normal."

"_Hey," _Kagome said as she sat up straight as best she can inside the water.

"You know it's true." Inuyasha shot before Kagome could say anymore.

"_You know it's not." _Kagome said with a smirk. _"Face it, Inuyasha, you're afraid."_

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "Afraid of what, wench?"

"_Afraid of some kind of change in your life that is totally opposite than what you're use to." _

"Feh, that's bull," Inuyasha said as he turned his body so Kagome saw the side of him.

"_If you weren't then why are you saying all of this?" _Kagome retorted.

"Maybe cuz' they're true."

"_So saying you love me and wanted to become my mate was a lie." _

"No," Inuyasha said instantly as he turned back to face the priestess and uncross his arms. "No… Um,"

"_Hmph, whatever." _Kagome said while this time she turned to her side and started to form another spiritual ball. _"I'm done arguing with you."_

"Kagome, you don't understand," Inuyasha said as he turned his head away.

"_I don't understand?" _Kagome punctuated. _"How don't I understand? Being exiled from a village, chased around the country side trying to avoid danger, kill or be killed. What?" _Inuyasha plopped to the ground where he sat with his legs crossed and back slumped.

"You've never been totally alone to defend yourself." Inuyasha said quietly.

"_Have I?"_ Kagome asked him. _"Because I have. That time when I left I was on my own."_

"You've belong somewhere. I don't belong to either demon or human." Inuyasha continued.

"_I don't belong in my world and I don't belong in this one."_ Kagome said in a soft voice. _"Inuyasha face it, I'm almost like you."_

"No," Inuyasha said sternly. "Don't have a life like mine."

"_Think about it," _Kagome said as she leaned up against the circular wall of the bubble. _"We both don't belong to either kind of world, we've been on our own and defended ourselves, and you don't have a family besides Sesshomaru and I don't see mine that often, even if I do, I just go off to school."_

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, silently stunned.

"_Do you get it?" _Kagome asked as she turned her head towards the half demon. Inuyasha looked down, a little bit ashamed.

"Yeah, I get it." Inuyasha said in almost a mumble.

"_Good," _Kagome sighed. _"Can we stop fighting now?"_

"I'd rather have it that way." Inuyasha said as he laid on his back with his legs still crossed and his arms under his head.

The two lovers stayed in a silence before Kagome looked over at her mate. Inuyasha felt like he was being watched so he turned his head and saw the priestess staring at him. Inuyasha blinked a few times as he also stared.

"_So are you going outside or what?" _Kagome asked.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.

"_We were arguing about if you should go outside," _Kagome reminded. _"So are you going?"_

"No," Inuyasha said simply as he turned his head back up to stare at the ceiling of the wooden hut.

"_Why not?" _Kagome asked.

"I'm not leaving you."

"_You're not leaving me," _Kagome said. _"You're just fulfilling your own needs."_

"Well I'm not leaving you alone inside this hut."

"_You have to go outside _sometime._" _Kagome reminded.

"And when that time comes I'll go." Inuyasha said stubbornly.

"_Why do I bother?" _Kagome asked herself as she threw the spiritual ball up and down inside the bubble.

"Don't you have anything better to do than throw that ball around?" Inuyasha asked.

"_I can talk to you, but you're no fun right now." _Kagome said playfully.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed.

"_We can practice your dodging skills." _Kagome said.

"What?" Inuyasha asked as he sat up and leaned on his hands. "What do you mean?"

"_Wanna' try?" _Kagome asked with a smirk.

* * *

"Where do you want to go now?" Shippo asked innocently as the two two-tail demons followed him throughout the village.

"Mew," Kirara meowed. _"Beats me,"_

"Woof," Keiko barked happily as they looked down at the many villagers from the ledge off the cliff they came upon. _"Why not the rice fields?"_

"I don't know if we're allowed there." Shippo said blinking.

"_Sure we are," _Keiko encouraged as she went around the small ledge and onto a hill, which descended, that connected the cliff with land. _"I've been there tons of times."_

"_Are you sure about this?" _Kirara asked.

"_Yeah, we'll just stay clear of the water and play tag on the little aisles in between the bodies of water." _Keiko said as she led the way down.

"That sounds fun." Shippo said excitedly as he and Kirara jogged to reach the two tail dog demon.

Once the three got down towards the water and aisles between the water, Keiko started to run to the right while Shippo ran to the left, leaving Kirara to be the person to tag the other two. The neko manta demon decided to run after the fox demon in a game of cat and mouse. Shippo laughed as he continues to run, with the two tail demon running after him. Keiko looked back and saw that she wasn't being chased. She then decided to stop running and sit down while she watched the other two run after each other.

* * *

"Wow, there is nothing to do around this village." Sango sighed as she leaned against the wall of her own hut, which she shared with Miroku.

"You can say that again." Miroku said as he came out from the huts doorway and leaned against the same wall Sango was leaning against.

"I wonder what the others are doing." Sango said absently as she looked up and through the trees to the bright blue sky. "It's late afternoon."

"Care for lunch?" Miroku asked.

"That might be a good idea." Sango said. "Want to head back to the others?"

"Yeah, maybe their hungry too." Miroku said as they started to walk away from their hut and into the village.

_BANG_

"What was that?" Sango asked worriedly as she looked towards the general direction the sound came from.

"I don't know, but it sounded like it came from Kaede's hut." Miroku said.

"Let's go," Sango announced as the duo started to run towards the old priestess's hut. They barged into the room and what they saw made them go a bit uneasy.

Kagome, who was still inside the spiritual bubble, was shooting spiritual beams at random spots inside the hut while Inuyasha dodged them. Inuyasha panted as he jumped up to avoid another beam but was grazed in the side with another.

"Did… Did you guys have another fight?" Miroku asked.

"Because if you did, I don't think this is a very good way to get back at each other." Sango said as she blinked in confusion.

"_Hey Sango, Miroku."_ Kagome said as she stopped her assault.

"What are you doing?" Sango asked.

"_Training."_ Kagome and Inuyasha said at the same time.

"Uh, how?" Miroku asked.

"_Well Inuyasha is dodging my attacks. We're training his agility."_ Kagome said happily. _"But don't worry; this won't hurt him if he gets hit. It'll only leave a small mark, but it doesn't hurt. I made sure of it." _Kagome said with a smile.

"Alright," Sango said. "Don't hurt yourself."

"_Come on Sango, I wouldn't hurt him."_ Kagome said happily.

"We know, Kagome." Miroku said as he walked further into the hut and sat down. "So, Inuyasha, have you gone outside yet?"

"_No! I tried to make him, but I can't do much in this bubble."_ Kagome complained as she glared at the half demon.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. "I don't need to go outside."

"Sure you do," Sango said. "It isn't healthy to be cooped up in here."

"Feh, maybe for you humans." Inuyasha defended.

"_You're half human."_ Kagome sang as she leaned back in her bubble and started to relax. _"When was the last time you bathed?"_ Inuyasha stayed silent. _"For one, ew. For two, go take one."_

"Keh, I don't need one." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Inuyasha just go take a bath." Sango said, almost begging. "Don't you feel like you have dirt caked onto you?"

"No," Inuyasha said simply.

"What do you do when everyone's asleep? Lick yourself?" Miroku asked which received him a hit on the head, leaving a goose egg shaped bump.

"Miroku!" Sango and Kagome yelled at the monk while Inuyasha's anger bubbled.

"That is not what I do!" Inuyasha yelled. Miroku just fell sideways as his head spun, making him dizzy.

"Anyways," Sango said slowly. "We came back to see if you were hungry."

"_I don't eat food, for the time being." _Kagome said with a shrug.

"Right, what about you, Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Keh, I can get food." Inuyasha said.

"_While you're at it, why don't you take a bath under the waterfall near the village?" _Kagome suggested. _"And don't forget to wash your clothes."_

"What are you, my mother?" Inuyasha asked as his eyebrows ticked.

"_No, I'm your mate. Now go before you kill yourself with your own stench." _Kagome said playfully.

"I do not stink!" Inuyasha yelled.

"_Well how would I know? I'm in a bubble. And I'm going with the facts. You haven't bathed in a while." _Kagome said with a playful smirk. _"Oh stop pouting and just go, will you?"_

"I'm not pouting!" Inuyasha said loudly as he stomped out the hut mumbling something with 'woman' in it.

"He'll never change." Sango said as she giggled slightly.

"_I don't want him too." _Kagome said with a smile. _"This is the way I like him."_

"I agree it's fun to watch you two argue." Sango said.

"_Hey," _Kagome said as she playfully glared at her sister like friend. Sango just continue to chuckle to herself.

"Maybe I should get this pervert into a corner." Sango said as she dragged Miroku into a corner and laid him down. Kagome laughed at that.

"_Hey, where are Shippo, Keiko, and Kirara?" _Kagome asked.

"They went off to play somewhere." Sango answered. "Hey, I have a question."

"_Yeah, what is it?" _Kagome asked curiously.

"You're bringing Avion back, right?" Sango asked.

"_Yes, of course." _Kagome said instantly.

"When though?" Sango asked.

"_When I get out of this bubble." _Kagome said.

"That's good."

"_You miss her too?" _Kagome asked.

"Yeah, each member of this little group really grows on you, you know?" Sango asked.

"_I know what you mean." _Kagome said.

"Well, I should get started on dinner." Sango announced. "Do you think Inuyasha will get dinner?"

"_He said he could, didn't say he would, but he also didn't say he wouldn't." _Kagome said as she thought. _"Maybe we should wait until he finishes his bath."_

"That would probably be a better idea than getting two sets of food." Sango said with a smile.

* * *

"I'm hungry." Shippo said as he plopped down near the rice field water while Keiko and Kirara came up to him.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"Me too."_

"_Let's head back." _Kirara meowed as she stood up then waited for the others to follow suit.

Shippo, Kirara, and Keiko then started to walk back up the hill that leads to the main village area. After walking over the tall hill, the small group found their way into the heart of the village where they saw many little children running in circles, playing their own little game.

"They seem happy." Shippo said, mostly to himself.

"Mew," Kirara said. _"Why don't you join them?"_

"_Yeah, we can wait for you until you finish." _Keiko barked.

"No, I'm hungrier, besides, you guys wore me out." Shippo said with a smile.

"Look Chiko! The sun is about to set!" a little girl said to her brother.

"Let's watch!" the little boy said as they made their way towards the edge of the forest.

'_Sundown.' _Shippo thought. _'Inuyasha's turning human.' _

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she nudged Shippo slightly, getting him out of his reverie.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"What's up? Why so quiet all of a sudden?" _

"Oh nothing," Shippo said. "Inuyasha's turning human soon though, that's all." Shippo said.

"_That's true." _Kirara meowed.

"_I never knew Inuyasha turned human on the new moon." _Keiko said to herself. Shippo and Kirara stopped in their tracks.

"Oh, that's right, you don't." Shippo said. "But you've seen him human before."

"_Yeah, I wasn't here for that long." _Keiko said.

"_Only one rule," _Kirara meowed. _"You don't tell _anyone _this secret."_

"_I know, I know, I'm not ignorant." _Keiko said playfully as they continue to walk towards Kaede's hut.

The small group of small creatures sauntered up to the hut and made it inside. Instantly, Keiko and Kirara's heads cocked to the side as they saw Kagome playing with another spiritual ball, Sango stroking the fire, and Miroku knocked out in the corner.

"We're back!" Shippo announced.

"Hey guys," Sango said as she turned around to see the group walk in.

"_Did you have fun in the village today?"_ Kagome asked as she stopped playing with the ball for a minute.

"Yeah, we were down in the rice fields playing tag!" Shippo said excitedly as he walked over and plopped down under Kagome's bubble.

"_That's nice," _Kagome said. She then leaned back and started to play with that spiritual ball on the tips of her fingers.

"Woof?" Keiko barked questioningly. _"Where's Inuyasha?"_

"_Somewhere outside in the forest." _Kagome said with a wave of her hand.

"Mew?" Kirara meowed next. _"What's he doing out there?"_

"He's taking a bath and getting dinner." Sango answered.

"That explains where Inuyasha is, but what about Miroku?" Shippo asked as he pointed behind him with his small finger at the monk who was groggily getting up.

"He made a stupid comment." Sango said as she glared at the monk who looked at her. Miroku gave a nervous laugh as he got up and walked towards the fire.

"So where's Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he sat near is, supposed, fiancé.

"_Bathing," _Kagome said.

"He should get back soon." Shippo said.

"Why is that, Shippo? Is something coming towards the village?" Sango asked as she got ready to get her weapon, the Hiraikotsu.

"_The sun is setting." _Kirara said.

"_There's no moon tonight." _Keiko supplied next.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Miroku said.

"He should get back soon." Sango said.

"_Miroku, do you mind going out there and getting him?" _Kagome asked.

"Sure," Miroku said as he got up.

* * *

"Damn," Inuyasha grumbled as he walked towards the waterfall that was near the village.

**(A/N: If you watch the episode which is solely about Inuyasha and Kikyo, you can see Kikyo bathing under a waterfall with a white robe on. Just wanted for you to know where the waterfall came from ^^ )**

"Stupid Kagome, making me go bath." Inuyasha said to himself as he walked further into the forest. He then sniffed the air around him and crinkled his nose a bit. _'I guess I could use a bath.' _Inuyasha thought. _'But that doesn't mean she's right.' _

* * *

Miroku walked into the forest's entrance and followed the path down towards his and Sango's hut. Once the wooden hut was in view, Miroku made a pit stop and checked inside it, to see if it held unwelcomed occupants. Getting the clear, Miroku continue walking towards the river with his staff jingling alongside him.

Just then, the smell of blood rose in the air. Miroku looked off towards where the smell of metallic blood was coming from. Without a sensitive nose, Miroku looked all around him until he saw a small puddle of blood only five feet away from him. The monk went over to it and looked at the scene of the crime.

'_Must be some animal that got attacked.' _Miroku thought. _'Poor thing.'_

"Hey monk!"

"Ah!" Miroku yelled shortly and mildly loud as he got startled and looked behind him. He saw no one.

"Up here," The monk looked up and saw the silver haired half demon he was sent to fetch. "What are you doing out here?"

"Kagome sent me to come get you." Miroku answered. Inuyasha jumped down from the tree limb with a boar in his hand, gutted and ready to be sliced and punched onto sticks.

"Keh, stupid wench." Inuyasha scoffed, though he didn't mean it.

"Hey, she's just worried. It is the new moon after all and the sun is setting." Miroku reminded.

"Feh, like I care. I spent my childhood new moons by myself."

"Yes, but you have a mate now. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Miroku asked, truly curious.

"It does, it's just…" Inuyasha started to say but paused. Miroku waited patiently. "I don't know, Miroku." _'Stupid human emotions.' _Inuyasha thought to himself.

"Well do you truly love her?" Miroku asked.

"Yes," Inuyasha said without hesitation.

"Then what is there to worry about? Kagome is crazy about you." Miroku said surely.

"I know that, it's just," Inuyasha said almost silently. "Complicated,"

"It doesn't have to be." Miroku said.

"How?"

"Just let it go, act the way you want to and not think about the past."

"And you and Sango?"

"The way I act is the way I am, until I decide to change." Miroku said. "And Sango is just herself, no strings attached." Inuyasha nodded his head before looked over Miroku's shoulder and towards his and Sango's hut.

"Did you come to check up on the hut?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah," Miroku answered. "Do you want to check yours?"

"Nah, I already did." Inuyasha said truthfully. "Let's head back."

"Alright," Miroku said.

The duo walked through the newly made path that connected the monk's and the demon slayer's hut to the village. The sun slowly set over the horizon while Inuyasha's hair began to darken. Finally, the stars shone above and Inuyasha was completely human, only for the night.

"Stupid sun," Inuyasha cursed.

"I see you're human." Miroku said.

"Keh,"

"Being human isn't so bad. You're mate is human. Sango and I are human."

"Feh, I feel so weak in this form." Inuyasha scoffed.

"We're pretty strong." Miroku defended.

"I can beat you in this form. I don't think so." Inuyasha joked… kind of.

"Hey, no need to be mean." Miroku said.

"Keh," Inuyasha said for lack of a better answer.

* * *

A bright glow of white blasted from the side of the small wooden hut as a bubble grew until it expanded to the limits of the space inside.

"What's happening?" Shippo asked frantically as he rushed towards the demon slayer for protection.

"I don't know," Sango answered as Keiko and Kirara hopped onto her shoulder to stay as a group. "Kagome! What are you doing?" Sango yelled into the light that surrounded her friend.

"Ah!" a mildly loud scream was heard from inside the hut.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled back. As fast as the light came, it disappeared, leaving a priestess sitting down while leaning against the wall.

"Ow, that hurt." Kagome groaned as she put a hand up onto her head, only to feel something fuzzy. "Keiko, get off of my head."

"Woof?" Keiko barked confusedly from Sango's shoulder. _"What do you mean? I'm not on your head." _Keiko then hopped from the demon slayers shoulder and walked towards her owner.

"Oh, then who's-" Kagome started but didn't finish as she thoroughly touched her head. "Uh…?"

"What is it Kagome?" Sango asked as she got up with Shippo in her arms. "Oh dear… That's not good."

"Wow, how did that happen a second time?" Shippo asked.

"Mew," Kirara said. _"Well since you're out of the bubble, does that mean you're healed?"_

"No, Kirara, I'm not completely healed yet," Kagome answered as she grunted while she got to a standing position. "I still feel weak."

"Hey, I got Inuyasha." A male voice said as the owner of it came into the hut. "And he got… Whoa." The man got slightly bumped into as another person ran into him into his back.

"Hey, what the hell? Why'd you stop?" Inuyasha asked as he detoured around the monk and looked in.

"Kagome," Miroku started to say uneasily. "Do you know that-"

"I know," Kagome said putting a hand up with a small smile.

"What the hell? Kagome? Why…?" Inuyasha asked, at a loss for words.

"I don't know why, Inuyasha." Kagome sighed. "I don't know why I'm a half demon again. The first time it was Kikyo's fault, but this time I have a soul."

"Your cheek is burned," Inuyasha noticed, sort of ignoring Kagome's explanation. "How did that happen?"

"Oh, I probably got burned when I turned half demon inside the bubble." Kagome said with a shrug. "No big deal."

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked as he walked up to her.

"Yup," Kagome said happily. "But I'm dying for real food, what did you get us?"

"Um, boar meat." Inuyasha said as he placed the dead animal next to the fire. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Perfectly," Kagome said. "Do you want a hug to be sure?" Inuyasha blushed slightly but accepted the hug.

"Aw," Miroku said playfully. Sango socked him in the arm, though without full force.

"Stop it." Sango said though as smile was ready to form on her face.

"So does that mean you're all healed up?" Inuyasha asked as the couple pulled away from each other.

"No, but I'm just a little weak on strength, that's all." Kagome said with a wave of her hand. "But this new demon blood is working well."

"Keh, _my _demon blood." Inuyasha said, trying to get a little credit.

"Yes, _your _demon blood." Kagome said, playing along.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she hopped onto Kagome's shoulder.

"You're right," Kagome said. "It is like me and Inuyasha switched blood just as the sun went down."

"That's a very good point." Miroku commented as he looked up from his cutting of the boar and placing it on the sticks.

"Maybe we can ask Kaede about it." Shippo said from his seat near Kirara, who was near Sango.

"Not tonight," Miroku said. "She's out at another village tended to their sickly elders."

"Well then what do we do?" Kagome asked. "I think I'm actually hurting myself by being in this form."

"How's that?" Inuyasha asked, almost accusing Kagome of not liking half demons or being in a half demon form.

"I think I'm accidently shocking myself with spiritual power." Kagome said as random small sparks showed from Kagome's body, only to disappear. "They kind of hurt."

"Can't you stop that from happening?" Sango asked.

"Well my blood is half demonic now and my spiritual power runs through my blood." Kagome explained. "I don't know how to really stop this."

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt to bad," Kagome said. "It's like a shock that you get from touching an object sometimes."

"You sure?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kagome said. "Let's just eat."

"If you're sure." Inuyasha said as he stayed close to her.

'_I wonder how this happened.' _Inuyasha and Kagome thought at the same time, though neither of them knew that.

* * *

"Oh darn," Myoga said as he panted. "It's night fall." The little flea demon continue to hop towards the desired village while he passed through another one. "And it's still a long way to go for such a small flea."

_Squish_

"Such the fate of a flea." Myoga said in a strained voice as he popped back to his original size after being stepped on.

"Oh, Myoga," an elderly woman said. "What are ye doing in this direction?"

"I am here to see Master Inuyasha. On the night of the new moon, something will happen."

"Is that so?" Kaede asked.

"Yes, and I need to go tell them what's going on."

"Well it's a tad later, don't you think? Why don't you go with me on my horse back to the village tomorrow morning?"

"That would be much appreciated." Myoga said as he bowed slightly. _'Tomorrow, Inuyasha will find out truly.' _

* * *

*

* * *

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	45. Two Tails High Tail Out

**Disclaimer: Do Not Own Inuyasha… Yet…**

* * *

Two Tails High Tail Out

"Wow, I didn't know you could see _that _far." Kagome said in awe as she and the human Inuyasha lay on the grass, looking up at the stars. "The stars are so much prettier in your time."

"Keh, they're just stars." Inuyasha said roughly.

"When you're in my time, the stars aren't this visible," Kagome said as her eyes sparkled with joy. "You learn to appreciate them more."

"Hm," Inuyasha said as he squint his eyes to try and have the same vision he has when he's a half demon. "Say, Kagome," Inuyasha said as he rolled to his side and propped his head on his hand.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked as she turned her head and looked at her mate.

"Do you really like being half demon?"

Kagome looked confused for a second before answering. "Sure, everything is clearer. I don't see why you complain so much."

"Well if you lived my life, you would complain too." Inuyasha said quietly, mostly to himself.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked as she finally rolled to her side and faced Inuyasha.

"You're constantly picked on." Inuyasha said. "That's why I complain so much."

"Well you're not picked on anymore." Kagome said as she scooted a bit closer. "Besides, we like you being a half demon."

"Shippo does."

"Well he's just Shippo, he doesn't mean it." Kagome said. "He always says those things because he's a kid and trying to best his superior. Kind of like how a son would want to beat their father in something."

"I guess." Inuyasha said as he looked down towards the grass and twirled a blade with his unoccupied hand.

"Don't think about it too much. He cares about you just like all the rest of us." Kagome said with a smile. Inuyasha cracked a smile as he reached up and grabbed one of Kagome's newly formed dog ears and gave a small tug.

"Do you have to know everything?" Inuyasha said playfully as he tweaked the ear.

"Hey," Kagome said as she cocked her head towards the way he was pulling her ear. "Stop it." Kagome said while laughing.

"Make me," Inuyasha said as he pulled slightly harder. Kagome raised an eyebrow before giving her mate a smug grin. "What?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome then unexpectedly rolled further towards Inuyasha and quickly pushed him down onto his back.

"Ha," Kagome mocked.

"That's not fair, you're a half demon." Inuyasha said.

"Hey, you have this advantage over me everyday besides the new moon." Kagome said as their noses touched.

"No, because you can still purify my ass and make me human," Inuyasha said playfully.

"Like I'm going to do that," Kagome said suggestively.

"You would." Inuyasha said. "If I get you mad enough."

"Oh really? How do you know that?"

"Because you stopped using the rosaries, you need a backup plan to hurt me one way or another."

"Good point," Kagome said as her lips grazed Inuyasha's while she spoke.

"Hold up, you're not really going to, are?" Inuyasha asked as his eyebrows rose.

"Hm," Kagome mumbled with a smile before she pressed her lips to his. Inuyasha kissed back gently as she lay on top of him.

* * *

"I wonder what they're doing," Shippo said as he looked out of the mat that covered the door frame.

"Probably making out." Miroku said as he sipped his tea. A clang was heard as the tea cup fell to the ground and spilled hot liquid onto the monk's chest. Sango had her fist raised above her head after she knocked the monk upside the head. "Ow, Sango, what was that for."

"For being a pervert." Sango answered simply.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she watched the two. _"He'll never learn."_

"You can say that again." Shippo commented as he crossed his arms together and sat down with his legs crossed.

"Woof?" Keiko barked as she cocked her head. _"Has he always been like that?"_

"Unfortunately," Shippo sighed.

"_Amazing how Sango loves him." _Keiko barked.

"_You kind of wonder how sometimes." _Kirara meowed back.

"Why don't we get some sleep? Kagome and Inuyasha should be fine on their own." Sango suggested.

"Well what do you say we stay up tonight? It's a warm night, besides; Inuyasha and Kagome are staying up." Miroku said. "We can go walk around the village."

"Yeah!" Shippo said excitedly. "Can we walk in the forest?"

"NO!" Miroku and Sango said instantly. Miroku then cleared his throat.

"Well remember the last time we were walking in the forest when night fell?" Miroku asked more calmly.

"I don't want to go through that again." Sango said.

"Oh, right, the ice demon came at around this time." Shippo said. "Well can we walk somewhere? I'll be sure to have Kirara and Keiko with me."

"Sure, but stay in the village's border." Sango said. "Be careful."

"I will!" Shippo said excitedly as he ran out of the hut with Keiko and Kirara trailing behind him.

"Well, my dear Sango, what do you say we go find somewhere peaceful and gaze at the stars?" Miroku suggested.

"Sure," Sango said with a slight blush as she got up to her feet and followed Miroku out of the hut.

* * *

"Kagome! Get back here!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran after his mate.

"You got to catch me first!" Kagome mocked as she stopped running and perched herself on a tree branch.

"It's not fair that you have demonic speed!" Inuyasha yelled back with a smile gracing his lips.

"Oh come on, don't be a baby." Kagome said happily. "If you were half demon and I was human, I could catch you."

"That's because you have your pretty little priestess powers." Inuyasha said as he walked under the branch Kagome was sitting in.

"Well that's my advantage, not yours." Kagome said with a smirk.

"If we were both human, I'd still be stronger than you." Inuyasha said, trying to defend himself as he leaned his back against the tree trunk.

"That's because you're a boy." Kagome said. "You're _supposed _to be stronger."

"Keh," Inuyasha said.

"Ha, I win." Kagome said happily as she jumped down and landed in front of the half demon turned human. All of a sudden, Inuyasha grabbed both of Kagome's wrists and pulled her towards him. With a gasp, Kagome got pulled into his hard chest then looked up at the smirking face of her mate.

"I don't think so." Inuyasha said softly.

"You don't think what?" Kagome asked with a smirk of her own.

"I don't think you win." Inuyasha said as he nipped at her nose. Kagome looked down, cross eyed, at her nose before looking into Inuyasha's now brownish purple eyes. **(A/N: So are Inuyasha's eyes brown or purple when he's human?) **

"Oh and how do you figure?" Kagome asked as she leaned more of her weight on him.

"Because I _always _win." Inuyasha said as he smirked.

"Oh do you?" Kagome said with a smirk of her own. "Because I remember beating you when we were sparring."

"Lucky shot." Inuyasha replied.

"Sure it was." Kagome said sarcastically before she kissed him. He returned the kiss without hesitation. Kagome broke the kiss and got out of his arms before she started to run again, though at normal human speed. "Try and catch me now!"

"Feh, wench." Inuyasha said softly to himself as he started running after her.

* * *

"You know," Shippo started as he walked with his head titled so he looked at the stars above, though there was no moon.

"Mew?" Kirara asked.

"I never truly get to be outside and enjoy the nice breeze unless we're sleeping out." Shippo said. "The sky is really pretty."

"Woof," Keiko barked softly as she also looked up and cocked her head. _"Yeah, it is."_

"Well since we're out and staying awake, what do you want to do?" Shippo asked. The two tails looked at each other before shrugging a small shrug. Shippo sighed. "Well we can't go out of the village borders."

"_Why don't you go see what's wrong with that little girl?" _Kirara suggested as she pointed a claw towards a crying girl no older than eight.

"Oh, I wonder what's wrong." Shippo said as he started to lead his little troop towards the sobbing girl. Loud and soft sobs were heard as she was crouched on the ground with her arms wrapped around her legs while she leaned against a pole that was supporting the wooden fence. "Um… Hi." Shippo said, lacking something better to say. The girl lifted her tear stained face before continuing to cry.

"W-w-what do you want?" The girl said as she choked back sobs to say it.

"I was just wondering what's wrong." Shippo said as he stood next to the girl. Though Shippo was about nine years old, his demon nature's height stayed shorter than an eight year old human female.

"Y-you w-wouldn't care!" the girl cried. Keiko walked up to the girl and whimpered slightly, catching the girl's attention.

"We care." Shippo pushed on. The girl let go of her legs and let them spread out in front of her. Keiko and Kirara took their position beside her and stared at her with concern.

"No you *sniff* wouldn't." The girl said stubbornly.

"Okay, well, do you want company?" Shippo asked. The little girl didn't move or say anything. Shippo concluded that she didn't _mind _having company, so he sat down next to her, on the opposite side of the two two-tail demons. A long moment passed and the only sounds were the girl's occasional sniffles.

"Father," The girl whimpered.

"What?" Shippo asked, thoroughly confused.

"My father, he died." The little girl said so quietly that demonic hearing was needed to hear the comment.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Shippo said. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about it?" The girl asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Kagome says that if something's bothering you, you should talk about it to another. She says it helps you feel better." Shippo said encouragingly.

"Oh," The little girl said in a whisper. "Who's 'Kagome'?"

"She's a priestess in this village." Shippo said with a small smile. _'Even though she's a half demon right now.' _

"I thought that the village priestess what named Lady Kaede." The girl said as she blinks her eyes confusedly.

"Kaede is the village priestess. Kagome is just a strong priestess who lives in a hut just inside the forest."

"Oh," The girl said as she looked back down at her feet. "What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Shippo." Shippo said excitedly. "And the dog demon is Keiko and the cat demon is Kirara."

"I'm Michi." Michi said with a small smile. "Shippo,"

"Yes?" Shippo asked as he turned his full attention to the girl.

"Is it true that this village has skilled protectors who are a priestess, monk, demon slayer, half demon, and other demons?"

"Yes, that's us. Why?" Shippo asked.

"That's you?" Michi asked. "But you're so small."

"Hey, being small doesn't mean I can't protect them." Shippo said with a slight playful glare.

"So my family will be safe here?" Michi asked curiously.

"Yeah," Shippo said. "Why?"

"Father died and mother is getting ill. If she dies," By this time, the girl's eyes were welling with tears. "Then… Then it will just be me and my baby brother."

"Well if she's ill then why don't you call Kaede?"

"Lady Kaede is doing the best she can." Michi said. "She became gravely ill when we travelled here when father died."

"When did you come to this village, Michi?" Shippo asked curiously.

"About a lunar cycle ago." Michi said as she looked up into the sky. For the first time, Shippo saw that she was wearing a light green kimono that went to her mid thigh and had her hair up in a low pony tail. "We came here to be protected."

"You know, no village is completely safe." Shippo said truthfully. "But this village is protected well. Inuyasha is the true protector here." Shippo said proudly.

"And who's that?" Michi asked.

"He's a half demon. He was the first one of any of us to come to this village. Well, besides Kaede that is." Shippo said with a grin.

"A half demon, huh?" Michi asked, interested.

"You know, if you and your family have a problem with half demons, you're going to have trouble living in this village." Shippo informed.

"No, it's not that, I just have never met a half demon."

"Oh," Shippo said. There was another moment of silence between the two youngsters. What they didn't notice, was that the two manta demons have disappeared.

* * *

"The sky is beautiful." Sango sighed as she leaned her back towards the fence and lifted her head up to look at the moonless sky.

"Just like you." Miroku said. Sango's head snapped back towards its regular position and looked at her fiancé. With a blush, Sango turned her head and looked at the ground.

"Miroku," Sango said quietly.

"It's true." Miroku said with a smile as he crossed his arms with his staff pressed up against his chest.

"Thanks," said Sango, who had nothing else to say.

"Sango," Miroku called.

"Yeah?" Sango asked as she lifted her head back up.

"If we defeat Naraku," Miroku trailed off. Sango's head slowly started to lower as she was, once again, looking at the ground. "Will you still marry me?" Sango looked at the man who was standing beside her, only to see him looking up at the stars.

"Miroku," Sango said in awe.

"Will you?"

"If you'd have me." Sango said as she looked at the stars too.

"Of course I'd have you; I'm the one that asked in the first place." Miroku said.

"It doesn't mean that you _have _to marry me." Sango said as her eyes started to sting with unshed tears. "You could still go around, village to village, looking for the person you _want _to bear your children."

"I already found her." Miroku said as he finally looked at the demon slayer. Sango looked down from the stars and to the man that has captured her heart.

"You did? Who?" Sango asked, totally oblivious.

"Don't tell me you don't know." Miroku said as he stepped closer and leaned on the fence.

"Well if you don't tell me, how would I know? Or you can tell our little sister." Sango said, referring to Kagome.

"Sango," Miroku said as he shook his head. "It's you. No one else."

"You sure?" Sango asked as she crossed her arms and looked beside her.

"Absolutely." Miroku said as he leaned down and kissed Sango's lips softly. After a second, the demon slayer responded to the kiss and leaned into it.

* * *

Kagome continued laughing as she was pinned to the ground with Inuyasha above her. He had his hands at her waist and stomach while grinning evilly down at her.

"In-I-Inuyasha, ha-ha, stop!" Kagome begged while tears of laughter formed in her eyes as she squirmed under his grasp.

"Tell me who won and I'll let go." Inuyasha said as he continues tickling the girl under him.

"N-no, n-n-never!" Kagome said as she squirmed harder under him. "Y-you're killing me!" Kagome's laughter got harder at Inuyasha's relentless attack on her abdomen.

"Oh, now, you know I wouldn't kill my own mate." Inuyasha said. "Well, at least not without a reason."

"I-Inuyasha!" Kagome said shocked before her head fell back to the ground and still continued to laugh. Inuyasha smirked at the girl.

"Now, tell me who won and I won't have to kill you." Inuyasha said playfully.

"F-fine!" Kagome relented while the tickling went on. "Y-you w-ha-ha won!"

"And who's stronger and faster?" Inuyasha continue as he slowed his tickling for a second.

"N-not fair!" Kagome said before she squeaked as Inuyasha tickled harder.

"Answer or I won't stop." Inuyasha said with a playful smile.

"F-ine!" Kagome said. "Me!"

"Wrong answer, Kagome." Inuyasha said as he still continued.

"Y-you s-s-s-suck!" Kagome strained as she lost her breath.

"What am I?" Inuyasha mocked.

"I-Inuyasha, I-I-I can't b-breathe!" Kagome said as she struggled to breathe between her laughter.

"Fine," Inuyasha sighed as he let her go. He then stood up and walked to sit right next to her. Kagome panted hard as she closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. "You okay?"

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Kagome said as she didn't get up from her lying position.

"It's only a little fun and games." Inuyasha said.

"Until someone gets hurt." Kagome finished with a playful glare.

"No one got hurt," Inuyasha said as he looked down at the girl.

"I almost just hyperventilated." Kagome said.

"Keh, you're half demon, you should be fine." Inuyasha said.

"Yeah, _SHOULD _be. That doesn't mean I _AM_." Kagome said.

"Oh hush," Inuyasha said as he put a hand over his mate's mouth. Kagome looked up at him with confused eyes saying 'what the hell?' "Just be quiet will you? Enjoy the night."

"I ade doo," Kagome said behind the hand. (I hate you)

"Yeah, yeah," Inuyasha said as he looked up at the stars.

* * *

"_Race you!" _Kirara meowed happily as she and Keiko stood at the edge of the village.

"_Where are we going?" _Keiko asked as she cocked her head.

"_I'm going to see my old master. You coming?" _Kirara asked.

"_I thought we weren't supposed to go out of the village." _Keiko said, unsurely.

"_They all have a partner to be with, let's let them be." _Kirara encouraged.

"_But still," _Keiko barked.

"_Haven't you run away, if only for a day?" _Kirara asked.

"_Yeah, but I've never gone far without a reason." _Keiko said. _"Hey, how many times do you do this?"_

"_I don't do this often. I just pay my respects every now and again." _Kirara meowed. _"Besides, we have a reason; we're visiting my old master."_

"_I wish I can go see my old master." _Keiko barked sadly. Kirara turned around and looked at her friend in the eye.

"_Why can't you?" _Kirara asked.

"_She died." _Keiko said.

"_That doesn't mean you can't visit her. Go visit her grave. That's what I'm doing." _Kirara said.

"_You're old master is dead too?" _Keiko asked.

"_Yeah," _Kirara said as she looked off towards her destination. _"It's sad to lose one master and transfer to another."_

"_I know," _Keiko said. _"Well are we going or sit here?"_

"_That's the spirit." _Kirara meowed happily. _"Follow me." _With that, the neko manta demon transformed in a ball of flame and grew ten times her original size. Kirara then took off into the air, about two feet off the ground, and started flying.

"_Hey, wait up!" _Keiko barked as she ran to catch up with her friend.

"_You're so slow!" _Kirara complained playfully.

"_Oh yeah?" _Keiko said back as she ran quicker until she was in front of the bigger demon. _"How about now? Too slow?"_

"_A little," _Kirara mocked as she sped up.

"_Ha, I can beat that, easy." _Keiko said as she also sped up.

The two two-tails raced until they reached the ruins of what use to be a village that was surrounded by wooden polls that were tall and held together by rope. Kirara slowly flew down and into the permanently opened door while Keiko followed more cautiously.

"_Here we are." _Kirara said.

"_Where are we, exactly?" _Keiko asked as she slowly made her way into a broken down and collapsed hut.

"_This is where Sango and I use to live." _Kirara informed. _"That is, until Naraku came and destroyed it with everyone along with it."_

"_Oh, I'm sorry." _Keiko said as she walked up to the many graves. _"So this was the legendary demon slayers village I've heard so much about." _

"_Yes, that's right." _Kirara meowed as she sat next to the two tail dog demon. _"Not anymore, I guess." _

"_I see," _Keiko said. _"So which one of these graves use to be your master until you went with Sango?"_

"_None of them."_

"_None? Then why'd we-?" _Keiko started but couldn't finish.

"_Because there's a different place where my master is held." _Kirara said. _"I'm also just visiting some old friends and family."_

"_Oh," _Keiko said in a small whimper.

"_Do you want to go see my old master?" _Kirara asked.

"_Sure," _Keiko said as they stood up, Kirara now being small, and walked alongside each other, just until they reached the entrance. Keiko stopped. _"Kirara?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Are there suppose to be people in this village?"_

"_Well yes, before they died."_

"_No I meant a living person, right here, right now." _Keiko said as she looked back into the deserted village. Under the stars, it looked as though it was haunted for years.

"_What do you mean?" _Kirara asked as she looked back where the other was looking.

"_There's a scent inside one of these huts." _Keiko informed. _"I was going to go inside, but I followed you before."_

"_Well which hut is it?" _Kirara meowed questioningly as she turned around and walked a few steps, followed by Keiko.

"_That beat up one next to that hut that looks like a tool shed." _Keiko said.

The two slowly crept back into the village; following the two tail dog demon's instructions. Kirara silently crept like the feline she was and slowly looked into a hole that was in the mat that covered the door. Kirara growled quietly as she saw a dark figure with their back turned towards the door.

"_Someone is in there." _Kirara informed the dog demon.

"_Shall we transform?" _Keiko asked.

"_This village is abandoned; I guess they thought no one would be here." _

"_Well there wouldn't be if we hadn't left." _Keiko said. Kirara turned her red eyes towards the demon. _"Alright, I get it."_

"_Sango and I are protector of this village, being the only ones who survived. This might not be your problem, but it's mine." _

"_Hey, we're a team. Whatever your problem is is my problem too." _Keiko said as she started to transform. Her fangs and claws grew longer and wider while her muscle mass grew slightly, making her look bulky.

"_Thanks," _Kirara meowed as she also transformed silently. Kirara moved back a step then launched herself into the hut, growling menacingly. Keiko stayed near the door to make sure there victim didn't make a speedy get away.

The small dark figure turned around as the two manta demons made themselves known. Kirara looked at the small person with glaring red eyes until she momentarily reared back as she saw that she was looking at herself in a mirror.

"_Kirara! Watch out, that's Kanna's mirror. Don't let it suck your soul." _Keiko warned as she tilted her head to her shoulder, trying not to look at the mirror. Kirara snapped out of her stupor with a shake of her head. She then leaped forward and tried to attack the demon.

Kanna, seeing that the battle wasn't going anywhere, turned around quietly and walked through a wall – disappearing while Kirara stopped before she hit the wall herself. Keiko, seeing that the demon vanished, quickly ran outside to see if she went out of the hut. Seeing nothing, Keiko called Kirara out.

"_Where'd she go?" _Kirara asked in a low growl.

"_I don't know. She's using her demonic powers of… nothing! She's a demon without a demonic aura, therefore not sensed or anything else." _Keiko said. _"No one knows where she's going to pop up next."_

"_But why was she here in the first place? Out of all the places, I never expected her to be _here_." _Kirara spoke up as she transformed back into her smaller self.

"_Why don't we check what she was doing inside?" _Keiko asked as she also transformed back and started to look inside the hut.

The duo walked back inside the broken down hut and found that the place was relatively the same since Kirara last visited. The fire cat demon then looked at where the demon girl incarnation was rummaging around while Keiko sniffed out any small clues around the hut.

"_Keiko, look at this." _Kirara meowed as she poked at an object with her claw.

"_What did you find?" _Keiko asked as she went over and saw piles of bones that were cracked. _"Where those there before?"_

"_Not that I recall. These usually stay in the shed where there's an ofuda _(Sacred Sutra's except these are more like barriers.) _surrounding the hut so the demonic aura of these demon bones don't attract other demons to come by." _Kirara said.

"_If that's the case, we should get these bones back inside that hut before anything more happens." _Keiko barked as she carefully picked up a bone in her mouth and carried it outside towards the tool shed. Kirara nodded then took a few bones herself.

After about twenty minutes of hard labor, the two manta demons sat just outside of the village grounds while licking their paws and cleaning their face.

"_That could've gone by faster." _Kirara sighed as she stood and stretched out her back.

"_You could say that again." _Keiko barked as she scratched behind her ear with one of her back legs. _"Kirara, what are those demon bones for?"_

"_Well the demon slayers use to make weapons and armor with them." _Kirara said. _"But why would Kanna need them? Naraku already has everything he wants except the complete Shikon Jewel."_

"_There are a bunch of twisted reasons why Naraku would want them." _Keiko said. _"I guess we should tell the others when we get back, maybe they could figure it out."_

"_Yeah, you're right." _Kirara said with a cat sigh. _"Well, as long as we're here and it isn't morning yet, what do you say we go see my old master?"_

"_Sure,"_ Keiko said as she stood up along with Kirara and followed the two tail cat down a dirt path.

The two walked down a rutted path as they passed many trees along the way. They then made it to a cave which exuded a lot of demonic aura and spiritual power though it appeared to be a regular hole in the wall of earth.

"_Here we are."_ Kirara said happily.

"_Uh, Kirara… You're former master was buried in a cave?" _Keiko asked, stunned.

"_No, she wasn't buried. She was frozen here." _Kirara explained. _"Come on, I'll show you."_

"_Alright," _Keiko said as she nervously looked at the barrier in front of her.

"_Oh, in order to pass the barrier you can't have any bad thoughts." _Kirara warned. _"You don't right?"_

"_No, nothing except thinking what Naraku is doing and wondering what this place is." _Keiko said as she watched her friend walk through.

"_Good," _Kirara said as she stopped walking and looked back. _"Well come on, we don't have all night." _Keiko quickly rushed forward in order to catch up to the fire cat.

"_Wait up," _Keiko said softly as she ran up to Kirara's side.

"_Alright, just stay close. You never know what happens in here." _Kirara warned.

"_What do you mean?" _

"_It's a mysterious place, but she won't hurt us. The others might though if their spirits awaken."_

"_What others?"_

"_Those," _Kirara said as she pointed with her clawed paw at the large dragon demon that was curled around a girl with a hole in her chest.

"_Wow," _Keiko said in awe as she stared up at the stalagmite figures. _"Who are they?"_

"_The girl with the hole in her chest is Midoriko. She was my former master before I was passed down in Sango's family."_

"_Midoriko? You mean the priestess who created the Shikon Jewel?" _Keiko asked.

"_The very same."_

"_I didn't know that you were the one that helped her." _

"_Not a lot of people do. After she was trapped here, I wandered around the countryside for a little while before coming to the demon slayers village." _Kirara explained. _"They didn't know where I came from, I didn't exactly tell them either though."_

"_Why?" _

"_Because it might've brought some unwanted attention." _Kirara said as she continues to stare at the frozen creatures. _"You won't treat me any different, will you?"_

"_No, of course not, whoever your master is or was, you're still you." _Keiko said as she turned away from the many demons inside the demon trying to get to one priestess.

"_That's a relief to hear." _Kirara said.

"_What was it like?" _Keiko asked.

"_What was what like?"_

"_This great war over the one priestess, Midoriko."_

"_It was… hard and challenging. I miss her, but it can't be helped."_

"_Well I'll tell you something that I learned." _Keiko said as she fully turned towards her demon cat friend and comrade. _"You never get over someone's death; you just learn to cope with it. You just learn to be without them, but you'll always miss them."_

"_That's nice advice." _Kirara said. _"Thank you, Keiko."_

"_That's what friends are for." _Keiko said happily. _"So is that hole in her chest where the jewel was forced out?"_

"_Yes, the very place." _Kirara said. _"Right now, she is still fighting these demons inside the jewel itself."_

"_You really think so?"_

"_Yes, her soul and the other demons' souls were entrapped in the jewel to cease the chaos on the world. But the battle still rages inside until the jewel is completely purified, or completely filled with malice."_

"_Doesn't the jewel also have the four souls of friendship, courage, knowledge, and love?" _

"_Yes, it does, that's what is balancing the jewel. It's all part of the human heart, while the demon's heart can differ." _Kirara said as she was transfixed on the stalagmite again.

"_What happens when the jewel is shattered?"_

"_I don't know. Maybe it's a mini battle in each shard. But unless you can look into it, we'll never know." _Kirara said as she took a step forward. Keiko stayed back, not really having anything to connect herself with the legendary priestess.

"_That makes sense." _Keiko said. _"I wonder who will win in the end."_

"_It's either going to be good in Kagome's hands or evil in Naraku's hands. Right now, those are the only two legible to make the jewel turn one path or another." _Kirara said as she hopped up onto the many demons and towards her old master's old armored shoulder.

"_Wow, Kirara, you're like a jewel expert." _Keiko said, impressed.

"_Well that's what happens when you hear Midoriko's voice with everything about the jewel before the light enveloped the battle ground in the cave, making everything freeze and eventually turn into stalagmite."_

"_Oh," _Keiko said softly.

"_Well do you want to come up?" _Kirara ask from the priestess's shoulder.

"_Kirara, I don't think I should." _

"_Why not?"_

"_Well I don't really belong here. You brought me here to see your old master, who happens to be Midoriko. It'll be wrong if I do anything."_

"_Says who?"_

"_The holy laws,"_

"_Oh come on, we're demons, we don't have to follow those rules." _Kirara said playfully. _"Besides, you're my friend. Almost a sister. Midoriko wouldn't mind."_

"_I don't know about this Kirara. Kagome told me not to do anything disrespectful or bad." _Keiko tried to reason.

"_Just because Midoriko is a legendary priestess, doesn't mean she's not a normal person." _Kirara reasoned.

"_I know that, but Kagome's my master and Midoriko was yours. It's not the same." _

"_Well does it help if I say that Midoriko loves us two tail demons?"_

"_I know that, considering you were with her." _Keiko said with a playful growl.

"_Then come up here." _Kirara said as she hopped onto the dragon and climbed her way towards its head.

"_You sure she won't mind?" _

"_Positive. Now come up here." _Kirara said as she flicked her tails back and forth.

"_Alright," _Keiko said as she climbed up the demon pile at the bottom and carefully made her way up to the top where Kirara was perched. She then head butted Kirara in the side playfully. _"Tag, you're it!"_

"_Ha-ha," _Kirara mocked as she playfully punched Keiko with her paws lightly. _"You want to fight?" _Kirara said sarcastically.

"_Go ahead." _Keiko said. _"But we all know you're going to lose." _Keiko barked happily and sarcastically.

"_Oh, we're fighting now," _Kirara said before lunging at her friend. The two wrestled with each other for a while, playfully nipped at each other and head butting.

* * *

A dark figure sat in the dark, looking out into the moonless night. Creaking noises were heard as soft footsteps crept down the hall of the dark mansion. Miasmic smoke riled through the air as the stifling air quietly swayed in and out of the barrier.

An albino girl walked through the dark room's wall as she carried a sliver mirror and bones of demons in her hands. The soulless eyes of the girl looked in at her master as she waited for him to order her to go to him.

"Kanna," a malicious voice said from the dark figure that was looking out the window to the moonless sky. "Did you retrieve it?"The said girl walked slowly to her master and put the demon bones down on the ground. "Perfect,"

"They were there." Kanna said in a monotone voice that was extremely quiet.

"Who were?" Naraku asked as she turned his red eyes to the girl.

"The two two-tails."

"Do you know if they know what's going on?" Naraku asked evilly.

"No,"

"Good, let them find out when the time comes." Naraku said. "Now deliver these bones to the boy, Kohaku."

"Yes, Naraku." Kanna said as she got the bones off the floor and started to leave through the wall.

"Kanna," Naraku called. The albino girl stopped her movement as she waited for the dark half demon to speak. "Have Kagura help." Kanna nodded then left out of the dark room to find the young male demon slayer and the wind sorceress.

* * *

"Ha, yeah right," Inuyasha scoffed as he swung his legs that were submerged in the river water.

"Well it's true," Kagome said as she also put her feet in the cold water and sat next to him.

"They wouldn't do that." Inuyasha said.

"They so would do it!" Kagome said loudly. "Besides we do it… sometimes." Kagome said almost inaudibly.

"Sango and Miroku would not make out." Inuyasha said. _'Then again, there was that one time when Shippo walked in on them." _Inuyasha thought.

"I'm saying they are. I can smell it." Kagome said proudly.

"Keh, just because you're a half demon, doesn't mean you can do everything and gloat," Inuyasha said.

"Why? You do it all the time." Kagome said as she nudged her meat's shoulder.

"Keh, that's because it's my real blood, not yours."

"Well it's part of my blood now too, so it's partly mine." Kagome said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Keh, it's still my blood." Inuyasha said as he pushed on Kagome's shoulders with his hands. Suddenly, a spark of blue was seen coming from Inuyasha's hand as Kagome screamed when she was flung back and into a tree. "Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he quickly got up and ran towards the priestess turned half demon. "Kagome! What happened? Are you okay?"

"Ow, yeah," Kagome said as she sat up straighter and placed a hand on her head. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know." Inuyasha said almost hysterically.

"It looked like spiritual power to me." Kagome said as she eyed Inuyasha's hands.

"What do you mean? I don't have any spiritual powers." Inuyasha said. "That would be you and Miroku, remember?"

"Yeah, but I'm half demon, so think about it." Kagome said.

"I'm still not getting this." Inuyasha said.

"Well, the demon blood came from your blood, which I drank." Kagome started. "And my spiritual powers come from _my _blood, which you drank. Get it?"

"So it's like we swapped features?"

"A little bit." Kagome said. "But I wonder why."

* * *

Miroku and Sango were making out while Sango leaned on the wooden fence.

* * *

"_Ha-ha, that was fun," _Keiko said as she rolled over on the floor so she was standing on her paws again instead of laying on her back.

"_We should really do that more often," _Kirara meowed happily as she sat down on the stalagmite floor. _"Hey, Keiko?" _

"_Yeah?"_

"_Do you mind if we spend the night here, in this cave?" _Kirara asked. _"I miss her." _

"_Sure, that's no problem." _Keiko said. _"We have a good few hours before morning."_

"_Thanks," _Kirara meowed as she made herself comfortable at the spot under Midoriko's form.

"_You don't have to thank me," _Keiko said as she lay down next to the fire cat. _"Good night,"_

"_Good night." _Kirara said before closing her eyes. 'Good night, Midoriko. Good luck with the battle.'

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I HOPED YOU LIKED THE CHATPER!**

**This was supposed to ease the tension away from the previous events. Did it work?**

**THANKS! R&R**

**:)**


	46. Another Half Demon

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

Another Half Demon

"_Good night,"_ Keiko said as she lay down next to the fire cat.

"_Good night." _Kirara said before closing her eyes. 'Good night, Midoriko. Good luck with the battle.' Kirara thought before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"Michi, you should go back into your hut and get some sleep, it's almost dawn." Shippo suggested as he put a hand on her shoulder. The girl nodded tearfully before standing up.

"You're right," Michi said. "Thank you, Shippo."

"You're welcome," Shippo said as he also stood up. Michi bent down and placed a light kiss on his head before running off into her hut. Shippo stood there stunned with a slight blush and his mouth agape. _'Wait, where are Kirara and Keiko?" _Shippo thought frantically as he snapped his jaw shut.

* * *

"We should get to sleep." Sango said as she pushed off the wooden fence she was leaning on and pushed her fiancé back.

"What about Inuyasha and Kagome?" Miroku asked as he backed away from the girl he was just making out with.

"Oh yeah," Sango said. "Well I'm going to go into the hut, it's getting cold."

"Alright, I'll go with you." Miroku said as they walked back into Kaede's hut.

* * *

"This is nice," Kagome sighed contently as she used Inuyasha's chest as he pillow.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he leaned his head on his hands which were behind his head as the two lay on the grass with Kagome perpendicular to him.

"I can stay like this forever,"

"Me too," Inuyasha said as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. Kagome stared up into the horizon contently.

"Oh look! The sun!" Kagome said excitedly as she pointed.

"Finally," Inuyasha sighed.

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean?" Kagome accused.

"Nothing," Inuyasha said with a smirk.

"Humph," Kagome scoffed as she watched the sun come up into the sky.

"You know I love you." Inuyasha said happily as his hair started to turn grey.

"Sure you do," Kagome said sarcastically.

"Well would you believe me if I did this?" Inuyasha asked as he braced himself on his elbows and kissed Kagome on her lips. After a second, Kagome felt fangs poking at her lip, signifying that his transformation was complete.

"Maybe," Kagome said. Inuyasha smiled and opened his eyes.

"Well, look who's not half demon anymore." Inuyasha said as he nipped at her now human ear.

"And look who is." Kagome giggled. Inuyasha joined in her merriment.

* * *

"So, Lady Kaede," Myoga started as he sat on a horse's head while Kaede rode on its back. "How is the group doing?"

"They just recently came back from a mission from saving Sango. They were in a pretty bad situation concerning their wounds." Kaede replied.

"Oh, how so?"

"Inuyasha had to turn human for a few days in order to purify poison out of his body while Kagome secluded herself in a bubble." Kaede sighed.

"Oh how terrible." Myoga said shocked. _'Master Inuyasha is human? That can't be good. But then again, he turned human yesterday night. Oh dear, I wonder how their blood switching worked out.' _Myoga thought.

"Those youngsters are getting beaten up too often."

"Yes, that is quite true, but this is who they are. They live to fight against evil, especially Naraku." Myoga said.

"Yes, Naraku. The bandit that was once known as Onigumo." Kaede said, mostly to herself. "Well, we are almost at the village. What did ye want to talk to Inuyasha and Kagome about?"

"About them being mates and switching blood. It happens to all demons or half demons." Myoga explained.

"And what happens?" Kaede asked.

"Not to disappoint you, but I would rather only like to tell the story once."

"That is understood, flea demon." Kaede said as the horse kept going down the rocky trail back to the village.

* * *

Panting. Screaming. Bloodshed.

A woman ran as she carried her bundle of joy in her arms, desperately making her way through the forest's depths.

"There she is! Get her!" a male voice yelled thunderously through the forest. The woman ran harder as she clutched her dear child to her chest tighter. Spears and arrows where thrown in her direction.

"Ah!" The female yelled as yet another arrow pierced her back. But she kept running, even if there was nowhere to run to.

* * *

"_Kirara," _a voice sang. _"Wake up sleepy cat." _

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she opened her red eyes and yawned.

"_Come on, it's morning, we have to get back." _

"_Keiko?" _Kirara asked as she shook her head. _"What time is it?"_

"_Well sometime after dawn and before the afternoon." _Keiko answered. _"We have to go before the others wonder where we are."_

"_Oh, alright," _Kirara said as she yawned again. _"Let's go then. We didn't tell anyone we left."_

"_Yeah," _Keiko said as she started walking out of Midoriko's cave. Kirara hung back for a second and looked at her old master.

"_Good bye." _Kirara meowed before following her friend out.

"_Want to race again?" _Keiko said excitedly as she got ready to take off.

"_You bet." _Kirara said just as happily as she also got ready to run.

"_Okay, on the count of three." _Keiko said. _"One…Two…THREE!" _With that, the two took off.

After a few steps, Kirara started to glow with fire as she burst into a flame ball. Keiko stepped to the side for a second, trying to avoid the flames. Kirara was then about ten times her original size. The fire cat demon took to the skies.

"_Can you keep up now?"_

"_Still not fair!" _Keiko yelled up at her.

* * *

"Sango! Sango!" Shippo yelled as he speedily ran towards the old priestess's hut. The said demon slayer stepped out of the hut and looked around towards the voice that was calling her name. "Sango!"

"Shippo," Sango said as Shippo leaped into her arms. "What's wrong?"

"Kirara and Keiko went missing!" Shippo wailed.

"What?" Sango asked quietly. _'Missing?' _Sango thought.

"Hey, runt, what's with all the crying?" Inuyasha said gruffly as he and Kagome walked towards the hut.

"Is everything alright?" Miroku asked as he came out of the hut. A scent of freshly made breakfast went around the group as the monk opened the flap to the door.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked as she stood in front of the demon slayer.

"Keiko and Kirara went missing!" Shippo said again.

"What?" Kagome asked, repeating Sango's question. The priestess looked up to her sister like friend. Sango just shrugged. "How did that happen?"

"I-I was t-talking to this new girl in the village and they just disappeared!" Shippo said, beginning a new wave of tears.

"There, there, Shippo, I'm sure they're okay." Kagome said.

"Yeah, Kirara and Keiko are more than capable to handle themselves." Sango said. _'Though I really hope they're okay.' _

"Maybe we should look for them." Miroku suggested.

"Keh, they probably just went to play." Inuyasha said. "Let's just wait, they'll come back."

"Shippo, when did they disappear?" Kagome asked softly.

"I-I-I think sometime during the n-night." Shippo said as he hiccupped.

"Shh, it's okay. Just take a deep breath." Kagome said as she patted the boy's head. "I'll handle it."

"What are you going to do?" Sango asked as Kagome walked a few feet away from the group.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked, prepared to stop her.

"Oh nowhere." Kagome said with a smirk.

"Then what-?" Miroku asked with confusion.

"You demons might want to cover your ears?" Kagome said as she turned towards the forest.

"Why?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Just trust me," Kagome said. Shippo, unsurely, put his hands on his pointed ears while Inuyasha flattened them onto his head. After making sure that the demons covered their sensitive ears, Kagome put her thumb and pointing finger in her mouth.

Then whistled – loudly.

The sound echoed through the forest as Kagome used her spiritual power to have the sound go further for a longer period of time.

"Shit Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he put his hands on his head to cover his ears fully. "The hell was that?!"

"I told you to cover your ears." Kagome said innocently.

"What were you doing?" Miroku asked.

"Ow, that even hurt human ears." Sango said while rubbing her ear with one of her hands while Shippo dizzily laid in her other arm. "That made Shippo so dizzy he fell unconscious."

"Sorry," Kagome said sheepishly.

"What _was _that?" Inuyasha asked. "I think my ears are bleeding."

"I was just calling Keiko and Kirara." Kagome said. "Wherever they are, they should've heard it, for demons that is."

"And how do you know she's coming back?" Miroku asked.

"Just listen for a reply," Kagome said with a shrug.

* * *

_Whistleeeeeeeeee_

Keiko twitched her ears as she heard the distant calling. Kirara – who was in the air flying – flew lower and looked at her friend curiously.

"_Did you hear that?" _Kirara asked.

"_Yeah," _Keiko said as she stopped. Kirara landed next to her.

"_What is it?" _

"_Kagome's calling us back home." _Keiko said. _"We have to answer."_

"_How do we do that?"_

"_I'll do it. I just need to howl." _Keiko said as she walked a few paces then sat down. She then lifted her head and started to howl a song.

* * *

_Howllllllll_

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard the distant answer in the wind. The half demon looked towards where the sound was, and then faced his mate.

"Did you hear that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah," Kagome said. "They're coming back."

"That's a relief." Sango said.

"Where did you learn to do that, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Oh, just on my own." Kagome said. "I needed a way to have Avion and Keiko to come back when I send them somewhere or I leave to do something. So I kind of made that up."

"Creative," Sango said.

"But could it be any less quiet?" Inuyasha complained.

"Well if it was quiet they might not hear it." Kagome said innocently.

"When are you bringing Avion back?" Shippo asked.

"I was thinking today," Kagome said.

"Are you sure you're well enough?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, you just got out of the bubble yesterday." Inuyasha said, concerned.

"I'm perfectly fine, being half demon for the night really helped." Kagome said as she winked.

"You sure?" Sango asked.

"Yes," Kagome said as she started laughing at her friends concern. "Come on, let's just have breakfast,"

"Alright," Sango said as they walked into the hut.

Once situated, Kagome took out the wooden bowls while Sango started to scoop some stew into them. The girls served up the men in the hut with the stew then got some for themselves before sitting next to their respective partner.

"Alright," Kagome said as she put down her now empty bowl. "I'm done,"

"That's great to know," Inuyasha said sarcastically. Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Well, I thought that that statement would lead to another." Kagome said. "I'm bringing Avion back."

"Really?" Shippo said with stars in his eyes.

"Yep," Kagome said. She then cupped her hands and formed a small ball that was hollow on the inside while shoots of spiritual power roamed around it, like lightning bolts. Kagome's eyes then glowed purple pink as she concentrated her powers into the ball.

"Is that all you have to do?" Inuyasha asked as he looked over her shoulder.

"Pretty much," Kagome said. "But it takes a lot of power to do this."

"I didn't know you could talk during this." Miroku said.

"It gets easier the second time around." Kagome said as the ball grew slightly bigger.

"Is Avion going to be in that ball?" Shippo asked.

"Yep," Kagome said.

"Master Inuyasha!" a tiny voice yelled as the creature launched itself onto the half demon's nose and began sucking blood out. Inuyasha crossed his eyes before slapping the bug. "Ugh, why, Master?" Myoga said in a strained voice as he floated down.

"Myoga, what are you doing here?" Sango asked.

"I am here to talk to Master Inuyasha and Lad-" Myoga started to say but trailed off as he saw what the priestess was doing. "Lady Kagome, what are you doing?"

"Bringing back an old friend," Kagome said as she didn't turn her head away from the ball. Myoga still looked confused.

"You've met Avion before, correct?" Miroku asked. The old flea demon nodded. "Well Kagome's bringing her back."

"What happened to her?" Myoga asked.

"Avion has sacrificed herself to save Inuyasha." Kaede said as she walked into the hut.

"Welcome back, Lady Kaede." Sango said. Kaede nodded as she returned a smile.

"Where are the two two-tails?" Kaede asked.

"They're coming back from an adventure." Inuyasha answered.

"Where did they go?" Myoga asked.

"We don't know." Miroku said as he thought about it.

"I see that the child is bringing our dear friend, Avion, back with us." Kaede noticed as she sat down.

"Yes," Kagome answered with a smile. "Enough about this, what did you want to talk about, Myoga?"

"Oh yes, it is about the new moon." Myoga said.

"Yeah, why did she become a half demon and why did I suddenly have spiritual power?" Inuyasha hissed.

"Relax, Master Inuyasha." Myoga said as he sweated. "Now if you would let me explain."

"Go for it." Kagome said. "Don't mind me."

"Thank you." Myoga said. "Now as I was saying. The moon has a weird affect on newly mated couples. It just so happens that a change occurs on the new moon, thus making it that day. For other mated couples, it depends on their species and how the moon affects them. For wolves, for instance, their change would occur on the night of the full moon, when they howl to the skies.

"Now, since Master Inuyasha turns human on the night of the new moon that, itself, affects his body. Now the blood sharing portion to the mating ritual is unique. You swap blood and whatever powers you have will get switched with the partner. This is to see how your partner deals with their powers and what abilities they have. Once the night is over, the couple will most likely understand each other more and their abilities. Though this only happens on the first moon cycle that they are mated." Myoga finished up.

"Is that all?" Miroku asked. "That was a lot less complicated than I thought I would've been."

"I'm kind of glad for that." Shippo said with a cocked head.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she and Keiko listened intently on the speech.

"Kirara, Keiko, you're back." Sango said as she picked up her fire kitty. "Where'd you go?" Keiko walked towards the dog half demon and laid on his lap, getting ready to take a nap.

"Woof," Keiko answered.

"Somewhere? What do you mean by that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Mew," Kirara said back from Sango's lap. _"Just somewhere."_

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed.

"_Is Avion coming back?" _Keiko said hopefully as she watched Kagome make the spiritual ball bigger.

"Sure is," Kagome said.

…Thirty Minutes Later…

"Are you done yet?" Inuyasha whined.

"No," Kagome answered tiredly. "You've been asking me that constantly. If you want to leave so bad, why don't you?"

"Keh," Inuyasha said.

"That's what you always say." Kagome sighed. "You know if you're going to complain then leave, I'm not making you stay in this drafty hut."

"Feh," Inuyasha grumbled as he turned away from the priestess.

"If you want to stay then stop complaining." Kagome said as more bolts of spiritual power continue to roam in the orb that has grown to about a basketball size ball.

"I'm leaving," Inuyasha announced, though no one was in the hut except the priestess and half demon.

"You could've done that thirty minutes ago." Kagome said without take her eyes off the orb.

"Humph," Inuyasha said as he stuck Tetsusaiga into his sash and walked out of the hut.

"Finally," Kagome sighed. "I love that guy but he can get really annoying."

* * *

"Ah, Inuyasha, finally decided to leave poor Kagome alone, I see." The monk said with a grin as he looked away from the fox demon playing with the two two-tail demons.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he sat against a tree trunk. Miroku sat leaning against the wall of his and Sango's hut in the forest.

"Inuyasha, when did you get here?" Sango said, coming out of the hut.

"Just a second ago." Inuyasha said.

"Finally decided to leave Kagome alone, huh?" Sango asked with a knowing smile.

"Feh," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms and looked up to the light blue sky.

"Hey Inuyasha, finally decided to leave Kagome alone?" Shippo asked innocently as he bounded over to the half demon.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Inuyasha hissed.

"Because it looked like you were annoying the hell out of her." Miroku answered with a shrug.

"Who asked you?" Inuyasha hissed again.

"I think you did." Sango said as she mocked a look of thinking.

"Shut up." Inuyasha growled.

"Did you leave or did Kagome kick you out?" Shippo wondered.

"I left," Inuyasha said in a low voice.

"O-okay," Shippo said as he slowly moved away from the angered half demon.

* * *

A bird's cry was heard as a bird figure burst out of the glowing orb in Kagome's palms. Little speckles of spiritual dust floated in the air as the orb disintegrated. The bird figure shook itself before stretching its wings out.

"Welcome back, Avion," Kagome said happily and tiredly.

"Glad to be back." Avion said as she rested in Kagome's palms.

"Let's go meet the others." Kagome suggested as she stood up shakily. Avion jumped onto her shoulder and hung on while the two walked into the forest.

* * *

"Hey, Kagome," Shippo said happily as he stopped his game of tag with Keiko and Kirara.

"Woof," Keiko barked her greeting.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said as he looked at her. The half demon then hastily got up and steadied the priestess.

"Are you alright?" Sango asked as she looked over, ready to help in any way possible.

"What happened?" Miroku asked.

"Nothing, just making a spiritual creature." Kagome said warily with a small smile as Inuyasha helped her walk over to the tree he was sitting against. Kagome sat down while Avion went down to her lap.

"It took that much out of you?" Inuyasha asked worriedly.

"I passed out the first time I did this. This is actually an improvement." Kagome said with a pointed finger. "But Avion doesn't have any of her powers yet."

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked as he sat next to them while petting the spiritual bird.

"To make a spiritual helper it takes time and two different stages." Kagome said. "One, the priestess or monk or priest has to create a body for the spiritual animal. Then the second stage is to add all their powers in, like shape shifting and their own supply of spiritual power."

"That isn't as complicated as I thought it would be." Sango said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, give me about half an hour and I should have my energy back, just not my spiritual powers." Kagome said with a shrug.

"What do you mean by that?" Miroku asked.

"I just used all of it to create old Avion here." Kagome said as she ruffled the bird's head.

"And for that, I thank you." Avion said as she shook her head after the ruffling.

"No problem," Kagome said. "Hey Sango,"

"Yes?" Sango asked.

"You care to join me at the waterfall?" Kagome asked as she got up shakily.

"I don't think you should go anywhere yet." Inuyasha said.

"Relax will you?" Kagome asked. "I'm just out of energy, not crippled in the legs."

"That's just it, you're out of energy." Inuyasha countered.

"Inuyasha, waterfall water helps me with that, I'll get my energy back in no time." Kagome said.

"Besides, Sango will be there." Miroku said. "Neither I or Sango would let anything happen to dear Kagome."

"You're not going lecher." Inuyasha said as his scowl darkened.

"Of course not." Miroku said while putting his hands up. Kagome playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Keiko, Kirara, Shippo, care to join us?" Kagome asked.

"Mew," Kirara answered. _"I'll keep look out when you're bathing."_

"_And I'll keep look out in the other direction." _Keiko said next.

"I'll come," Shippo said.

"Avion you should come, the water will help you." Kagome said.

"Alright," Avion answered as she got on top of Kagome's shoulder again.

"Let's get going," Sango said as she grabbed two white yukata's from her hut. Kagome nodded. **(Note: Yukata – Thin white kimono used for bathing to cover the body or to sleep in.) **

"Yep," Kagome answered. "See you later guys." With that, the group of girls and demons left, leaving Inuyasha and Miroku.

"So, Inuyasha, what do you want to do?" Miroku asked. Inuyasha's face grew a smirk as he looked at the monk. "I really don't like that look."

* * *

"This waterfall is freezing," Sango commented as she stepped under the falling water.

"You get use to it," Kagome said as she sat on a convenient boulder and soaked her hair.

"Is your energy coming back?" Sango asked worriedly.

"Yep," Kagome said as she flashed a smile towards the demon slayer. "How's the water treating you?"

"I've had better," Sango said with a laugh. "Isn't Avion supposed to be here?"

"Yeah, she is," Kagome said as she pointed up. Sango looked up and saw the bird flying in the middle of the falls while going up and down.

"Oh," Sango said. "Kagome how is it that waterfall water is the purest if plain river water isn't?"

"Well that's because when the water falls off it's like starting a new life, without any sins or bad doings." Kagome explain. "So when the water falls off the cliff at the top, it's starting over."

"Oh, that makes sense." Sango said as she sat next to her friend.

"This is so relaxing," Shippo sighed happily as he floated on his back in the middle of the pond that received the water from above.

"Mew," Kirara meowed happily as she sat near the edge of the water.

_SPLASH_

Kirara hissed as she got splashed with cool water. She stood up and shook herself before looking at a smirking two tail dog demon. Keiko's two tails were dipped in the water as she snickered slightly.

"Woof," Keiko barked happily. _"Got ya'." _

"_Why you," _Kirara growled playfully as she got ready to pounce.

"It's good that Kirara finally has someone to play with other than Shippo." Sango said as she watched the two interact.

"Yeah," Kagome said as she laughed. "Keiko needed someone to play with. If it were just me, Avion, and her again, she would be so bored."

"I bet," Sango said.

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean?" Kagome said as she playfully pushed the girl off the rock. Sango splashed into the water.

"No need to be rash," Sango said as she pulled Kagome with her.

"Hey, guys," Avion said as she flew down towards the girls. "You better get dressed."

"Why?" Sango and Kagome asked at the same time. Shippo stopped floating and started to look at the spiritual bird as Kirara and Keiko both growled in one direction inside the forest.

"Something's coming." Avion said. The priestess and the demon slayer then looked towards where the others were looking and started to here rustling in the trees inside the forest a small distance away.

* * *

_**Pant Pant**_

_**Swish**_

_**Scream**_

_**Splash**_

"Stop, please," A women begged as she ran through the forest.

"Get her and the devil child!" a man yelled to his other men who were following him.

"Why don't you give up and die?" A second man yelled.

"You won't get my child," The woman yelled back as adrenaline rushed through her body though blood flowed out of it. "Not on my last breath will you get my child."

"If you kill that son of a bitch then we'll let you come back." The first man, who was the leader, said.

"No," The woman whispered as she grew tired. "No, I won't."

"You wench," A third man yelled as he shot off an arrow at her. The woman yelled as it pierced her calf. The woman collapsed for a second before painfully pulling the weapon out of her body and began running again while she cuddled her child closer to her as it cried.

"Shh, baby, we're okay." The mother said calmly through her tears and blood stained face.

"Hey," a calm and stern feminine voice said from in front of the mother. The woman gasped and quickly stopped as she was circled in. Two females were standing in front with a small male child by their side. One female was wearing a white dress that went to mid thigh with grey leggings underneath while the top was short sleeved and had a turtle neck collar that didn't go all the way up her neck, while the other female was wearing a black cat suit, while both girls wore metal protection masks in front of their mouth and nose. Each had a sword and various weapons on them.

"You stay away from me," The mother warned as she panted though she really had nothing to defend herself and her child with.

"I'll hold her," The woman in the black cat suit said almost coldly as she adjusted her large boomerang weapon on her back then went to the mother and pulled one of her arms behind her. "Someone get the kid."

"Got it," the small human male child said as he took away the baby from its mother's weak grasp.

"No," the mother said in horror. The woman in the black cat suit then brought her other hand behind her then dragged the women behind the girl in white while the small boy held the sobbing baby.

"What are you doing?" The male leader said from the other group.

"This is our territory to protect." The girl in white said as her right hand glowed with a bright pink. "Go back to your village."

"Not until we kill that bitch and the spawn of the devil." The man growled.

"Mm," the girl in white said emotionlessly. "This is our territory. We will deal with her and the child."

"We want a piece of them," the second man said.

"We will take care of them fine." The girl said. "You have no reason to be here." With that, the girl threw her right arm across her body from her left side to her right side, sending a wave of spiritual energy in front of the male group. Gasps and slight yells were heard as the earth ground in front of them was blown to pieces.

"Fine, girl, but you better make sure they're dead." The male leader said as he held back his weapon. "But we're only backing down so we don't have to touch such filth with our own weapons and hands."

"Right," the girl said emotionlessly. Everything settled and dealt with, the males left, grumbling, while the three women and a human boy stared until they disappeared with three more pairs of eyes hiding in the tree branches.

"Finally," the human boy said as he popped into a ball of smoke then landed on his feet while having the baby in his arms. The boy transformed into a small fox child.

"You're getting better at those illusions Shippo." Kagome said as she smile and took off her mask. Sango sighed from a little way away from the priestess and took her own mask off after taking her hands off the mother.

"Give her to me." The mother ordered as Shippo handed her the child.

"Calm down," Kagome said soothingly.

"Why? So you could kill me?" The mother hissed as she got ready to run.

"No, of course not." Sango reassured.

"I heard you; don't think that I'll believe this crap." The mother growled as she began to run before skidding to a stop as a loud growl was heard in front of her while a large cat demon landed, blocking her path.

"We're not going to hurt you." Kagome said as they made a circle around her.

"Kirara," Sango said in a hidden command. The cat demon nodded and transformed into her smaller self then standing next to Keiko. Avion flew in and landed on Kagome's shoulder.

"Why should I believe you? You said you'd 'take care of me'." The mother said warily. Kagome, Sango, and Shippo smiled slightly.

"We were just acting," Shippo said proudly. "Good, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." The woman said, though still wary. _'Unless they weren't acting.' _

"You're hurt, why don't you come with us and we'll bandage you up?" Sango suggested.

"I don't trust you." She said as she got ready to run again.

"Wait, don't run," Kagome said pleadingly. "We swear we're not going to hurt you or your half demon child."

"How did you know that my child is a half demon?" The mother asked as she got scared.

"I'm a priestess, I can sense it." Kagome answered. "Now come on, you're not going to make it long with all that blood loss unless we get your wounds to stop leaking it."

"You're a priestess," The mother repeated. "The more reason you would want to kill my child."

"I wasn't trained that way." Kagome said with soft eyes. "I could never hate a living being unless they did something wrong. All that child did was be born."

"How could I trust you?" The woman asked angrily.

"I don't know," Kagome answered truthfully.

"But out of this entire village, she would be the last to hate a demon or a half demon." Sango said truthfully. "I'm Sango by the way." Sango said cheerfully as she bowed to the woman.

"Oh, how rude of me," Kagome said. "I'm Kagome." Kagome then bowed.

"Shippo," Shippo said as he hopped up and waved his hand. "And the cat is Kirara, the dog is Keiko, and the bird is Avion."

"Hm," The woman said.

"Okay, you don't have to tell us your name," Kagome said. "But please come with us."

"How can you, a priestess, not hate a demon?"

"Demons are people too. We both have hearts and we both can choose a path to be good or to be evil." Kagome said. "Unfortunately, some demons use their powers to overpower humans, but others are really nice."

"You know my child is a half demon, do you not detest her?"

"Not at all," Kagome said.

"Why?"

"She's mated to one." Shippo said happily as he climbed up to Kagome's shoulder.

"What?" The woman asked.

"I'm mated to a half demon." Kagome clarified. "Now come with us, you're hurt."

"Yes, please." Sango said as she nodded her head towards Kirara again. Kirara nodded back then transformed for a second time. "Kirara will carry you there." The mother warily got on the fire cat as Keiko walked beside them, making sure no one fell off.

"Avion, do me a favor and retrieve Kaede." Kagome asked.

"Sure," Avion answered as she lifted off of Kagome's shoulder and flew towards the village.

"Sango, I'm going to get water," Kagome announced.

"Alright," Sango said. "Do you want me to wait?"

"No, I can catch up; get there as soon as possible." Kagome said as she veered off towards where the waterfall was.

"Okay," Sango said as she led the remainder of the group towards the village.

Kagome walked towards the water's edge then created multiple bubbles with her spiritual power. Filling the bubbles up with water, Kagome made them float in the air as she ran with her spiritual powers to catch up with the others.

* * *

A grunt was heard as the monk was pushed back a step as a sword came down and hit his golden spiritual staff. The half demon wielding the sword smirked as he lifted his sword up again and started another round of close combat.

"Inuyasha, how much longer are you going to use me as a hitting target?" Miroku said as he braced himself for more impact. The monk then quickly twisted his staff, hitting Inuyasha in the wrist – making the half demon let go of his sword. "Ha,"

"Keh, lucky shot." Inuyasha grumbled as he walked towards his sword and placed it back in its sheath.

"No, my friend that was called skill." Miroku said. Inuyasha then turned away, though a small smile graced his lips.

"Feh, sure it was." Inuyasha said sarcastically. He then sniffed the air and stiffened. Miroku noticed his lack of giddiness.

"What's wrong?"

"I smell blood." Inuyasha said as he rushed into the forest.

"Wait," Miroku said as he went after the half demon. "Who's blood?"

"I don't know, but Kagome and Sango's scent is mixed in it." Inuyasha said. _'It's not theirs though.'_ Inuyasha thought.

"Well then let's hurry." Miroku said.

_Crash_

"Ow," A male and a female groaned as they both landed on their backsides on the ground.

"Woof," Keiko said as she tilted her head to the side.

"Inuyasha, what'd you run into me for?" Sango groaned as she got up then held a hand for the half demon.

"Wondering what happened to you two." Inuyasha said as he took the offered hand and got up.

"Inuyasha smelled blood so we came to see if you were okay." Miroku supplied as he looked at all his comrades.

"Oh it's not our blood." Shippo said. "It's hers." For the first time, Inuyasha and Miroku noticed a woman on top of Kirara with blood covering her body and an arrow piercing her back as she held a bundle in her arms.

"Who's she?" Inuyasha asked as the woman eyed him. Inuyasha eyed the girl back while going to Kagome – who caught up to the group – and put a hand on the small of her back.

"She was running from some village men from another village somewhere." Kagome said.

"Why would they deliberately try to hurt such a beautiful maiden such as yourself?" Miroku asked the woman as he walked over to her side. Sango then hit Miroku in the square of his head with her heavy weapon.

"She doesn't need you doing that." Sango warned. "_No one _needs you to do that."

"Of course my dear Sango." Miroku said nervously as he rubbed his head.

"Oh brother," Shippo sighed.

"Woof," Keiko agreed. The mother looked at the group with confusion as he strength weakened.

"Shouldn't we get going?" Shippo asked.

"Oh, right," Kagome said. "I think we should get their quick." Kagome said as she noticed the weak state of the mother.

"I think that's best." Miroku agreed. "Should Kirara fly?"

"She's too weak." Sango said. "I'll hold her."

"Okay. Inuyasha and I will make a clear path for you, just in case of other demons." Kagome said.

"Right," Inuyasha said as he prepared to launch off with his mate by his side. _'That child is a half demon.' _Inuyasha noticed in his mind.

"Would you like me carry your child?" Miroku asked. The woman flinched away and tightened her hold on the child. "Alright, I'll be running right behind you."

"Got it," Sango said as she nodded. Inuyasha and Kagome nodded back before running at full speed in front of them.

'_They're fast.' _The woman thought.

"Let's go, Kirara." Sango signaled. The fire cat roared slightly before taking to the skies. Miroku ran behind them with Shippo on his shoulders while Keiko ran directly below them.

* * *

*

* * *

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**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**

**I WOULD ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE IT!**


	47. Confrontations

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. Do I have to put this every time? It's getting depressing.**

* * *

Confrontations

"Okay. Inuyasha and I will make a clear path for you, just in case of other demons." Kagome said.

"Right," Inuyasha said as he prepared to launch off with his mate by his side. _'That child is a half demon.' _Inuyasha noticed in his mind.

"Would you like me carry your child?" Miroku asked. The woman flinched away and tightened her hold on the child. "Alright, I'll be running right behind you."

"Got it," Sango said as she nodded. Inuyasha and Kagome nodded back before running at full speed in front of them.

'_They're fast.' _The woman thought.

"Let's go, Kirara." Sango signaled. The fire cat roared slightly before taking to the skies. Miroku ran behind them with Shippo on his shoulders while Keiko ran directly below them.

* * *

'_I hope she made it safely somewhere.' _A male demon thought as he fought off angry villagers. _'Please, god, help her.' _

* * *

"There ye go, good as new." Kaede said as she finished bandaging up the woman.

"Thank you," The woman said quietly.

"May I ask ye name?"

"It's Eiko." The woman said as she looked at her slumbering baby next to her. "And my child is Sora."

"Very nice to meet ye," Kaede said. "Ye already know who I am."

"Yes, thank you for everything." Eiko said as she started to get up.

"Where are ye going? Ye are in no condition to travel." Kaede said as she gently pushed the woman back down on the futon. "Stay, ye are safe here."

"I don't want to impose."

"Nonsense," Kaede said. "Everyone is safe in this village. Our protectors see to it that we are protected as such."

"Who are they? Those protectors?" Eiko asked. "The ones that saved me and the others who came later."

"Oh, yes, that is an interesting story, indeed." With that Kaede went on into explaining how they all came to the village and how it began.

* * *

"Who do you think she is?" Sango asked as she leaned her elbows on the wooden fence.

"I don't know," Kagome answered. "She must've been running for quite a while though."

"Yes, it is sad that those village men ran her out." Miroku said next.

"She seemed nice enough though." Shippo commented as he sat in between the two manta demons who sat on the ground.

"I wonder who the father of that child is." Sango said. "Something bad might've happened."

"I'm worried for her." Kagome said as she looked sadly towards the ground. "It must be so hard."

"You can only imagine." Miroku said.

"The sadder thing is that we are one of the only villages that accept demons. There's only one more that I know of, and I created _that _village not too long ago." Kagome said.

"That is true." Miroku said.

"What village did you create, Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"At the priestess academy there's a village in the back. It used to be all humans, but I kind of changed that. Now demons, half demons, and humans live together behind a protected barrier. And if there was an attack the demons would attack first then the humans would. It's a peaceful village." Kagome explained with a soft smile on her lips. "I wonder if that quarter demon was born yet." Kagome thought out loud.

"A quarter demon?" Sango asked.

"Yes, a half demon female mated a human male. Their child will be quarter demon." Kagome said.

"Maybe we'll visit this village." Miroku said with a smile as he petted the priestess on the head.

"Hey," Kagome said with a playful glare towards the monk as she looked up at the hand petting her.

"Kaede's done," Shippo announced as he heard the two talking in the hut with his demonic hearing.

"Maybe we should leave them alone to talk." Sango said. "Lady Kaede is usually better at getting information out of a person than we are."

"You okay?" Kagome asked the half demon as she looked at him. The others noticed that the half demon was deafly looking at the forest while he leaned on the fence with his arms crossed. "Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked as he snapped out of his stupor.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked again.

"Just fine," Inuyasha said gruffly as he looked back into the forest.

"You've been awfully quiet." Shippo noticed while he climbed onto the half demon's shoulder.

"Hm," Inuyasha mumbled as he looked into the forest, though not really seeing it.

"You don't seem okay." Kagome said quietly.

"Is something bothering you?" Miroku asked.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked. Keiko and Kirara decided to climb onto the beam of the fence as they sat and looked at the disgruntled half demon.

"I'm fine, okay?" Inuyasha snapped. The other members of the group flinched back.

"You don't have to bite our heads off." Avion said as she landed on Kagome's shoulder from the flying she was doing. Inuyasha looked down at his feet.

"It's nothing," Inuyasha said more quietly.

"If you say so." Sango said. Kagome placed a hand on the half demon's shoulder, relaxing him a bit.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kagome asked softly.

"No, it's okay." Inuyasha said as he placed a hand over hers.

"It'll make you feel better." Kagome persisted.

"I'm fine," Inuyasha said. "I'll just take a walk."

"By yourself?" Miroku asked.

'_No, with a heard of wolves.' _Inuyasha thought dryly. "Yeah,"

"Alright," Kagome said as she let her hand fall. "Be careful." Inuyasha pushed himself off of the fence and grunted his answer softly before walking into the dense forest.

"I wonder what's up with him." Shippo asked as he crawled over towards Kagome's shoulder.

"I don't know," Kagome said. "Let's just leave him alone."

"That might be a good idea." Sango said.

"Why don't we go back into the hut?" Miroku suggested. The other members of the group nodded before turning around and walking towards the wooden hut made for the village priestess.

* * *

"That is a very interesting story." Eiko said as she sat in awe.

"Yes," Kaede agreed.

"They have had terrible pasts." Eiko said. _'Maybe worst than mine.' _

"That is true, but they get through it together. They use each other's strengths and support each other." Kaede said.

"Though there are a few quirks," a voice said cheerfully from the door way. Upon looking up, they saw Kagome enter, followed by everyone except the half demon. "Talking about us, Kaede?"

"Well, she was curious," Kaede answered.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to get into your lives." Eiko apologized.

"Don't be sorry," Miroku said.

"Practically half of the country knows of our pasts." Sango said with a sad smile as she sat down near the fire.

"How are you feeling?" Kagome asked as she sat near Kaede.

"I'm fine, thank you." Eiko said. "Oh, my name is Eiko, by the way. I'm sorry for earlier in the forest. I'm grateful that you helped me and my child."

"Don't worry about it," Sango said.

"No need to thank us." Kagome continued.

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kaede asked.

"He had something on his mind." Shippo said. "He went for a walk."

"What can be on his mind?" Kaede asked.

"We're not sure." Miroku answered. "Though it seemed like it bothered him quite a bit."

"Well, I'll go get him later." Kagome said. "He probably just needs time alone."

"That would be best." Sango said next.

"Eiko," Kagome called. The woman looked away from her slumbering child to the priestess. "After you're healed, where will you stay and live?"

"I'm not sure," Eiko said sadly. "I'll go with my husband if he ever returns. Or if he doesn't, I might just keep running."

"Ye know ye can stay in this village, correct?" Kaede asked. "There is an extra hut just at the end of this village."

"That is very kind, but I'm not sure." Eiko said.

"Where did your husband go?" Miroku asked.

"He was fighting off some humans once my child, Sora, was born. They wanted to kill her. They wanted to kill her in front of me so I can see and watch every little horrible thing they did to her." Eiko said, fighting back tears.

"That's horrible," Sango said. "I can relate, though." _'I watched everyone die that day. That day Naraku took over Kohaku and made him kill us.' _Sango thought as she clenched her hands into fists.

"Sango," Kagome said sympathetically as she went towards the demon slayer and hugged her with one arm, not saying a word.

"You're husband is still battling?" Miroku asked as he placed a hand over Eiko's to ease the tension and internal pain.

"I'm not sure," Eiko said as she looked down at the futon she was sitting on.

"Well we can go and retrieve him." Kagome suggested. "It couldn't be that hard."

"Oh, no, I couldn't ask you to do that." Eiko said.

"Oh, come on, let us." Kagome said cheerfully. "We travel everywhere. I'm sure this one place won't be any different. Where is he battling, do you know?"

"But-" Eiko tried again.

"Accept our help," Shippo said. "We don't bite."

"I-" Eiko stumbled.

"You don't have to pay us." Miroku said next.

"Besides, we probably need to go look for more shards of the Sacred Jewel, anyways," Kagome said with a wave of her hand.

"He's in the northern regions." Eiko said sadly. "Even if you run… You might not make it in time."

"Miroku, how far is that?" Kagome asked instantly.

"A while, Kagome," Miroku said sadly.

"_How _far?" Kagome asked again, punctuating 'how'.

"About nine to ten days, maybe more. And that's only to the border of the northern regions and the eastern regions." Miroku said.

"I'm sure we'll make it." Kagome said as she chewed on her thumb nail nervously.

"If my husband can hold out." Eiko said sadly. "But he was already weak when I left."

"How many days ago did you leave?" Sango asked.

"About eleven," Eiko said softly.

"You're not giving up on him, are you?" Shippo asked.

"I-" Eiko struggled as a tear slipped. "I don't know! I don't know what to do!"

"I'll go," Kagome said suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked.

"I'll go alone with Keiko and Avion." Kagome said.

"Inuyasha won't like that." Shippo said.

"What is he? My keeper?" Kagome asked.

"No," Sango said. "But I don't think this is a good idea."

"Sango, I'm the only one that could go." Kagome said. "I'm the only one that can live off of waterfall water. If I just bottle some of that, I can keep going."

"You don't have to do this." Eiko said. "I have faith in my husband, but-"

"No, I'm going to do this." Kagome said determinedly.

"Why don't you have Inuyasha go with you?" Shippo asked.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"He can run just as fast as you." _

"I know he can," Kagome answered. "But he can only last a few days without food and water. I can go for a longer period of time with just waterfall water."

"We're not letting you go out there alone." Sango said.

"But I've been on my own before." Kagome countered.

"So have we." Miroku said with a smirk.

"Okay," Kagome said. "I'll tell you what. I'll go, and Inuyasha can follow later when he comes back."

"Why don't you just wait?" Shippo asked.

"Cuz' we're losing precious time." Kagome said.

"Go get him," Sango said with a smirk.

"But he's sulking." Kagome whined.

"He'll go with you if you say you're leaving." Shippo said playfully. Kagome opened her mouth and gasped a few times.

"If he wants to go on his own, you guys are like, 'sure, go ahead'," Kagome said as she mocked voices. "Then if Kagome wants to go you shut her down saying 'no you can't it's for your own safety." Kagome said in third person. The small group in the hut laughed at the priestess's expense.

"I guess we do, do that." Sango said as she giggled.

"You guys are no fair," Kagome said as she started laughing herself.

"We do it because we care." Kaede joined in.

"And you're younger than everyone besides Shippo." Miroku added. "We can't help but worry about you." Kagome made a whining sound in her throat as she slumped into the floor.

"Well that's no fun." Kagome mumbled to herself.

'_They're an interesting bunch.' _Eiko thought as she cradled her baby girl.

* * *

A gentle breeze blew over as his hair was picked up lightly and flowed in its direction before silently falling back where it was. Golden eyes scanned the surrounding forest from his perch on a high tree branch.

'_Half demon,' _the man thought as he looked over the horizon. _'They got run out because of the half demon.'_

"Hey," a female voice said next to him. The silver haired man turned his head to see his faithful companion, the spiritual bird that belonged to his mate.

"Avion, why did you follow?" he asked quietly, slowly slipping back into his thoughts.

"No reason," Avion said as she landed on the same branch he was sitting on. "Why did you leave?"

"No reason," He answered. Avion then cocked her head.

"Don't copy me," She scolded. "You're thinking pretty hard, Inuyasha,"

"Hm," Inuyasha mumbled as he slipped deeper into his thoughts. _'Run out of a peaceful village because she bore a half demon.' _

'_Something is really bothering him,' _Avion thought as she looked at his emotionless face as he looked off into the distance, though his eyes held all of his inner turmoil. _'Pain, sadness, what's he thinking?' _

'_I wonder who the demon father is,' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at all of the possibilities. _'The half demon was a sky half demon. Her father is a sky demon.' _

"You want to talk about it?" Avion asked suddenly.

"No," Inuyasha said quietly as he looked down towards the ground. "It's not worth talking about."

"What do you mean?" Avion asked as she hopped onto his shoulder.

"Nothing," Inuyasha said before falling quiet again. _'My father died protecting me and my mother. My mother died protecting me. A half demon.' _

"Does this have anything to do with that recent half demon girl and her mother?"

'_Jinenji, Shiori… me.' _Inuyasha listed. _'All beaten and unaccepted by humans or demons except our mothers and fathers, most of which died _because _of us.' _Avion blinked as she watched the sadden expression on the half demon's face.

"You okay?" Avion asked as she rubbed Inuyasha's cheek with her head. He unconsciously lifted his hand and petted the bird.

'_Things aren't going to change,' _Inuyasha thought as he stared at a random spot on the branch he was sitting on. _'At least, not for a _long _time.' _

"Do you want me to get Kagome?" Avion asked suddenly. Inuyasha's dog ears twitched before he slightly shook his head from side to side.

"No," Inuyasha said quietly. "There's nothing for her to do."

"But-"

"No," Inuyasha cut in. "It's nothing,"

"Okay," Avion relented. _'Maybe Kagome will notice something. I don't want to anger him.' _

'_Miroku, Sango, Shippo… They all hated me instantly when we first met, partly because I was a half demon.' _Inuyasha thought. _'Not Kagome though. But then again, when she came she was naïve.' _

"Do you want me to leave?" Avion asked.

"I'll go with you," Inuyasha said as he hopped off the branch with the bird on his shoulder. "It's probably time to head back anyways."

"I guess," Avion said as she stuck on his shoulder for a ride.

* * *

"KILL HIM! HE'S DOWN!"

* * *

"I'm taking a walk," Kagome said in frustration as she stood up.

"Oh, come on, we're only not letting you go for your own safety," Miroku said as he placed a hand on the priestess's shoulder.

"Yeah, I know," Kagome said as she walked out.

"Keiko, follow her." Sango said. "Make sure she doesn't pull a fast one on us."

"Woof," Keiko barked, agreeing. She then hopped up from her lying position and scampered out of the hut, following her master.

"She wouldn't, would she?" Shippo asked.

"Ye cannot tell with that child." Kaede sighed as she continues sipping her tea.

"That's true," Miroku added. Silence over took over the hut's interior as the group contemplated their next move. "So, Eiko, what do you plan from here?"

"I'm not sure," Eiko answered while she cradled her child.

"Like we said before, you could stay in this village." Sango said.

"Yeah," Shippo piped up. "There are a lot of kids here for your kid to play with."

"I think her child, Sora, is too young." Miroku informed.

"Well when she's older." Shippo pouted.

"Ye seem bored," Kaede noticed. Shippo whimpered slightly.

"Why don't you go play with the village kids?" Sango asked. "I'm sure they're outside,"

"Alright," Shippo said excitedly. "Come on, Kirara." The said fire cat woke from her cat nap and chased after the fox.

"Shippo's too energetic for his own good," Sango said with a grin on her face.

"Yes, don't forget, he's still a child." Miroku said.

"At least he has someone to play with," Eiko said quietly, mostly to herself.

"You know, you don't have to have a life like that." Miroku said sympathetically.

"You can live here or the village that Kagome helped construct," Sango said. "You'll be accepted here or there."

"Ye will have a better life for your child." Kaede said as she looked at the woman with her one eye.

"That is very generous or you, but we'll only bring trouble," Eiko said.

"Just chose a place to live. Let your daughter be happy." A gruff voice said from directly outside the hut.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said stunned as he turned around.

"You'll be able to live and defend yourself more at the other village than here though." Inuyasha continued. "Besides, there are other demon kids around there."

"I suppose," Eiko said. _'Are they lying? They wouldn't, would they?' _Eiko thought worriedly.

"We don't lie," Inuyasha informed as he looked around the hut.

"I-I-" Eiko stumbled after being caught.

"Don't even try, his nose can pick up anything," Sango whispered to the mother. The woman nodded.

"I'm sorry, I just-" Eiko started.

"Don't bother," Inuyasha said as he briefly looked out the door. "It's understood."

"Oh," Eiko said quietly.

"That's generous of you, Inuyasha," Miroku commented.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, ignoring the monk.

"She went for a walk," Sango supplied.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked as his ears twitched.

"She wanted to go someplace alone," Kaede said as she sipped more tea.

"She what?" Inuyasha asked darkly.

"She wanted to go help my husband," Eiko said. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring any trouble,"

"Hm," Inuyasha said as he looked out the door again.

"I wouldn't go after her just yet," Miroku said.

"And why shouldn't I, monk?" Inuyasha growled.

"She wants to do something on her own for once. Taking a walk should suffice," Miroku answered.

"The bitch is going to run off," Inuyasha said, mostly to himself. He then bent his knees and got ready to launch out the door.

"We sent Keiko with her," Sango said quickly. "She's not going anywhere."

"Oh," Inuyasha said as he relaxed then plopped on the floor in the corner of the hut.

"Just relax, she'll come back," Miroku said.

'_I'll give her five minutes,' _Inuyasha thought.

"Give her time," Avion said after a long silence.

* * *

'_It's so not fair, how come I can't do anything on my own? I can barely bathe on my own without Sango there, or Shippo, or Kirara and Keiko. Then there's Avion,' _Kagome thought as she stomped her way through the village and towards the eastern edge where a road ran to another village.

"Woof," Keiko said quietly from directly behind the priestess.

"Did they send you to follow me?" Kagome asked as she stopped but didn't turn around.

"_Maybe," _Keiko barked.

"Hm," Kagome laughed softly. "Well hop on," Keiko then ran up to the girl and climbed up and onto her shoulder.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she cocked her head. _"Why are you going for a walk? Are you still mad?" _Kagome laughed.

"No, I'm not mad," Kagome said with a smile as she continued walking. "I was just joking about it."

"_Then where are we going?" _Keiko asked.

"Nowhere, I guess," Kagome said. "Just felt like enjoying the scenery." Keiko cocked her head to the side further as she stared confusedly at the priestess. "Don't look at me like that,"

"_Whatever you say," _Keiko said as she looked ahead of them.

The two made their way out of the village's territory on the opposite side of Inuyasha's forest. Kagome made her way towards a small cliff that looked over at the large rice fields and sighed as a slow breeze wafted through the area.

* * *

"So you're saying that your mate is off somewhere _fighting?_" Inuyasha said, trying to make sure that he understood the situation correctly.

"Yes," Eiko said softly.

"Where?" Inuyasha asked.

"The northern regions," Sango said.

"About nine to ten days away." Miroku answered next.

"Are ye going to go?" Kaede asked. Inuyasha stayed quiet as he thought about other events.

_Flashback_

"_Take this and go," Inu no Taisho said as he draped a large fire rat kimono over a woman's head. The woman held a newly born baby in her arms as she nodded towards the demon and stood up, running out of the burning building._

"_You'll pay for taking her away from me," a man with half of his face looking like the devil and the other half looking human. The devil side had one horn on the side of his head attached to his temple. Inu no Taisho pulled out his third sword and blocked the attack from his opponent. _

_Meanwhile, the woman ran out of the building. She made her way towards the outskirts of the village before turning back and looking at the inferno that was going on. Once she turned, she saw the ceiling of the magnificent building collapse. With teary eyes, she held her child closer and ran away._

'For you, your son will live on, I promise.' _Izayoi thought as she ran down the road._

_Flashback End_

**(A/N: That scene was from the third movie of Inuyasha. Though some parts were made up, it was the general idea.)**

'_Well, at least that's what mother told me before she died.' _Inuyasha thought as he stared at a random spot on the wooden ground.

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she tapped his shoulder. The half demon jerked out of his thoughts and turned sharply towards the group.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Are you okay? You blanked on us for a while." Miroku said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Inuyasha said gruffly. "Just thinking," The monk and the demon slayer looked worriedly at each other while Kaede looked into his sad golden eyes.

"Thinking about ye parents, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked, suspiciously.

"Keh, no, why would I think about people who are dead?" Inuyasha snapped.

"And Kikyo?" Kaede asked. Eiko stared in wonderment as she kept quiet. Inuyasha looked away, almost guiltily.

"Don't tell me you have feelings for her," Sango said, dangerously.

"I don't!" Inuyasha yelled as he whipped his head towards the demon slayer with a speed that it would've given whiplash to a human.

"Inuyasha," Miroku warned.

"You're not hurting Kagome," Sango warned. "You won't live to see the next day if you do."

"Like I would do that!" Inuyasha yelled.

"You would," Miroku said quietly.

"What, monk?" Inuyasha asked in a dark tone.

"You've done it before," Miroku said, louder. Inuyasha growled.

"Um," Eiko said timidly.

"What?" Inuyasha growled at the girl. Eiko stared at the half demon, without flinching.

"You don't have to be so testy," Eiko said, sternly. "They might be soft spots in your life but it's _your _life. Get over it."

"You don't know what happened." Inuyasha hissed.

"Maybe not, but life throws things at you. You have to deal with it and move on. This 'Kikyo' person and your parents are really bugging you, aren't they?" Eiko said.

"No, why would they? One of them is the walking dead while the other two _are_ dead. Why the hell would it bother me?" Inuyasha snapped again.

"Because you never really solved the problem, did you? You just let them go until they got out of hand." Eiko said softly, like she knew she was right. Inuyasha growled at the woman. Miroku, Sango, Avion, and Kaede stayed quiet as they watched the two people fight while the baby half demon, Sora, blinked her dark blue eyes opened and looked at up her mother then looking at the second half demon with curiosity.

* * *

"Shippo!" a young female voice yelled from a distance away as she enthusiastically waved her hand high in the air.

The fox demon looked back and saw his friend from the night before. He stood on his two fox legs then waved a hand back at her. He then got down on all fours and ran towards the girl.

"Hey, Michi," Shippo said happily. "Do you want to go play with me and the other village kids?" The girl nodded happily and followed the fox demon to the other direction with Kirara hot on their tails.

"Shippo!" A chorus of village kids, big and small, yelled as they saw the fox demon running towards them.

"Who's that?" a girl about six years old asked as she pointed towards Michi.

"She's Michi," Shippo announced to the group. "She just moved here."

"Hi," Another chorus rang through. Michi timidly waved a hello to them.

"Where's Keiko?" a boy, about nine years old, asked.

"I think she's still in Kaede's hut." Shippo answered. "Who wants to play tag?"

"ME!" a third chorus rang.

"You're it!" Shippo yelled as he tagged a little boy.

* * *

Kagome sat on a rock as she looked down into the flowing river, the clear blue water reflecting her appearance as she stared at a swimming fish. Keiko looked down into the water then began to lick some of it up into her mouth. Kagome sighed in contentment as the light breeze went by.

_SPLASH_

Kagome looked up slowly, her vision seeing legs with brown fur on it then slowly moving up to see a brown furred pelt then an armor plate covering a chest. She then looked at the person's face and saw light blue eyes with a smirk, showing off one of their fangs. Long black hair was tied into a high pony tail while a brown furred headband was under his bangs.

"Hello, Kagome," the wolf demon said cockily.

"Hi Koga," Kagome said as she lifted her head. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to see my woman," Koga said.

"Mm," Kagome said with her lips together. "Look Koga-"

"Kagome, I think it's about time that you come with me back to the wolf den," Koga said as he grabbed both of Kagome's hands and kissed them.

"Um, I don't-" Kagome tried.

"Then when Naraku is dead, I'll come to you and we'll have many wolf pups," Koga continued, ignoring the priestess.

"Yeah, about that," Kagome tried again.

"You won't be in the hands of that _half demon _any longer," Koga said, getting excited. "You'll be protected by the entire wolf pack."

'_Oh, the ones that tried to eat me?' _Kagome thought dryly. "But if we have kids you realize they'll be half demon, right?" Again, the wolf demon ignored her.

"Then I'll go find our own cave somewhere near there so we can check up on the pack," Koga said as he placed a finger on his chin, thinking.

"But-"

"Well, since you're human, I might have to take a demon mate and have her bare the kids instead." Koga thought.

'_Why you little…' _Kagome growled in her mind as she yanked her hands free and fisted them until her knuckles turned white.

"But when I have enough pups, we'll raise them and the other bitch can take a hike." Koga said, still ignoring everything.

"I hate you." Kagome said sternly. Koga paused in his speech and looked at her.

"What?" Koga asked, almost evilly.

"I. Hate. You." Kagome said slowly as Keiko growled from the ground.

"What did you say?" Koga asked as he got in her face.

"You heard me, wolf." Kagome sneered. "I would've considered being your mate if the circumstances were different. But after that speech about half demons and having children with a different woman just makes you a chauvinistic pig."

"What, bitch?" Koga snarled as he got closer.

"Besides, aren't you already engaged to that other wolf demon? Ayame." Kagome said coolly as she stood up and started walking towards the village. She walked a few paces before a rough hand grabbed her wrist.

"You're not going anywhere," Koga hissed.

"Or what?" Kagome asked without looking back. Keiko began to transform as she snarled at the wolf demon.

"Or I'm forcing you to come with me and lock you in the wolf den." Koga threatened.

"Oh, what a wonderful life. If you want a woman to go and be your mate, you might want to practice how you ask. Forcing them into it, or threatening, makes them hate you." Kagome said in a calm voice as the grip on her arm tightened.

"You little bitch," Koga sneered.

"Thanks for the compliment," Kagome said with a hidden smile.

"What?" Koga asked.

"Female dog is what 'bitch' means." Kagome said as she turned slightly and looked at the wolf demon from the corner of her eye.

"You didn't," Koga said.

"I didn't what?" Kagome asked innocently.

"You didn't mate that half breed."

"Like you _didn't _break your promise to Ayame?" Kagome shot back. "Oh, then I totally didn't."

"You are going to come back to the den," Koga growled.

"Is that a threat? Is that a threat so your little lackeys can eat me?" Kagome asked.

"It's a promise," Koga said.

"Then fight me," Kagome said as her arms started to bleed from Koga's claws digging in, though she didn't wince outwardly.

"I'm bringing you to the den,"

"Dead or alive?" Kagome asked as she charged up her hand with spiritual power. Koga winced back as the power surged though his hand that was holding onto the priestess.

* * *

"Inuyasha, cool it," Avion said as she landed on his shoulder.

"Well I don't need that bitch getting into my life," Inuyasha growled.

"Inuyasha," Sango scolded. "Stop it,"

"What's up with you?" Miroku asked.

"Nothing," Inuyasha sneered.

"Maybe I should leave," Eiko said as she started to get up.

"No, please stay," Sango said as she grabbed onto Inuyasha's shirt, yanking him up with her and walking towards the door.

"Let go!" Inuyasha said as the two made it outside then yanked himself free.

"What's wrong with you? She was telling you what she thought!" Sango hissed.

"It's my life! I deal with it the way I want to!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Hey!" Miroku said loudly as he exited the hut. "We know it's your life, but what's gotten you so edgy?"

"She doesn't know shit!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Calm down!" Avion yelled. From a distance, they could hear a yelp coming from some kind of animal.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I WOULD LOVE TO HERE HOW YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE IT!**

**A/N: Koga's back and not a happy camper.**


	48. Beast Inside

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. Owner is: Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

Beast Inside

"She doesn't know shit!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Calm down!" Avion yelled. From a distance, they could hear a yelp coming from some kind of animal.

"What was that?" Sango asked as she looked into the forest.

"I don't know," Miroku said.

"Didn't…Kagome go into the forest?" Sango said slowly.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha yelled as he rushed towards the sound. Avion quickly took off into the skies and chased after the half demon while the demon slayer and monk ran into the hut to gather their weapons before following on foot.

* * *

_YELP_

"What was that?" A little girl asked innocently. Shippo looked over into the forest and quickly at the children.

"Let's go into the village," Shippo said, being responsible.

"Why?" A boy asked.

"There might be something scary happening the forest," Shippo said as Kirara transformed and quickly rounded up the children. Shippo then looked behind him then quickly led the children towards the middle of the village. _'That sounded like a demon.' _Shippo thought as he and Kirara quickly pushed the kids forward.

* * *

_YELP_

"Lady Kaede, what was that?" Eiko asked while she sat with her legs under her on the futon.

"I do not know," Kaede said as she slowly got up from stirring some stew. The old priestess then went towards her door and silently lifted the mat. Just then Sango and Miroku scrambled into the hut and grabbed their weapons.

"Stay inside," Miroku ordered before leaving the hut with Sango following him.

"Alright," Kaede said as she let the two run by.

"I wonder what's happening," a small voice said from Sora, the half demon child.

"Who are you?" Eiko asked, scared for her child.

"Oh, excuse me miss," the little demon said as he popped out of the blanket wrapped around the child. "My name is Myoga,"

"He's a friend of Inuyasha," Kaede supplied. Eiko nodded her head then looked out the window.

'_Certainly a weird group, but they do keep this village well protected.' _Eiko thought.

* * *

"You are going to come back to the den," Koga growled.

"Is that a threat? Is that a threat so your little lackeys can eat me?" Kagome asked.

"It's a promise," Koga said.

"Then fight me," Kagome said as her arms started to bleed from Koga's claws digging in, though she didn't wince outwardly.

"I'm bringing you to the den,"

"Dead or alive?" Kagome asked as she charged up her hand with spiritual power. Koga winced back as the power surged though his hand that was holding onto the priestess.

Koga then stepped away from the priestess. He then crouched down so one hand was fisted and on the ground between his legs while the other was on the left side of him. The wolf demon then started to glow a golden brown color as his black bangs covered his face in hair and shadows.

"Big mistake," Koga growled out in a lower octave.

'_What the hell?' _Kagome thought as she pulled out her sword slowly, since her bow and arrows were inside the hut. Koga was slowly engulfed in the light. The wolf demon's form then gradually grew in size and into a different shape. After a minute, Kagome stared in confusion as the wolf demon she use to know turned into a large wolf about twenty feet tall and thirty feet long with brown fur. _'I didn't know he could transform. Then again, all full fledge demons could.' _Kagome thought warily as she looked up into the icy blue eyes of the transformed wolf.

Quickly, the transformed Koga brought one large paw up and pounded it down directly above the stunned priestess. Kagome quickly leaped out of the way using her spiritual power and rolled into a summersault on the ground. Koga's paw made a large indent in the ground as he lifted it back up, getting ready for the next attack. Kagome panted before jumping, again, and out of the way of another clawed paw.

'_He's too big,' _Kagome thought as she stumbled slightly on her footing. The stumble enabled Koga to lift his paw and quickly bring it down. _'Now!' _Kagome thought as she charged up her sword with spiritual while looking up at the descending paw. She then swung her sword the length of his paw, making a large gash on the underside of it while spiritual energy ran into the demon.

A loud yelp was heard throughout the forest. Birds heard the startled sound and quickly left their own tree's to find a more peaceful forest while small furry animals crawled into their holes in the ground where it housed their families or a small group. Kagome quickly took the chance and got out from under the wolf then jumped into a tree branch with her sword held out, dripping blood and sparking with power.

* * *

Inuyasha burst through the large bush he was in and came face to face with a large brown wolf at about twenty feet tall. Avion flew over his head and up to the wolf's face, getting eye to eye with the animal.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha whispered as he gripped the hilt of his sword, getting ready to pull it out.

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled as she hopped out of the bush. "What the-? Where'd that come from?"

"Exactly my question," Inuyasha said as Miroku came out.

"A demon," Miroku said.

'_No, it's a mouse, Miroku,' _Inuyasha thought sarcastically before whipping out his sword and transforming it with a golden light. "I smell blood coming from it," Inuyasha said as he sniffed the air again.

"Its paw," Avion said as she swooped down, avoiding getting eaten as the jaws of the wolf clicked together after its attempted bite.

"That explains the yelp," Sango said as she threw her Hiraikotsu at the giant wolf's midsection.

Just then a spiraling weapon came out of the tree line covered in a glowing sheen of spiritual power as it scraped the wolf's back with its razor edges and purified the demon partially, making it's back furless. Blood trickled down the wolf's brown fur from its back before the large demon stumbled back because the large bone boomerang hit it square in the stomach.

"Wasn't that Kagome's weapon?" Miroku noticed as he grabbed a few sutras from his monk robes and threw it at the demon. The magic paper stuck itself onto the wolf demon's forehead as he yelped again in pain and stumbled around, knocking trees over.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled. He then watched as the small boomerang reared back towards its owner. Following the path, the half demon rushed towards the direction.

"Inuyasha," Sango said, surprised, as he ran a centimeter in front of her, sweeping her hair up in the gust of wind and brushing against her slightly. "Oh my god," Sango said quickly as she saw her Hiraikotsu was four feet in front of her. Quickly, Sango jumped out of the way and landed on the ground with her stomach resting against the dirt. With a thud, the heavy bone boomerang imbedded itself into the trunk of a tree.

"Sango, are you okay?" Miroku asked concerned as he watched the demon while he looked at Sango with the corner of his eye.

"Yeah," Sango said as she got up and ran towards her Hiraikotsu and heaved it out of the tree. A growl was heard from behind the exact tree. Looking behind it, Sango saw an army of wolves, glaring at her before jumping up and attacking. Sango flinched a bit before bringing her weapon up and blocking them from getting to her flesh with their canines.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled as he ran up and helped. Using his golden staff, Miroku knocked the wolves off of his fiancé while blocking the others that tried to attack him. In a flash, Sango got on her two feet and stood back to back with the monk.

"These are Koga's wolves," Sango whispered.

"Yeah, you don't think…" Miroku said before trailing off.

"Maybe," Sango said as she leaped forward before swinging her weapon around her, knocking a few wolves over.

* * *

"_Give it up," _A brown wolf growled towards the transformed inu manta demon. _"Even transformed, you're no match for us."_

"_We'll see about that," _Keiko growled as her eyes flashed red. Blazes of fires shot out of the ground, encircling the wolves that were surrounding her. Keiko then looked towards the leader of the small pack that detached from the main group and bared her fangs before leaping towards him.

In a tumble, the two canines bit and scratched at each other while Keiko slowly burned the fur off the brown wolf while the wolf bit onto one of her ears. Keiko then stuck her claw into the wolf's stomach then leaped back as she turned towards the lackeys and did more damage.

Keiko ran into the fire she created and launched herself at another wolf demon, biting the unsuspecting wolf in the neck with her elongated six inch fangs. The wolf yelped in pain before collapsing onto the ground as the fangs punctured its throat.

'Uh oh, was I supposed to kill these wolves?' Keiko thought before quickly shaking her head and looking for her next opponent. 'Can't dwell on that now,'

* * *

Kagome lifted her left hand up as her small boomerang, Rykotsu, flung back towards her. Catching the weapon like a pro without getting cut by the sharp razor metal edges, Kagome looked at the weapon then at the familiar figures on the other side of the tree line. Kagome, who still kneeled on the branch, looked down and saw rustling bushes coming towards her. Readying herself for a wolf, Kagome placed the boomerang in between her belt while lifting her sword up and getting ready to leap down.

A figure jumped out of the bush and landed softly onto a patch of dirt before getting ready to keep running. Kagome narrowed her eyes before leaping down, without a thought, and tackled the figure to the ground. With a grunt, the two figures landed on the ground. Kagome held her opponent down with her left hand while her right hand was raised high, getting ready to stab the enemy.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said as she blinked. Inuyasha blinked as well then looked at her face before looking at the sword held in her hand that had dried blood on the top half of it.

"You going to kill me with that?" Inuyasha asked.

"Oh, sorry," Kagome scrambled to say as she quickly got off of him then helped him up. "I was expecting someone else."

"Alright," Inuyasha said as he turned towards the large twenty foot wolf who was watching something. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Kagome said. "Are you?"

"No," Inuyasha answered. "What's with the big wolf?"

"That would be Koga," Kagome said. Inuyasha stopped staring at the wolf before slowly turning his head towards the priestess.

"You mean the mangy wolf?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Kagome said as she looked behind her to see a gang of wolves. "We've got company," Inuyasha whipped around and glared at the wolves while growling a warning.

"Can you take care of these puny wolves?" Inuyasha said between clenched fangs.

"Yeah, but why?" Kagome asked without taking her eyes off the slowly approaching group.

"I'm going to finish off the big bad wolf," Kagome paused.

"Did Souta read you that story?" Kagome asked with a raised eyebrow. Inuyasha smirked then blushed slightly.

"Keh, stupid kid made me listen." Inuyasha said. "When we're done, you're telling me _exactly_ what happened." With that, the half demon leaped out and towards the largest wolf. Transformed Koga.

"Wait," Kagome said but found he already left. Kagome groaned as she turned back towards the wolves as one quickly jumped at her.

* * *

Shippo and Kirara quickly made their way back towards the old priestess's hut after they dropped off the children to the center of the village, where it is was safest. The two ran as flashes of other huts past by in their vision before the desired hut came into view. The two demons ran into the doorway, panting slightly.

"Kaede," Shippo panted.

"Shippo," Kaede said, surprised to see the young fox demon.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked.

"Seems like there's trouble in the forest," Eiko answered as she ate some stew while the baby slept once again. The little fox demon was about to sprint out the door, but Kaede's old voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Bring Kagome's arrows with you," Kaede said as she pointed to the middle of the hut.

"Alright," Shippo said as he grabbed the bow and arrows, which were bigger than him. "Let's go, Kirara," Kirara nodded then ran outside to transform again, lifting the fox and the items on her back before launching towards the sounds of battling.

* * *

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as she threw her weapon through the pack of wolves. Spinning, Hiraikotsu knocked wolves down to the ground and into other wolves as its solid bone structure hit the animals.

"We're not getting anywhere," Miroku said as he hit more wolves with his staff.

"How many wolves did he bring with him?" Sango asked, panting, as she caught her weapon once again.

"Apparently a lot," Miroku said. "I didn't think that his wolf army would be so big, especially after what Naraku did, well, Kagura anyways."

"Well they multiplied now!" Sango said as she quickly whipped her head to the right as she heard a rustling in the nearby foliage. The demon slayer quickly took out her sword with her left hand as she threw her Hiraikotsu at the bush with her right. Before the weapon could rear back, Sango slashed a few wolves. "Are we supposed to kill them?"

"We don't have a choice!" Miroku said as he got pummeled by the wolf.

"Miroku," Sango said as she noticed the monk fall to the ground. Before she could take action, the monk punched the wolf in the jaw, making the animal stumble.

"OW!" a voice said from the bush where Hiraikotsu disappeared into. Sango quickly looked and caught Hiraikotsu before holding up her sword.

"Come out," Sango said as Miroku covered the charging wolves.

"I didn't know you could throw that thing _that _hard." Groaned a man as him and his buddy rubbed their heads from the blow.

"Hakkaku, Ginta," Sango said as she relaxed a bit but still kept her weapons on the ready. "What do you want?"

"Koga's gone crazy," Hakkaku said with a shudder.

"We didn't want to do this," Ginta whimpered. "He's our leader; we're supposed to follow his orders."

"So?" Sango asked, getting angry at the wolves for all the trouble.

"We didn't want to attack!" Hakkaku said.

"Sango, I could use some help." Miroku groaned as a wolf bit into the middle of his staff. Sango moved her eyes to look at the monk before stabbing the wolf in the stomach with her sword. Hakkaku and Ginta winced as they saw their wolf comrade fell.

"If you really didn't want to attack, call off these wolves," Sango said sternly as she swung her bone boomerang around her body then over her head.

"We… Can't," Ginta said slowly.

"Why? You're their superior," Miroku said.

"But Koga's superior to us," Hakkaku said.

"And he was the one to give them orders to attack," Ginta said next.

"Then shouldn't you be attacking us?" Sango strained out while a wolf charged into Hiraikotsu which was acting like a shield in front of her.

"That's just it, we don't want to," Ginta said.

"Then get out of our way!" Sango said, thoroughly frustrated as she went back and pushed the two away while stabbing another wolf.

* * *

Loud growling ensued in the middle of a field filled with fire and burnt grass and trees. Two types of canines growled at each other. One type having the advantage in numbers as the other was alone. The two tail dog demon fired up her claws as she charged forward, catching a wolf with her claws, burning the wolf to death.

Quickly, Keiko turned around and bit into another while scratching and clawing more to her side and back. Keiko created more fire around her, creating a small barrier, suffocated some wolves from lack of oxygen.

"_Damn you," _A brown wolf growled as it puffed up its fur to make himself look bigger while bearing his fangs at the female manta demon.

"_Aw, is your little army dwindling in numbers to fast?" _Keiko mocked.

"_You'll regret this," _

"_No, I think you will." _With that, Keiko launched herself with demonic speed and bit into the wolf's neck.

* * *

Slashing with his oversized sword, Inuyasha leaped over the twenty foot tall wolf demon as a large cut was formed on his furred covered back. Koga yelped in pain as he quickly brought his paw over towards where the half demon was going to land and slammed it down on his small body. Inuyasha screamed in pain as his body was crushed between the heavy paw and the rocky ground.

"_You'll die, mutt," _Koga growled lowly as he applied more pressure and weight on the paw. The half demon could barely breathe with the pressure on his chest.

"Inuyasha!" a small shrill voice said from somewhere near the fighting duo as they turned their heads. Looking up, the saw a blur of white, black, and red before the large wolf tumbled off of Inuyasha's body and land on its side on the ground. The half demon sat up on the ground and rubbed his chest and abdomen, feeling for any broken bones or sore spots. "Are you okay?" Inuyasha looked up and saw the fire cat and the little fox demon child.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he stood up. _'Nothing broken,' _He thought.

"Where are the others?" Shippo asked as Kirara flew towards the ground while Koga got up on his feet.

"Scattered throughout the forest." Inuyasha said as he held Tetsusaiga high.

"You just left them?" Shippo said, shocked.

"Keh, no," Inuyasha said, though he knew it was a lie.

"_Your puny friends are as good as dead," _Koga hissed as he bit Inuyasha in the stomach. Yelling at the sudden pain, the half demon let go of his beloved sword as he got hoisted up into the air.

"Kirara, help him," Shippo said as the neko manta demon jumped into the air and flew towards the half demon, catching him on her back as he bled.

"Thanks," Inuyasha groaned as he held his bleeding stomach.

"You're bleeding," Shippo said worriedly as he clutched the bow and arrow closer to him.

"Just a scratch," Inuyasha said as he stared the wolf in the eye as it followed them. _'It doesn't look like he's trying all that much.' _

Suddenly, Koga howled in pain as bright pink light engulfed his form. The wolf sank to the ground as the shock continued, burning him while draining his energy. After the burning sensation was over and the light disappeared, a small figure rose from the wolf and flew towards the group.

"I was wondering where you went," Inuyasha said a bit quietly.

"Just waiting for the right time," Avion said as she landed on Kirara as the fire cat flew in midair. "How are the others?"

"We're not sure," Shippo said.

"Koga should be paralyzed for a few minutes," Avion said. "I'm going to go check on them,"

"I'm going towards Kagome," Inuyasha said as he was about to jump down from the large cat.

"Well don't _jump_," Shippo said as Kirara lowered herself to the ground.

* * *

"How many stupid wolves are there?" Kagome said annoyingly as she blocked another attack. "That's it; every single one of you is dead!" With that, Kagome threw a series of spiritual blades at the wolves, cutting each of them like Kagura did a while ago. Panting, Kagome stood as she watched blood leak from the dead wolves. "I'm not in the mood!"

"Uh," An uneasy voice said from above. Kagome looked up and say the nervously twitching spiritual bird as she stayed in mid air as she looked at the devastation.

"Not now," Kagome said.

"Right," Avion said as she flew closer to the girl. "Looks like you handled yourself…well."

"Not. Now." Kagome said through clenched teeth. Avion intelligently kept her mouth closed from a rising comment.

"Kagome," Shippo said happily as he flew over head on Kirara. Dropping the bow and arrows towards the priestess, Shippo smiled as she caught them.

"God, Kagome, what did you do?" Inuyasha asked as he came up behind her.

"Not now," Kagome said again, though tried to hold herself back from blowing up. Inuyasha sensed his mate's frustration and decided to stay clear of her anger. The half demon slowly backed up from the priestess while staring at the retreating fire cat demon.

* * *

"That's it!" Sango yelled. "Suck them up in your wind tunnel!" Miroku nervously chuckled. "They're all going to die anyways!"

"Well, I don't… know…" Miroku said uneasily as he killed yet another wolf with his staff by hitting it harshly with his staff.

"Ginta, Hakkaku, if you don't stop these damned wolves, they're all gonna die," Sango threatened.

"Uh," Ginta and Hakkaku chimed as sweat was released from their foreheads.

"They're dead!" Sango yelled as she threw her Hiraikotsu harshly.

"Wait," Ginta and Hakkaku yelled, though it was too late. The boomerang hit the unsuspecting wolves, only leaving a dozen left able to move.

* * *

"He's getting up!" Shippo said frantically as he watched the transformed Koga get up, eyeing the group murderously.

"I've had just about enough wolves," Kagome said as she pulled out her bow and arrow. She then notched the arrow into the bow and aimed straight towards the twenty foot brown wolf.

"_Are you sure, Kagome?" _Kirara asked as she watched the priestess.

"_You're really going to kill him?" _Keiko asked when she came back from her own battle covered in scrapes and cuts. Kagome sighed.

"Not kill." Kagome said as she let go of the arrow. The arrow surrounded itself with pink light as it sparkled.

"I would," Inuyasha mumbled.

"You would," Kagome said as she stared as the arrow launched itself into the wolf demon's chest.

"Kagome did you just…" Avion started to say.

"We're having a little talk," Kagome said without taking her eyes off the transforming man. Koga yelled in pain as he was blown back into a tree. His form decreasing as the arrow purified him further.

* * *

A flash of pink and purple flashed through the forest. The demon slayer, the monk, and the two humanoid wolf demons looked on as the light got bright but slowly decreasing.

"What's that?" Ginta asked as he covered his eyes. The dozen wolves that were left after Sango's attack stopped their assault, sensing something bad is happening.

"Looks like Kagome's spiritual power." Miroku said as he covered his eyes.

"Let's go," Sango said as she rushed towards the light. Miroku nodded and followed his fiancé while the two wolf demons shrugged and followed.

* * *

"Is he dead?" Shippo asked innocently.

"No," Kagome said as she stared at the man pinned to the tree.

"Not yet he's not," Inuyasha said as he cracked his knuckles. Kagome placed her hand over his without looking as she stared intently on the wolf demon who slowly rose from his slumber.

"Wha… What happened?" Koga asked groggily. Kagome crossed her arms while staring intently at him with a scowl without uttering a word. "What?"

"You almost killed us, you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled.

"I-I did?" Koga asked, innocently.

"You remember all of it." Kagome said with a cold tone, something she learned from Sesshomaru. "Don't lie,"

"Kagome," Koga said.

"Don't 'Kagome' me," Kagome said coldly.

"Look… I… I lost control," Koga said sadly as he lay limp against the tree. The wolf demon was suspended about two feet off the ground while his right shoulder was pinned to the tree by an arrow.

"No, I think you wanted to lose control," Avion informed.

"I-" Koga said, unsure how to answer.

"You're sick, Koga," Inuyasha growled.

"I'm sick? You're the one that stole my woman!" Koga countered.

"But you were the one that tried to steal a woman who was already taken!" Inuyasha spat back.

"I claimed her as mine first!"

"Ha, yeah right, wimpy wolf! I've known her for way longer than you have!"

"But I claimed her first! You were just some spawn to get her to me!"

"_That's __**enough!**_" Kagome yelled loudly. The two bickering demons stopped immediately and looked at the priestess in shock. "I expected different from you, Koga."

"Kagome-" Koga said but was cut off.

"If you were any typeof _man_, you wouldn't have done this. No _real _man would deliberately try to steal a woman from another or hurt her friends. You disappoint me." Kagome said in a monotone voice.

"Kagome-" Koga tried again.

"No," Kagome said sternly. "Just get out of here Koga. I've had a long day, and I have more important things to do." With that, Kagome waved her hand in the air and the arrow that pinned the wolf demon to the tree disappeared.

"But-" Koga desperately said. Inuyasha growled fiercely as Keiko bared her fangs and Avion fluttered her wings. Kirara growled as she got ready to pounce if the time came.

Out of the blue, Hiraikotsu flew through the battle field, cutting in between the two groups. As the large bone boomerang cut through the rocky dirt, it spun back into the forest, where it was thrown.

"We've had enough wolves for one day," Sango said as she stepped out with Miroku.

"I would leave, Koga," Miroku said threateningly as he fingered the beads on his right hand.

"Fine," Koga relented as he watched Ginta and Hakkaku make their way out of the forest, nervously. "Kagome, I'm sorry," Kagome didn't respond as she watched about a dozen wolves follow the two other wolf demons towards their leader. "Is this _all _the wolves? I could've sworn there were _a lot _more."

"Uh, funny thing," Hakkaku said nervously while rubbing his head.

"You see," Ginta started.

"We got tired of sparing the wolves that attack us. They're dead," Inuyasha said in a final tone. "Now leave before this place becomes your burial place for the rest of you." Koga stared at the half demon intently.

'_They killed my wolves.' _Koga thought. _'But I ordered them to continue attacking. What other choice did they have?' _"Fine, I'll leave. At least for now."

"We'll see about that," Inuyasha growled. Koga narrowed his eyes before looking at the remaining twelve wolves. He then left in a whirlwind of dust, out of the forest.

"Kagome," Sango said quietly. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," Kagome said as she turned around. "Let's just head back."

"Alright," Inuyasha said, knowing not to argue. He grabbed her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I won't let anything happen to you." Inuyasha whispered to her. Kagome leaned into his side as they walked behind Sango and Miroku back to the village.

"I know," Kagome whispered back.

…Next Morning…

"Alright, I'll see you later," Sango said as she hugged her priestess 'sister'.

"I'll be back by tonight." Kagome said. _'I don't think I'm going to school anymore anyways.' _She thought.

"You sure you don't want to stay longer?" Miroku asked, concerned as he hugged the girl, making sure to keep his hands away. Kagome smiled.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Kagome said. "Besides, we have to go find Eiko's mate."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. "We don't have to help _everyone _we meet."

"Well you're mean." Kagome said playfully.

"Ha!" Inuyasha said as he pointed a finger. "Me? Who's the one that uses that 'sit' command on me?"

"Haven't used it in a while." Kagome said with a small smile.

"Bye, Kagome," Shippo said as he hugged the girl. "Bring me back something?"

"Sure," Kagome said. "How about more colored pencils and some pocky?"

"Yum, thanks!" Shippo squealed.

"Inuyasha, are you going with her?" Miroku asked.

"Feh," Inuyasha said. Kagome smiled as she shook her head.

"You know you don't have to. I'm not forcing you." Kagome said as she sat on the lip of the well. "See you." With that, Kagome leaned back and fell into the well backwards.

"Hey," Inuyasha said before leaping into the well. Avion and Keiko blinked at each other before following the couple down the well.

"They're a nice match," Myoga said.

"When did you get here?" Sango asked as she looked at the monk's shoulder where the little flea demon sat.

"Why, I was here the whole time," Myoga said, hurt.

"And you haven't spoken to anyone since you came, because…?" Shippo asked as he hopped onto the monk's shoulder and looked down at the flea.

"No one spoke to me," Myoga answered while he crossed his four arms.

"We didn't know you were still here." Miroku said.

"How dare you not notice me," Myoga said, shocked.

"Well since the wolf attack, I figured you were _long _gone," Miroku said as the group started walking back towards the forest.

"Well then," Myoga huffed.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she walked on the ground. _"Well don't get offended. You never spoke to us," _

"Kirara!" Myoga exclaimed.

"Can't blame that she said that," Sango said.

"What she say?" Miroku asked. Shippo slapped his hand against his forest.

'_We really got to teach him the demon language.' _Shippo thought as he held onto the purple robes under him.

* * *

"I told you that you didn't have to come!" Kagome exclaimed.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed as the two walked through the front door.

"Well fine," Kagome said. "Mom, Souta, Gramps, I'm home!"

"Hello dear," Mrs. Higurashi said sweetly as she came out of the living room.

"Hey sis', did you bring Inuyasha?" Souta asked.

"I'm thinking you like him more than your own sister." Kagome mumbled as she hugged her mother then patted her little brother on the head.

"Kagome, nice to see you back," Jii-chan said from the couch while reading his newspaper. "Hanging around with demons again, I see."

"Gramps," Kagome sighed.

"Yes, yes," Jii-chan said with a wave of his hand.

"Mrow," Kagome looked down and saw her fat, chubby, not energetic cat, Buyo at her feet.

"Hey there," Kagome said as she picked up the cat. "Oh boy, you're heavy. Go play with Keiko." Kagome then placed the obese cat on the ground. The cat then stalked its way towards the two tail demon then hissed at it. Keiko cocked her head before barking softly.

"I don't think that cat likes her," Inuyasha commented.

"Are you hungry?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"I'm just here for a pit stop," Kagome explained. "I need to get back by tonight."

"But you just got here," Jii-chan said.

"I know, but…" Kagome said as she thought hard. _'I haven't spent any time with them at all.' _

"Do you want to stay?" Inuyasha asked.

"But what about-"

"Don't worry; I'll go with Sango and Miroku." Inuyasha said, sweetly.

"But-"

"Stay," Inuyasha said with a soft smile. "We'll manage somehow without you. Besides, you need the rest after yesterday."

"Are you sure? It was my idea after all." Kagome said worriedly.

"We'll be okay." Inuyasha said.

"At least stay for dinner?" Mrs. Higurashi piped in. "It'll fuel your energy."

"Please Inuyasha?" Souta pleaded.

"Please?" Kagome asked.

"Alright," Inuyasha answered.

"Yay! Come on, let's play video games!" Souta said excitedly as he grabbed Inuyasha's hand and dragged him off. Kagome had to hold in a snicker as she saw her mate's distressed face.

…After Dinner…

"I'll see you later," Inuyasha said as he placed a foot on top of the well.

"Alright," Kagome said. "Be careful,"

"Keh," Inuyasha said. Kagome leaned in and gave him a soft kiss.

"Shall I go with him?" Avion asked.

"Do you want to?" Kagome asked. "Yesterday probably took a lot out of you."

"I can manage," Avion answered.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"Me too,"_

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked, concerned.

"Why don't you guys stay? We can manage." Inuyasha supplied.

"But aren't the others tired as well?" Kagome asked. "At least take Avion with you. She'll only get tired if she runs out of energy, and Keiko has cuts all over, she can't go."

"Is she out of energy?" Inuyasha asked.

"I don't think so," Kagome said. "Avion, come here." Avion flew towards the priestess and landed on the finger that was presented to her. Kagome then glowed a soft pink as the power engulfed the spiritual bird.

"Now I'm not so much," Avion said.

"Did you just charge her?" Inuyasha asked, confused.

"Sort of. It's more like a quick pump up." Kagome replied. "Do you mind, Avion?"

"Of course not," Avion said.

"Alright, thanks Inuyasha." Kagome said as she gave him another kiss. The half demon kissed back.

"No problem," Inuyasha said. "Well, come on Avion. We have a long way to go."

"Do you want me and Keiko to catch up with you?" Kagome asked.

"No, just stay here for a while." Inuyasha said.

"But that could be almost a full month. It takes at least ten days to get there." Kagome said.

"_Well you could always catch up on things," _Keiko said. _"Besides, it could be like a vacation we never had." _

"I guess," Kagome said.

"Just stay, please?" Inuyasha asked.

"Alright, I guess." Kagome said uneasily.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said sternly. "Stay. Here."

"Alright," Kagome relented quietly.

"Good, I'll see you later." With that, Inuyasha gave a quick peck on the forehead to the priestess then jumped down into the well, followed by Avion.

"Good luck," Kagome whispered as she saw the blue light fade.

* * *

…Next Morning…

"So Kagome isn't joining us on this quest?" Miroku asked.

"No, she's staying in her time to spend time with her family." Inuyasha replied while looking to the direction of the well. "She deserves it, at least for a little while."

"You've softened up, Inuyasha." Sango said with a kind smile.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed.

"I didn't say it was a bad thing," Sango said without the smile leaving. Kirara transformed into her larger form. Sango then hopped on with both of her legs to one side.

"Yes, I actually think this change is better for you, Inuyasha." Miroku commented as he climbed on behind the demon slayer.

"Besides," Shippo added. "You're actually thinking of Kagome first instead of yourself," Just then, a bonk to the head was received by the fox demon which the half demon threw at him. "Ow!"

"Keh!" Inuyasha huffed.

"Excuse me," A small voice said. The group looked behind them and saw the mother of the half demon come out of Kaede's hut.

"Yes?" Miroku asked.

"Um, thank you for reapplying my bandages and going out to look for my husband." Eiko said. "Thank you for everything,"

"You're welcome," Sango said.

"Come back soon," Kaede said. The group nodded before waving their goodbyes and running towards the north.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Avion said before flying off.

"Is it your mate that is fighting in the north?" Myoga asked from Kaede's shoulder.

"Myoga, I thought ye went with them," Kaede said.

"Well, not exactly," Myoga said.

"Well yes," Eiko answered.

"Rough battle, I hear," Myoga whispered to himself, though Eiko caught the comment and went rigid. "I mean, not _too _rough, just… um… A regular demon fighting with humans and other demons… oh boy."

* * *

…An Hour Later…

"How far do you think we got?" Shippo asked from Inuyasha's shoulders.

"Keh, not _that _far." Inuyasha said.

"Damn," Sango said.

"What is it, my dear Sango?" Miroku asked from behind her on Kirara.

"I have blood on my hands." Sango said as she looked at her hands.

"Well whose blood is it?" Avion asked as she flew closer to the couple and the fire cat demon.

"It's Eiko's. Her wounds started bleeding again." Sango said.

"Well do you want to wash it off?" Miroku asked.

"Keh, its blood. Couldn't be that dangerous." Inuyasha said from the ground.

"Inuyasha, Kagome said that if another person's blood gets into your body, bad things might happen." Shippo said. "She said that you could get dangerous deeseeses or something."

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. _'But she drank my blood.' _He thought.

"You just want to get back to her faster, don't you?" Shippo taunted.

"Keh, yeah right," Inuyasha said.

"Just admit you miss her and let's keep going," Sango said. "It's just blood, I'll be fine."

"Alright," Miroku said as they kept going.

"YOU!" The group finally looked ahead of them instead of at each other and halted to a stop. "Did you injure her!?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"Injure who?" Miroku asked. A large demon about seven feet tall in its humanoid form stood in front of them on a cloud like object as his eyes glowed a turquoise blue color. The man had many gashes and wounds on his body as the blood leaked to the ground. Clenching his clawed fist, the demon stared intently on the group while sniffing the air with his demonic nose.

"Who are you?" Shippo asked. Kirara growled a warning towards the demon while Avion flew above the demon, getting ready to make an aerial attack.

"You injured my mate!" the demon roared as he looked at the demon slayer.

"N-no I didn't. I didn't kill anything recently except wolves." Sango said.

"Liar," With that, the demon launched itself at the demon slayer. Not expecting the sudden attack, Sango was knocked off of Kirara and onto the ground on top of her Hiraikotsu.

"Sango!" Miroku and Inuyasha yelled as the group prepared for a fight.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I'M GLAD PEOPLE STILL READ THIS STORY!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I'M GOING TO BEG PRETTY SOON!**

**Please don't make me.**


	49. Men, Some Never Understand

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, the cute two eared half demon or the other characters. Only the ones I made up on my own.**

* * *

Men, Some Never Understand

"You injured my mate!" the demon roared as he looked at the demon slayer.

"N-no I didn't. I didn't kill anything recently except wolves." Sango said.

"Liar," With that, the demon launched itself at the demon slayer. Not expecting the sudden attack, Sango was knocked off of Kirara and onto the ground on top of her Hiraikotsu.

"Sango!" Miroku and Inuyasha yelled as the group prepared for a fight.

* * *

'_Why do I even bother?" _Kagome groaned as she dropped her head onto the desk with a thump. _'Ow,' _

"Kagome!" a group of girls chimed. The priestess lifted her head and looked towards the direction of the sound.

"Hey," Kagome said to the girls, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi.

"You're finally back," Yuka said.

"I guess," Kagome said. _'These guys never change.' _

"Kagome," a male voice said. Kagome froze then slowly looked behind her.

* * *

"What did you do that for?!" Shippo yelled to the bigger demon. Catching the larger demon's eyes, Shippo whimpered then ran behind Kirara's back foot. Kirara looked down at the fox before growling at the demon.

"She did it! She's the one!" the demon roared before lunging at Sango once again. By this time, Sango got on her feet with Hiraikotsu propped in front of her, like a shield.

"What? What did I do!?" Sango asked as the weapon was run into, pushing Sango back a good twenty feet from demonic power. Stumbling, Sango tripped over herself after the blow and fell to the ground.

"Sango," Miroku whispered to himself as he jumped off Kirara and started running towards the fallen demon slayer. _'I'm not going to make it.' _Just then, a hiss was heard as the demon who was charging back at Sango was tackled in the side, landing far away from the group. Miroku slowed a bit and looked around. Inuyasha stood where he was, transforming his Tetsusaiga as Shippo and Kirara stood at the ready, watching the unknown demon struggle. Sango slowly got up on her own as the monk got to her.

"What happened?" Sango asked. "One minute, I saw him coming towards me, and then he was gone."

"Over there," Inuyasha announced as he lifted his head slightly towards the current battle. The couple looked towards the fallen demon and found the battle slightly amusing.

* * *

"I sure hope they can get to him in time," Eiko thought out loud as she cradled her child.

"I'm sure they will find a way," Kaede assured. "Will you be alright if I leave to tend the village?"

"Yeah, you go right ahead. And thank you for housing me here."

"No problem, child," Kaede said with a kind smile. With that, the old priestess got up slowly and walked out of the wooden hut.

'_Please, bring him back to me.' _

* * *

"Izanagi," Kagome said as she turned around. "Nice to see you again."

"You too. The last time I saw you was when I took you out to the police convention." The boy with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes who was about six feet tall said.

"Right," Kagome said.

"How are you feeling?" Izanagi asked. The three girls looked on, eavesdropping.

"Fine and yourself?" Kagome asked.

"You know I'm fine. I was talking about your multiple diseases." Izanagi said with amusement.

"Oh, I'm fine, really." Kagome said, uneasily. _'I wonder what I have…' _She thought.

"That's good to know." Izanagi said.

"I didn't know that they were so comfortable around each other." Eri whispered to the two other girls, Yuka and Ayumi.

"You can say that again." Yuka said.

"I think it's sweet." Ayumi said.

"But what about her jealous, two timing boyfriend?" Eri asked.

"From what Kagome has told us, he wouldn't let her just talk to any guy." Yuka added.

"Oh come on, he couldn't be _that _bad. You saw how sweet he was when he walked her to school." Ayumi defended.

"Look, I know we've only had one date, but I was wondering if we could go out again." Izanagi asked.

"Izanagi," Kagome said, sympathetically. "Look I-"

"Kagome," another male said.

* * *

"That, I have to say, is kind of funny." Shippo said quietly to Kirara, who stood over the fox demon.

A good ten yards away, the large demon swatted his hands aimlessly as Avion flew around, pecking and annoying the demon at a great speed. The demon also growled in anger as it was shocked with spiritual power several times.

"This is no time for games, Avion." Inuyasha yelled to the spiritual bird. "Kagome isn't here, so you take my orders." Avion, hearing this, flew straight up as she folded her wings onto her back and torpedoed up into the air, leaving a trail of spiritual power.

"Sacred Sutras!" the monk yelled as the demon was mesmerized by the spiritual bird. The magic paper flew towards the demon. The demon quickly saw the paper coming towards him and leaped away, only catching the corner of one.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as the bone boomerang was released from her grasp. The weapon spun towards the demon who reared into the corner of the forest on the side of the road.

"Lightning attack!" the male demon roared as he motioned his hands towards the sky then at the demon slayer. "This is my revenge!" Suddenly, a yellow streak of electricity came from the once clear sky and towards the slayer.

"Sango move!" Miroku yelled.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled as he aimed the attack right above Sango. Sango, who was watching the lightning come towards her, missing the spinning weapon coming towards her.

"Sango, watch out! Hiraikotsu!" Shippo yelled. Kirara snarled as she leaped away and tried to knock the weapon off course.

"Huh?" Sango said before looking away from the sky and towards the weapon. She gasped as the heavy weapon was only a yard away.

"Thunder Storm," the male demon whispered, making sure the enemies, to him, didn't hear. Eyes flashing a midnight blue color, the sky turned from a grey to a night sky in the middle of the afternoon as heavy rain poured from the sky.

Kirara growled low in her throat as some of her demonic abilities left her due to the rain. Making it towards the spinning weapon just in time, the large bone boomerang nicked her front right paw, making it bend in an awkward position. A quiet roaring was heard from the fire cat as the pain shot up her leg. Hiraikotsu's direction was veered off as it spun into the ground near the group.

"Kirara can't work well in rain," Shippo said worriedly.

"Kirara," Sango said, shocked as she watched her fire cat fall.

"Sango, get up!" Inuyasha yelled as he charged towards the demon with his sword raised. "I don't know why you attacked us, but you're going down!"

"Kirara," Avion said as she flew around towards the fire cat. "Can you get up?" Kirara growled slightly as she got up on three paws, her right front paw dangling.

"Kirara, go into the trees and hide with Shippo," Sango ordered as she helped steady her friend.

"_But what about you?" _Kirara asked.

"Don't worry; I'll be fine, now go." Sango instructed. Kirara warily got up and quickly flew towards the shivering fox demon and brought him into the forest.

"Sango heads up," Avion said as she formed a barrier around the demon slayer as a lightning bolt shot down from the sky.

"Thanks," Sango said as the electricity subsided. Avion nodded her head before looking towards the other battle.

* * *

"Kasai," Kagome said with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," the male half fire demon said. "Is he bothering you?"

"No, he's not," Kagome said.

"Hi Kagome," a female said.

"Aisu, nice to see you're well." Kagome said to her half demon cousin.

"Who are they, Kagome?" Ayumi asked.

"These are my cousins, Kasai and Aisu." Kagome introduced. "Guys, this is Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, and Izanagi."

"Hi," Kasai and Aisu said at the same time.

"I didn't know they were your cousins," Eri said.

"Neither did I until I met their mom," Kagome said, kind of lying.

"Oh, that's cool." Yuka said.

"So, Kagome, about my offer," Izanagi continued.

"What offer?" Kagome asked, playing innocent.

"You know, you and me go out on a date," Izanagi reminded. "I was wondering if you wanted to."

"Oh, right, um-" Kagome stumbled.

"No," Aisu and Kasai said at the same time. The two half demons looked innocent towards the child who has a father who was a police officer.

"What?" Izanagi asked the boy fire half demon, Kasai.

"She can't go," Kasai informed.

"Okay, but I would really like to hear that from her own mouth, thanks," Izanagi said as he inwardly rolled his eyes.

"What about Hojo?" Eri whispered to the two other girls next to her.

"I don't know," Yuka said.

"And what about her possessive boyfriend?" Ayumi asked.

"Is she three timing all of them?" Yuka asked.

"She wouldn't, would she?" Eri asked.

"Guys, I'm right here," Kagome harshly whispered to the girls as she kept one ear listening to her cousin and Izanagi.

"Sorry," the three girls said at the same time.

"But seriously," Eri said.

"I'll handle it," Kagome said sternly to them.

"Don't forget, you have a mate," Aisu, the ice half demon, whispered to the priestess.

"I know, Aisu," Kagome said through clenched teeth. "I'll handle it." Aisu nodded as she watched her twin brother argue with the human male.

"Look, guys," Kagome started.

"Kagome," a male voice said.

'_Great, just the _other _boy I needed right now,' _Kagome thought bitterly as her hands clenched into fists. _'I really need to hit something.' _

* * *

Miroku and Inuyasha battled the large sky demon with everything they got as the rain poured in on them. The demon swung his hands around, controlling the weather around them.

"We're not doing very well," Miroku said as he closed his eyes to protect them from the bitter wind being blown at him.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled as he launched himself like a missile. "Iron Reaver!" the demon yelled in pain as the claws of the half demon sliced his shoulders with five identical lines.

"Sacred Sutras," Miroku whispered as he flung magic paper at the demon. The damp paper then stuck to the demon's injured shoulder as it released spiritual power. "Be gone!" Miroku yelled as he posed his staff over his head.

"Wait, Miroku!" Sango yelled from a distance away as she threw her Hiraikotsu. Miroku began to descend his staff but it got hit out of his hands by the large bone boomerang.

"Sango, what are you doing?!" Miroku yelled as the boomerang went back towards its thrower.

"Let's ask him questions first," Sango said. "He said that he was taking revenge."

"Who cares?" Inuyasha cut in. "He attacked us." Just then a roar was heard and a thud accompanied by a splash of water. Looking behind them, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sango saw Kirara on top of the demon, holding him down as they lay in a puddle with one of her paws suspended.

"Way to go, Kirara," Shippo cheered as he came out of the trees.

"Get off of me, you manta demon." The demon growled.

"What's your purpose for attacking us?" Miroku asked, interrogating the demon.

"Why don't you just kill me? You killed my mate and most likely my child." The demon growled viciously.

"Who did we kill?" Sango asked in a whisper towards Inuyasha. The half demon just shrugged.

"No one recently, unless it was that ice demon." Inuyasha whispered back. Avion gave a bird cry as she circled around the demon, making spiritual bonds so the demon wouldn't get up and attack them again.

"You know damn well who you killed." The demon growled. "Why do you keep that half demon if you can't keep my daughter?"

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked, bravely.

"My daughter was a half demon. Shouldn't you kill _him _too?" the demon said. The group looked at each other confusedly as Kirara limped towards the demon slayer.

"We didn't kill any half demons." Inuyasha said.

"Then where is she?" the demon said through clenched teeth.

"Are you talking about Eiko and Sora?" Sango asked.

"Sora's a half demon." Shippo added.

"_Where _are they?" the demon said, murderously.

"Calm down, dear friend," Miroku said. The group still getting soaked with rain. "It seems we have a misunderstanding."

"Oh? How could I misunderstand that you killed them?" the sky demon growled.

"How do you know we killed them?" Avion asked as she floated above the demon's head while he was still sprawled and bonded to the ground.

"There was blood on the slayer which belonged to _my mate_." The demon hissed.

"Oh," Sango said as she looked at her hand, though the blood wasn't there anymore due to the rain.

"If it's not too much to ask, can you stop this rain, please?" Miroku asked. "Then we will kindly tell you what happened." The demon looked warily at the monk, but stopped the rain since it was beginning to bother him too.

* * *

"Hojo," Kagome said with fake enthusiasm.

"How are you feeling?" the boy with light brown hair asked.

"Fine, how are you?" Kagome asked. The group around the priestess watched intently at the interaction between them.

"I'm more worried about you." Hojo answered, honestly.

"That's kind of you." Kagome said. _'And somehow, all of this happened before the bell for school even rings. I wonder when_ that_ would happen.' _Kagome thought.

"Well, here, my mother wrapped this for you." Hojo said as he handed her something wrapped in pink wrapping paper with white swirls in it. "It's pork liver and cow stomach and intestine soup. It's dried though, but everything is in the packaging, you just have to cook it in boiling water." Everyone around looked shocked, disgusted, or sympathetic.

'_Oh my god, I think I just barfed in my mouth.' _Kagome thought, disgusted as she looked at the pink wrapping paper warily.

'_Oh, ew,' _Aisu thought as she looked at her cousin sympathetically.

'_Out of all the gifts in the world, you give her _THAT?_' _Izanagi thought, a bit scared of the other boy.

'_Another one of these gifts, but I have to say, this beats all of the others in the disgust meter.' _Yuka thought as she put a hand over her mouth.

"It's really healthy for you, and then maybe your sicknesses will go away." Hojo said happily.

'_I think I'll _GET _sick after eating_ that_.' _Kagome thought. "Thanks, Hojo, but you really didn't need to."

"Nonsense," Hojo said, handing her the package. Kagome took it unwillingly.

'_Inuyasha eats anything, maybe I'll just give it to him. If this stuff doesn't kill humans then I guess it won't kill half demons, hopefully.' _Kagome thought.

"Thanks," Kagome said again.

"So I was wondering," Hojo started.

'_Not this again,' _Kagome thought dryly.

'_Is _he _asking her out?' _Izanagi thought, furious.

'_How many boys does this girl attract?' _Kasai asked himself in his mind. _'She has a mate.' _

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

'_Oh thank god,' _Kagome thought, relieved as the school bell rang.

"I'll see you later, Kagome," Hojo said as he bounced off.

"Bye, Kagome," Izanagi said as he went to his own classroom.

"Later," Kasai and Aisu said at the same time. Throughout the whole goodbye, Kagome waved as her main group of friends, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi sat in the desks next to her.

* * *

"Lady Kaede," a man said as he approached the old priestess.

"Yes, what is it?" Kaede asked as she turned to look at the man.

"Is that an appending storm?" the man asked as he pointed towards the north. Kaede look with her one eye.

"That is no ordinary storm," Kaede thought out loud.

"What do you mean?" the man asked.

"That storm was created by a demon," Kaede said.

"Will it destroy anything in its path?" The man asked worriedly.

"Prepare for anything," Kaede said. "I shall prepare a barrier."

"Yes, lady Kaede." The man then bowed and went off to ring the bell tower in the village, signaling danger. Kaede went into her hut and found a few sutras. The bell then rung throughout the village.

"Lady Kaede, what is that?" Eiko asked as she sat, feeding her child.

"A demonic storm is just north of here." Kaede informed.

"A demonic storm? What does that mean?" Eiko asked.

"A storm that was created by a demon." Kaede said as she found a few more spiritual items.

"A storm created by a demon," Eiko repeated in a whisper. _'Could it be…?' _

* * *

Inuyasha kneeled down on all fours as he shook himself dry like a dog. The others around him covered their faces with their arms and hands as they glared at the half demon for his messy ways.

"Sheesh, Inuyasha, you couldn't find a less messy way to do that?" Miroku asked as he dripped with water.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed as he crossed his arms. Shippo rolled his eyes.

"Should we let him up?" Avion asked, feeling sympathy towards the bonded demon on the ground.

"Only if he promises to hear us out before attacking." Sango answered. "Do you?" The demon stayed quiet for a minute, contemplating their motive.

"Fine," the demon said.

"Promise?" Miroku pushed on.

"Yeah," the demon answered. Inuyasha nodded towards the spiritual bird who nodded back and released the bonds to the demon. The sky demon instantly jumped to his feet, wary of the group.

"We don't mean you harm," Miroku tried to reassure.

"Oh, like the way you attacked me?" the demon said.

"Yeah, not the right statement, Miroku." Shippo said.

"Well we don't mean you harm _now,_" Sango supplied. "We just want answers."

"So do I," the demon said as he went towards the forest and leaned on a tree. The group stayed quiet for a while, not knowing what to say.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

"I am Toshio," the sky demon said.

"Toshio," Miroku said. "I'm Miroku, and the half demon is Inuyasha, the little fox demon is Shippo, the fire cat is Kirara, the spiritual bird is Avion, and this fair and lovely lady is Sango." Miroku said as he put an arm around the demon slayer. Sango's eyebrow ticked with anger.

"Who is your mate that you keep insisting that we killed?" Avion asked as she flew near the demon, though staying far away enough to not feel threatened.

"My mate," Toshio said, thinking back. "The slayer had the blood of my mate on her hands."

"Me?" Sango asked.

"You're the only slayer here right now." Inuyasha said. "Kagome's not here," Sango shot the half demon a warning glare.

"Yes, you," Toshio said as he advanced on Sango. "You had her blood on your hands."

"The only blood on her hands was Eiko's." Shippo said.

'_Eiko,' _Toshio thought familiarly.

"Did you say your daughter was a half demon?" Miroku asked.

"Yes," Toshio said, sternly. "Where are they? I know you know."

"Yes, we do." Avion said as she landed on the half demon's shoulder.

"Tell me!" Toshio demanded.

"She's in the village we protect," Inuyasha said, almost unemotionally. "She's safe,"

"Why should I trust your word for it?" Toshio asked. Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders.

"Either you do or you don't," Inuyasha said. The group stared as the half demon and the sky demon had a glaring match.

* * *

"Lady Kaede," Eiko said as she stood outside the hut with her child in her arms. The half demon baby wiggled in her arms, sensing something in the forest.

"Yes, child?" Kaede asked as she prepared for a barrier.

"Something is in the forest." Eiko said as her child opened her eyes and started to whimper.

"Sora can sense it?" Kaede asked as she focused on the forest. _'Humans are coming.' _Kaede thought.

"Yes," Eiko said as she held her child tighter.

'_All of the protectors are away.' _Kaede thought. _'I'll just send for Kagome, she isn't far.' _

"What is it?" Eiko asked.

"Humans," Kaede said. "Almost an army of humans,"

"What are we going to do?" Eiko asked, scared.

"Send for Kagome."

"The priestess demon slayer?" Eiko asked.

"Yes,"

"How?"

"Once, the child had left me with a communicating device that is linked with her mind. We just have to send her a message for help." Kaede said. "The men in this village aren't trained well enough to handle an army with weapons. Though they are decent."

"How does it work?" Eiko asked, confused.

"It's linked with her spiritual power." Kaede explained. "Go tell a man to ring the bell tower; there is an army in the forest." Eiko nodded, running into the heart of the panicked village.

Kaede went into the hut and searched through many objects until she found a glowing sphere of pink mixed with purple. Kaede then closed her eyes and prayed while sending a message.

_Flashback_

"_Here, take this," Kagome said as she handed the old priestess a sphere that was glowing with a mixture of pink and purple. "This is a communicating device."_

"_How does this work, child?" Kaede asked as the two sat in the hut._

"_Well since I'm not with the group anymore," Kagome started. "You won't know where I'll be headed, most of the time. This is made up of my spiritual power. If you start to pray into it, it should connect with the main source of the same spiritual power, which is me, then you could talk after the prayer, giving me a message."_

"_Does it only work one way?" Kaede asked as she examined the ball._

"_Not exactly, but it only works if _you_ pray into it first." Kagome said with a soft smile. "If you ever need help, that's how you could summon me up."_

"_This is magnificent, Kagome," Kaede said._

"_Yeah, it took a lot of work to make." Kagome said._

"_How did you learn how to do this?" _

"_Well I was just at a shrine and I found a few scrolls. I practiced it a few times, but the others all broke down. This one miraculously worked though, but I'm not sure if it has more flaws than I originally thought." Kagome answered as she rubbed the back of her head. "I'm almost positive Miroku could make one as well."_

"_This will be useful," Kaede said. "Take care of yourself, child."_

"_I know, thanks," Kagome said. "Oh, and don't let Inuyasha see. Not yet."_

"_Alright, child," Kaede said. Kagome then stood up._

"_Farewell," Kagome then left out of the hut and into the world. Kaede looking at the girl, sadness in her eye._

'Stay safe,' _Kaede thought. _'Join up with the others soon.'

_Flashback End_

'_I hope this works,' _Kaede thought as she prayed.

* * *

_Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing_

"Finally," Kagome sighed as she stood up from her desk and started packing her stuff. _'The end of the school day.' _The priestess thought. She then looked into her bag and found the pink wrapping paper. _'And that still grosses me out, even though I've seen guts flung everywhere in the Feudal Era.' _

"You want to walk home with us?" Eri asked as she walked towards the priestess's desk.

"Sure," Kagome said with a genuine smile.

"Let's go," Yuka said happily as they walked out of the school doors.

"How's that boyfriend of yours?" Ayumi asked.

"Fine," Kagome said with a smile.

"Where is he? Last time he walked you here and home." Yuka asked, suspiciously.

"He had to do a few errands." Kagome said. _'Errands as in getting Eiko's mate.' _Thought Kagome as they continued walking.

"Oh," Yuka said. "He isn't two timing you, is he?"

"No," Kagome said. "We settled that."

"So are you three timing him?" Eri asked.

"Huh?" Kagome asked as she stopped dead in her tracks. "Three timing?"

"Well there is Izanagi," Ayumi said.

"Then there's Hojo," Yuka counted.

"Then himself." Eri said. "What was his name?"

"Inuyasha," Kagome supplied. "But I'm not even going out with Izanagi OR Hojo."

"But you've been out with them." Eri said.

"Yes, _been. _I'm not going out with them _now._" Kagome said.

"Alright," Yuka said with a satisfied grin. Kagome playfully rolled her eyes.

'_Kagome, ye are needed.' _

Kagome stopped as she heard a female voice in her head. The others kept walking, not noticing the sudden stop. The priestess slightly jogged to catch up to the group as she wracked her brain for answers.

'_Uh…Kaede?' _Kagome asked in her mind.

'_Yes, ye are needed. This little village cannot handle what's coming towards us.' _Kaede replied through the spiritual communication.

'_Alright,' _Kagome thought back as she looked towards her home.

"Are you okay?" Ayumi asked, noticing their friend's quietness. "Is it one of your illnesses?"

"Oh, no I'm okay." Kagome said. "I was just thinking that my mom said to hurry home today. I got to run guys! Bye!" with that, the priestess ran home.

"Okay," Eri said.

"Bye…?" Yuka said as the three girls stood in place as they watched their friend race home.

* * *

"Woof," Keiko barked happily as she saw the priestess jump up the stairs, using spiritual power.

"Keiko, let's go," Kagome said. "Something's happening on the other side," The two tail dog demon nodded her head as she headed towards the well before Kagome did. The priestess ran up the stairs and undressed to put on her other white outfit.

"Kagome, where are you going?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Something's wrong on the other side," Kagome announced quickly as she tied her hair in a pony tail as she raced down the stairs.

"Be careful, dear." Mrs. Higurashi said.

"I will. Love you." Kagome said as she ran out the door.

"Love you." Mrs. Higurashi said, though her daughter was already at the door to the well house.

* * *

"Inuyasha, cool it." Sango said.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed.

"We'll take you to her." Miroku said.

"Will you?" Toshio asked.

"We will." Avion answered.

"We don't lie," Shippo said.

"I'll follow you from a distance," Toshio announced.

"Very well," Miroku said.

"Whatever makes you comfortable." Sango said next.

"Let's go," Inuyasha said as he started heading towards the direction they just came.

"Kirara," Sango called as the two tail transformed back to her smaller size. The demon slayer then picked up her small friend and hugged her close. "Inuyasha, can we stop at a stream or something?"

"Why?" Inuyasha asked from the front of the group.

"I would really appreciate to clean off." Sango answered.

"No, the sooner we get back to the village, the sooner that demon could stop being wary around us." Inuyasha scoffed.

"No need to be rude." Miroku said.

"If Kagome asked, you would let her go." Shippo said.

"No I wouldn't," Inuyasha said sternly. _'Would I?' _He asked himself in his mind.

"Admit it, you would," Avion said. "But why don't we rest for the night, anyways? It's been a long day."

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed.

"There's a clearing right there." Miroku announced.

"Mew," Kirara meowed. _"Let's rest." _

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked. "You're leader, it's your call."

"I'm l-leader?" Inuyasha asked, whipping around.

"Yeah, it's like a pack." Shippo said.

"You're leader, then Kagome. Miroku is your right hand man while Sango is Kagome's right hand woman." Avion said.

"It seems that way to me." Toshio said, from a distance back.

"_And the rest of us are your comrades." _Kirara meowed.

"Oh," Inuyasha said. _'I guess I knew that,' _he thought. "We'll rest up here, then."

"Awesome," Shippo said as he ran into the clearing.

* * *

"Woof!" Keiko barked as she entered the wooden hut belonging to Kaede.

"Keiko," Kaede said. "I suspect Kagome is coming." The two tail dog demon nodded her head.

"Lady Kaede, they have rung the bell," Eiko announced as she entered the hut.

"Good," Kaede said. "Keiko you will assist Kagome."

"_I know," _Keiko barked.

"Kaede, what's wrong?" Kagome asked as she rushed into the room. "The village is in chaos."

"There is an army of humans heading towards us." Kaede informed.

"Why?" Kagome asked.

"I'm not sure, child," Kaede said. "This village needs your assistance."

"Okay," Kagome said. "Shall I gather up the men in this village?"

"I think that is taken care of," Eiko said as she looked through the flaps of the door mat.

"Alright," Kagome said. "Stay inside." Kagome turned her head so she looked at Eiko and her half demon daughter.

"Okay," Eiko said. Kaede got up and went outside.

"Kaede?" Kagome asked.

"I will erect a barrier for as long as I can." Kaede said. "Ye will have to handle the rest."

"I'll do my best," Kagome said as she ran over towards a man on a horse with Keiko running next to her.

"Lady Kagome," the man said.

"Ready for battle?" Kagome asked.

"As ready as anyone can be," The man said. Kagome's fierce look softened to a kind smile.

"You'll be back. I'll make sure of it." Kagome said as she gave the man a side glance.

"Lady Kagome, you are back." A man from the group said.

"Yes," Kagome replied.

"At least one of our protectors are here." A woman said as she hugged her husband.

"Don't worry; I won't let these guys die." Kagome said, determined. "Do we have a plan?"

"Battle until we fall," The man on the horse said.

"Yeah, not a good plan," Kagome said shaking her head. "Okay everyone, listen up!" Kagome yelled to the group. "I'll head out first then you guys come after. Only take on the enemies that you think you can handle!"

"Creative," The man on the horse said sarcastically.

"Hey, I might know you better than the others, but that doesn't mean you can back talk me," Kagome said with a smirk. The man laughed.

"Alright, Lady Kagome." Kagome nodded.

"Keiko, let's go," Kagome said, with that, the two rushed into the forest first, followed by the men in the village.

"_Kagome, these men aren't warriors. They're farmers." _Keiko barked to the priestess as they ran through the forest to meet the other army half way.

"I know," Kagome said as she used her spiritual powers to run like a demon. "That's what I'm worried about."

"_If we left the farmers back at the village, then there are only a handful of men who could fight." _Keiko added. Kagome nodded as she ran.

"Let's make sure that the farmers only take on the weaker soldiers. They're in this battle so they can protect the village too." Kagome said. "It's a sense of pride."

"_Right," _Keiko said as she started to transform.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**SORRY IF THAT WAS CONFUSING! ^^; **


	50. Race to the Finish Line, Kaede's Village

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Race to the Finish Line, Kaede's Village

"Keiko, let's go," Kagome said, with that, the two rushed into the forest first, followed by the men in the village.

"_Kagome, these men aren't warriors. They're farmers." _Keiko barked to the priestess as they ran through the forest to meet the other army half way.

"I know," Kagome said as she used her spiritual powers to run like a demon. "That's what I'm worried about."

"_If we left the farmers back at the village, then there are only a handful of men who could fight." _Keiko added. Kagome nodded as she ran.

"Let's make sure that the farmers only take on the weaker soldiers. They're in this battle so they can protect the village too." Kagome said. "It's a sense of pride."

"_Right," _Keiko said as she started to transform.

* * *

"Okay men! Let's head out!" The leader yelled to his army at the border of Kaede's village. The men cheered with newfound determination after they hugged and kissed their wives and children goodbye.

* * *

"Are you hungry?" Sango asked in a soft voice as she walked to the large demon about ten yards away from the main group. The sky demons side glanced at the demon slayer without moving a muscle. Looking at the cooked fish she had in her hand, Toshio looked at it warily. "It's good, I promise."

"Sango," Miroku said quietly, wary of the larger demon. Inuyasha opened one of his eyes as he looked from his perch in a tree limb above camp.

"What are you trying to offer?" Toshio asked, though he could clearly see and smell it was a river fish.

"Food," Sango said with a shrug.

"Food with what in it?" Toshio asked.

"Fish flesh?" Sango said, confused. "Are you saying we are trying to poison you?"

"You said it, not me." Toshio said in the same cold voice. Sango sighed as she pinned the stick with the fish on it to the ground.

"Good night, then," Sango said before going back to the others.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she curled up in a ball while licking her injured paw.

"I know he doesn't trust us, Kirara." Sango said as she sat down.

"Keh, he doesn't have to," Inuyasha said, gruffly. "Get some rest; we have a long way to go."

"Inuyasha's right," Miroku agreed. "I'll take first watch."

"I wish Kagome were here." Shippo said as he curled around himself next to the two tail fire cat demon. "She would know what to do."

"I know exactly what I'm doing, fox," Inuyasha growled.

"Oh yeah?" Shippo challenged. "Then how do you suppose we get the demon to trust us?"

"We don't even know if we could trust him." Inuyasha said with a scowl.

"But-" Shippo started.

"Get to sleep." Inuyasha said in a finalized voice, closing his own eyes, though not sleeping. Miroku shrugged as he petted the fox demon on the head. "You too, Miroku,"

"Are you sure, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked from below the tree.

"Just sleep." Inuyasha said as he twitched his ears left and right before letting them settle. The monk didn't argue and shifted into a comfortable position, sitting up against the tree trunk.

'_Something's wrong.' _Avion thought as she perched herself on the very tip of the tree Inuyasha rested in.

* * *

"What is your business here?" Kagome asked, sternly as she was face to face with the general of the opposing army about five yards away. (15 feet)

"We here that a half demon resides in this village," the man on the horse, the general, said gruffly.

"A half demon, huh?" Kagome asked as Keiko growled next to her. _'Which one?' _Kagome thought.

"Yes, where is he?" The general demanded. "Unless you have already killed him since you are a priestess."

"No, I have not killed him." Kagome said. _'Inuyasha,' _

"Why haven't you?" the general asked, his anger rising.

"Why are _you_?" Kagome asked back. "He and I protect this village. You want to get to the village, you pass me first."

"What?" The general asked in astonishment. "You and that abomination work together?"

"Yes," Kagome said with a smirk. "Problem?"

"A human priestess should NOT work with a half demon!"

"Old rules," Kagome said as she covered her laughing eyes with her hair. "Besides, I'm not ordinary priestess."

"Is the half breed too scared to come out and protect the village with you?" Kagome's eyes instantly turned ice cold.

"The only one that should be scared is you and your army." Kagome said coldly.

"Like a woman can take down my army." The general said with a grin.

"You'll be surprised," Kagome said with a smug grin of her own. Keiko bared her six inch long fangs as she prepared for Kagome's first move. _'I don't want to kill them.' _

* * *

"Mom, where's sis'?" Souta asked as he sat at the dinner table.

"She's off at some emergency through the well, dear." Mrs. Higurashi answered.

"Again?" Jii-chan said, exasperated.

"Yes," Mrs. Higurashi said with a sad tone. "She'll be alright,"

"Yeah, sis' doesn't give up that easily. Besides, look at her school work. She's basically failing her whole grade and yet she still goes." Souta said happily. Mrs. Higurashi gave her son a smile.

"Perhaps it is time to pull her out of school." Mrs. Higurashi thought out loud.

"That girl cannot be pulled out! What about education?" Jii-chan asked.

"Where she's going, she already knows more than the average person does." Mrs. Higurashi said as she left the table to go to the phone.

* * *

'_What do I do?' _Kagome thought as she blocked another attack with her sword. _'This is wrong. But I don't have a choice.' _With that, Kagome twisted her wrist in a way that she pulled her sword back and pierced into the chest of the man in front of her. The priestess then quickly turned around and sliced another man's side.

Around her, two groups attacked one another with succession. Looking around, Kagome found Keiko running towards a clump of the enemies and encircled them in a ring of fire. The priestess did a quick jump into a tree branch and surveyed closer. Greatly outnumbered, Kagome counted the men.

'_Thirty men from the other side and fifteen from ours, not including the generals of both armies and me.' _Kagome thought as she quickly looked from side to side. _'We might need help.' _The priestess then looked down at her hand and her eyes widened. _'Duh, I'm such an idiot.'_

* * *

'_Keh, this is so stupid.' _Inuyasha thought angrily as he leaned against the tree with his eyes closed. _'I'm half demon. It's not like I'm going to kill another half demon.' _

"Inuyasha," A quiet whisper came through the breeze. Inuyasha opened his eyes half way as he looked around. Finding the spiritual bird sitting on his lap with a cocked head, the half demon fully opened his eyes.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"You don't think Toshio is up to anything, do you?" Avion asked.

"Keh, like I know." Inuyasha said as he looked at the sky demon. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Avion lied. _'I just think something bad is happening.' _Inuyasha looked at the bird suspiciously.

* * *

'_Burnt to a crisp.' _Keiko thought as she went after another man with her fangs. _'That'll teach them to play with fire in the afterlife.' _

Looking around, Keiko saw one of their men down and quickly finished off her opponent to look at the man. Carefully putting her ear next to the man's chest, Keiko concluded that the man had little time to live unless treated immediately. Looking around, she found no signs of her team. Growling in frustration, Keiko protected the man at all costs, not letting him die.

* * *

'_Duh, I could just use my mate mark and sibling mark to call Inuyasha and Yuri, and I could call Avion.' _Kagome thought as she looked around. _'But it's only a measly thirty soldiers. I've taken on more demons that one time.' _

Instead of being a coward, Kagome jumped from her tree limb and jumped into the midst of battle. Holding her sword, Kagome charged the weapon with spiritual power as she swung it in the air, diagonal to her body.

"Spiritual blades!" Kagome yelled as blades of pink shot out from the sword, creating a wave of sharp, pointed, weapons flying towards the men of the opposite team. _'Why did the sun set already? It couldn't have set later?' _Kagome thought miserably.

* * *

"You're village is going to burn to the ground!" the general of the half demon hating clan yelled to the general of the half demon protector village.

"You're army is as good as burned." Kaede's village general said with a smirk as he saw the men on fire. The opposite general narrowed his eyes as they fought harder.

"Well, Akihiro, we don't accept the help of demons!" the demon hating village general yelled as he pushed himself forward, knocking Akihiro off his feet and onto his back on the ground.

"Gorou, what you don't know is the demons in this village help us. None of them have hurt us." Akihiro said through clenched teeth as Gorou, the general from the other village, posed a sword of his throat.

"My village and I are smart enough to know _not _to trust those vermin creatures." Gorou said tightly.

* * *

…Midnight…

A warm feeling went through his body as he slept lightly on the tree branch. Arms behind his head, used as a pillow, the man opened one of his golden eyes that had a peculiar brown ring inside them. Looking around the campsite once with one eye, the man grew confused and finally opened the other eye. Leaning away from the trunk of the tree, the half demon leaned forward and took his arms down from behind his head.

About thirty feet (10 yards) away from the main group, sat a sky demon, looking up at the moon. The crackling fire below caught his attention and he looked down. Seeing the group fast asleep, indulged in their own dream land, the half demon looked around.

'_What's this warm feeling?' _Inuyasha thought to himself as he scanned the surrounding area again.

"Something wrong, half demon?" the sky demon, Toshio, asked without looking at the person in the tree.

"Keh, no," Inuyasha said, though without any hostility.

"Your mate is calling you." Toshio said softly as he looked at the half demon. Inuyasha looked confused and looked down at his right wrist, right over the vital vein that connected with his very life. Small bite marks glowed red as the darkness around the forest made it seem brighter. "Have you not been taught how a mate mark works, young one?"

"Keh," Inuyasha said again. "I know the basics," _'Kagome's calling me. Why?' _Inuyasha thought to himself.

"So no one taught you the more detailed parts?" Toshio asked.

"I guess not," Inuyasha relented as he continued staring at the mark.

"You know that you could call your mate with the mark, correct?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, looking towards the demon now.

"Do you know the different colors of the mark?" Toshio asked with an eyebrow raised.

"N-not really," Inuyasha said, looking worriedly down at the mark.

"When a mate calls another mate, the receiver gets a warm feeling throughout their body. The call could be for various reasons. That is where the colors of the mark come in. Once a call is placed, the mark will glow with a certain color which is determined by the urgency of the calling. The range of colors goes from bright red to a calming purple. It is like a meter of good to bad. Bright red meaning something bad and purple meaning the mate misses you and wants you back with him or her." Toshio explained. "The same thing happens with a sibling mark."

"Oh," Inuyasha said, speechless. _'It's red. Kagome, what's going on?' _Inuyasha thought frantically.

"To me, it seems like your mate is in trouble." Toshio noticed.

"Inuyasha," a female voice said from above him. Inuyasha instantly looked up and saw the faithful spiritual bird demon flying above him.

"Avion, what is it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Kagome's back in this…country." Avion announced.

"What?" Inuyasha asked shocked as he stood up on the tree branch. "What do you mean she's in _this _era? I mean country?"

"Who is this Kagome? And what country?" Toshio asked. The two whipped their heads around and saw the sky demon stand up and walk towards them before jumping onto the branch.

"Kagome is my mate," Inuyasha said quickly. "Avion, give me an answer!" Inuyasha hissed.

"She is back." Avion announced. "I could feel it. I'm her spiritual bird anyways."

"You're mated to a priestess?" Toshio asked, in astonishment.

"Don't you say anything about her," Inuyasha warned with a snarl as he turned to face the demon. "No one will talk bad about her."

"That's not what I meant," Toshio defended. "I'm just shocked. Aren't priestess trained to kill all demons?"

"Not now!" Inuyasha warned. "Avion, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Avion said truthfully. "But I know she's back." Inuyasha looked down at his wrist as it glowed a fury of red.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha hissed, quietly enough so the others don't wake from below the tree.

"And she's calling me," Avion added.

"Avion, stay here with the others," Inuyasha said as he jumped down from the tree limb.

"But-" Avion started.

"No," Inuyasha said sternly. "Stay here."

"What about me?" Toshio asked as he also jumped down, followed closely by the spiritual bird. The half demon growled as he looked towards the village.

"Avion is she at the village?" Inuyasha asked.

"I believe so," Avion said.

"Then your mate is in trouble too. If you want to come, it's your choice, but I'm going to help my own mate." Inuyasha said before launching himself out of the clearing and towards the village.

"Then I'm coming too," Toshio said as he took off and followed the half demon.

"Be careful," Avion said as they disappeared into the forest. "You know, I'm kind of surprised these guys didn't wake up." The spiritual bird said as she looked around at the still slumbering group. Kirara's ear twitched but the neko manta demon didn't wake.

* * *

Getting an odd feeling, the dog demon awoke from her slumber inside a wooden hut. Getting up from her seated position, she maneuvered around the small forms around her feet and went outside.

"Woof?" A two tail dog demon asked as she came up to her master. Being on guard duty, the inu manta demon instantly caught sight of their distressed superior. _"Something wrong, Yuri?" _Looking down at the dark blue colored dog demon, Yuri shrugged.

"Not sure," Yuri said as she looked off into the vast forest. A pulse ran through her body when another minute passed. The female dog demon lifted her right hand and looked at the small teeth mark on her fingers.

"_Yuri," _Another two tail dog demon barked as she came up to their superior and cocked her head to the side. _"Is something wrong?"_

"I think there is," Yuri said as she looked at one of the teeth marks on her finger. The mark glowed red in the night sky, signifying one of her siblings or family members are in danger. _'Three sibling marks.' _Yuri thought. _'And Kagome is the one needing help.' _

"_Shall we call Sesshomaru?" _The second two tail asked.

"No, Akane, I think I'll just go." Yuri announced. "You're in charge." Akane nodded her head as the full fledged dog demon ran into the forest. _'Kagome, what's wrong?' _Yuri thought as she ran through the forest, dodging the trees. _'Where are you?' _

* * *

Kagome groaned as she lifted her head up. Blurry images made it through her eyes and registered in her brain ask the priestess blinked away her grogginess.

'_That's a blow to the head.' _Kagome thought as she loosened her muscles, wincing in pain as her back scraped against the rough bark of the tree she was against. _'Remind me never to go near a horse during a battle.' _

"Woof," Keiko barked as she came up to the priestess who was slumped against a tree. _"Are you okay?"_

"Yeah," Kagome said as she struggled to get up.

"_Are you sure? That horse kicked you pretty hard." _Keiko barked concerned. _"You were out for a good fifteen minutes."_

"Crap," Kagome said as she looked onto the battle field. "Stupid horse. Stupid tree." Kagome cursed as she felt the back of her head, only to find her hand covered in blood.

"_Go back to the village." _Keiko said as she jumped and bit into another person.

"I'll be fine," Kagome said groggily as she looked for her sword. Finding it ten feet away, the priestess took out her dagger.

"_But the hooves on that horse probably did something to your stomach and chest when it kicked you." _Keiko barked.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said as she winced when she took a breath.

"_But-" _

"Don't, I can handle it," Kagome cut in as she blocked an attack from a man. Keiko nodded but kept close to the priestess. Unknown to the priestess, the two marks on her hand glowed red, though they were covered in blood.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru," the male dog demon's faithful servant said.

"What is it, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked in monotone as he stared into the moon.

"I just saw that pesky brat,"

"And who might that be?"

"Yuri," Jaken said. "She was running down by the river."

"Hm," Sesshomaru said without once looking at his servant. "And why should I care?"

"Uh," Jaken said as he sweated.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" A perky voice yelled as the form emerged from the forest bush.

"What is it, Rin?" Sesshomaru asked, now looking slightly towards the girl.

"Rin just saw the nice lady," Rin said in third person. "She ran that way!" Rin said as she pointed south.

'_That way, huh, little sister?' _Sesshomaru thought. _'Where are you off to?'_

* * *

'_Oh no, the sun already set.' _Eiko thought worriedly.

"Do not worry, child," Kaede said from her spot on a bedding mat. "They are strong fighters."

"I know, but I can't help but worry." Eiko said. "They've treated me like a normal person with a child. Not a person who… bedded with a demon." Eiko said with a hint of embarrassment on her face as she said 'bedded'.

"Kagome and the village men will be okay. Kagome will make sure of it." Kaede reassured, though she herself was quite worried.

"I wonder why they attack now." Eiko wondered as she checked on her child. Kaede nodded as she stared up at the ceiling of the hut.

* * *

'_At a time like this, I'm glad I got the ability to see in the dark. Well, not fully, but outlines of things.' _Kagome thought as she sliced a man across the chest with her dagger. The priestess staggered as her vision clouded over with dizziness. _'I guess sight isn't helping.' _Kagome thought as her balance wavered.

With a scream, Kagome was sliced across the back by another soldier. Quickly turning around, the priestess almost lost her balance before bringing out her foot and kicking the man from the side of his knees. Stumbling, the man quickly fell to the floor while Kagome shot a crooked line of spiritual power towards him. Groaning, Kagome held her head in her bloody right hand as she looked around.

'_This isn't good.' _Kagome thought as she saw shadows coming towards her.

* * *

"So you followed," Inuyasha stated.

"Yeah," Toshio answered as he ran alongside the half demon. "Why wouldn't I go to my mate?"

"You didn't want to trust us," Inuyasha said tightly as he continued his fast running.

"A mate mark can't just glow a color whenever the owner wants it to. It has to be the mate who calls, then the mark will change." Toshio said. "That's how I know you're not lying to me."

"Hm," Inuyasha said without looking at the sky demon. _'Kagome,' _

"Worried?" Toshio asked.

"Keh," Inuyasha said as he sped up slightly.

"I would be,"

"My mate isn't just some weak human." Inuyasha defended. _'Though I will never admit that to her face.' _The half demon thought.

"You think highly of her." Toshio said with a smile.

"Keh, she's tough. She'll handle herself just fine." Inuyasha said. _'I hope.' _

"Oh?"

"What about your own mate? Don't you even know what she's been through?" Inuyasha accused.

"I was fighting for her life. Of course I don't." Toshio defended.

"You're lucky my mate found her." Inuyasha said in a softer voice, still not looking at the sky demon. "She would've been dead along with the kid." Toshio stopped in his tracks as the half demon ran on without him.

'_Dead?' _Toshio thought worriedly.

* * *

'_Where can that girl be?' _Yuri thought as she ran from place to place. After checking the priestess academy, the dog demon went towards the demon slayers village in the west and came up empty handed. _'Maybe I should check the village the group protects and where Inuyasha was sealed for fifty years.' _

* * *

'_I lost her.' _Sesshomaru thought as he sped forward on his furred scarf. _'She sure is quick.' _Stopping in the middle of the forest, the dog demon sniffed the air and narrowed his eyes towards the direction in which his little sister went. _'Towards the demon slayers village of the west?' _

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken said dejectedly as he once again found his lord disappear on him.

"Rin thinks Lord Sesshomaru followed the nice dog lady." Rin said cutely.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Don't leave me with _her!_" Jaken yelled into the forest. A rustle from the nearby bush startled Jaken into silence as Rin backed away. "Uh oh," Jaken whispered.

"This is your fault, Master Jaken." Rin said in a whisper as she crouched behind the green imp. Jaken gulped down a lump in his throat as he brought up his staff of two heads.

As the creature jumped out of the bush Jaken blew fire towards it while Rin screeched with fear. While the fire came out of the head of the old man on Jaken's staff, a short screech was heard from the unknown creature. Closing the mouth of the old man on the staff, Jaken blinked and found the charred ground in front of him. In front of the two, was a charred to a crisp bird, ready for the eating.

"Oops," Jaken mumbled as he put a finger to his lip and looked over the burnt bird.

"Master Jaken that was a bird!" Rin exclaimed.

"I didn't _know_," Jaken defended. "Well eat it; you were the one that was hungry."

"Ew," Rin said as she surveyed the burnt bird. "That poor thing." Ah-Un, who was lazing around, looked over before going back to sleep.

* * *

'_Just ten more,' _Kagome thought as she launched forward, stabbing another man. Pulling out her sword that she got a few minutes prior, Kagome turned around in time to block an attack. _'I wonder how the other men are doing.' _

* * *

'_There!' _Inuyasha thought in his mind as he saw the village through the night sky with his demon vision.

"Is that the village?" Toshio asked a few steps behind the half demon.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said.

"Let's hurry," Toshio said. The two demonic figures raced into the village, alerting most of the village women who had no husbands with them at the moment.

'_There are no men in this village except for male children.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked around. _'What happened to them?' _

"Where are we going?" Toshio asked as he also looked around at the population residing in the village. "Are there no men in this village?"

"There are, but something happened." Inuyasha said as he got to Kaede's hut. "Old hag," Inuyasha said as he barged into the hut.

"Inuyasha, ye are back," Kaede said as she looked at the panting half demon.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked instantly.

"Locked in battle," Eiko said.

"Eiko?" Toshio asked from beside the half demon.

"Can we continue this love fest later?" Inuyasha asked, irritated. "Kaede, where's Kagome?"

"An army came by to attack us. Kagome is leading them." Kaede said.

"Why'd she come back?" Inuyasha asked while growling.

"I called her back." Kaede said. "Are ye going to go help her?"

"Where is she fighting?" Inuyasha asked.

"In the forest." Kaede said. Inuyasha quickly turned around and ran into the forest without a second thought.

'_Be okay.' _Inuyasha thought as he jumped up into a tree limb and scanned the forest with his senses.

* * *

Shippo groaned as he awoke from his slumber. Opening his eyes, Shippo saw the dim light coming from the fire as he lay still on the ground. Looking up at the night sky, the fox demon wondered why he had woken up.

"Shippo?" Avion asked as she flew over him. "What's up? Why are you awake?"

"I don't know. I just felt like something's wrong." Shippo said groggily. "We're not being attacked, are we?"

"No, Shippo, we're not." Avion said, landing next to the fox.

"Oh," Shippo said.

"Go back to sleep, Shippo. Everything's alright," Avion said soothingly. The fox demon slowly fell back into his dream state as the spiritual bird released calming energy towards him. _'I hope everything's alright.' _

* * *

Clashing metal was heard through the forest as the dog demon ran, dodging the many trees in her way. Looking up at the moon, the dog demon was confused as she stopped running and took a 360 turn around herself.

'_Someone's fighting,' _Yuri thought. _'It's not my problem,' _With that, Yuri ran straight towards the village where she knew her younger half brother protected. _'It's getting closer. I might as well intervene.' _

* * *

'_Hm, towards our little brother's village, huh, Yuri?' _Sesshomaru thought as he followed his sister's scent around the forest. _'Looking for something?' _

* * *

"Give it up," Gorou sneered as he raised his sword again.

"No way am I letting my village down." Akihiro said, straining from exhaustion. Gorou narrowed his eyes as he charged at his enemy with his sword. _'Is this the end?' _Akihiro thought as he shakily raised his own sword.

* * *

'_Okay, this is the last of them,' _Kagome thought as she fought the last of the soldiers around her.

"_Kagome," _Keiko barked as she slashed her claws through the soldier.

"Thanks," Kagome said. "What is it?"

"_Inuyasha came," _Keiko answered as she looked behind the priestess.

"What?" Kagome asked as she turned around only to face the silver haired half demon. "Oh, hi,"

"Hi? Is that all you can say?" Inuyasha said, slightly gritting his teeth.

"Did I do something?" Kagome asked as a wave of dizziness ran through her. Inuyasha sighed then hugged her tightly to him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Kagome answered into his chest.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here faster." Inuyasha said as he placed a hand behind her head to get a tighter hold. Scrunching up his face, Inuyasha pulled back and looked at his hand. "Kagome, your head." Kagome looked oblivious for a second before remembering.

"Yeah, a horse just kicked me into a tree." Kagome said. "How did you know to come?"

"You called me," Inuyasha said as he showed her the glowing mark.

"I did?" Kagome asked as she looked at her own mark only to see it covered with blood.

"_Not to interrupt," _Keiko barked. _"But I think we're still in this mini war."_

"Right," Kagome said as she looked around, trying to find the rest of the soldiers and the general. "Hey, on your way here, you didn't happen to see Akihiro, did you?"

"Uh, no," Inuyasha said.

"Let's find him," Kagome said as she ran off.

"Wait, Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled to her. "You're still hurt," The half demon then caught up to her and stopped her running.

"But I'm fine." Kagome said as another wave of dizziness wafted through her.

"No, you're not." Inuyasha said sternly. "I'm bringing you back to the village."

"But they need me," Kagome struggled. "These soldiers of ours are almost all farmers."

"I'll handle it," Inuyasha persisted. "I'm getting you back." With that, Inuyasha swung the priestess onto his back. "Keiko, stay and help." The two tail dog demon nodded her head and ran off.

"Inuyasha," Kagome hissed.

"Stop," Inuyasha said sternly. "You are going to listen to me right now."

"Like I ever listen," Kagome growled.

"Deal with it," Inuyasha said as he sped towards the village.

* * *

"Ah! A demon!" Gorou yelled as he backed away while a demon stepped out from the bush. Akihiro stood stern as he watched the demon walk out.

"Oooh, a demon," Yuri said putting her hands up and making claws come out. "Boo,"

"Stay away from me," Gorou said. "Kill him instead." Yuri raised her eyebrow as she stared at the stiff Akihiro.

"You from the village protected by the half demon?" Yuri asked in almost emotionless voice.

"What about it?" Akihiro said tightly. "Are you against that half demon too?" Yuri smirked as she turned towards Gorou.

"And you," Yuri said to the other general. "What is your purpose fighting these people?" Gorou slowly stepped backwards.

"The half demon must die." Gorou said. "Don't you detest half breeds? They taint both our blood." Yuri narrowed her eyes slightly as he face became emotionless.

"Usually I don't butt into other peoples fight," Yuri said as she flexed her claws. "But this village is also under my protection," With demonic speed that rivaled Sesshomaru, the female dog demon launched forward and grabbed the opposite general by the neck and lifted him off the ground. Akihiro gasped as he dropped his sword in shock.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Gorou strained as he put his hands on Yuri's wrist trying to wrench the hand off his throat.

"What do you think?" Yuri asked as she flashed her eyes red for a split second. Gorou stopped struggling for a moment. Yuri sighed then dropped the man. "You know, I'm not a killer."

"Bitch," Gorou coughed out.

"You can finish him," Yuri said as she turned to look at Akihiro. "I'll be in the sidelines, if you need me." With that, Yuri raised her hand and stepped aside. Akihiro looked confused then looked at his opponent who also had a confused face.

Just then, a glowing green whip came through the clearing, cutting off the head of Gorou while leaving Akihiro untouched. Akihiro looked shocked as he backed away from his opponent and shook his head, disbelieving.

"You should stop confusing them, Yuri, they are only human." A cold voice said from the trees.

"Ah, Sesshomaru, so nice of you to pop up after following me for so long." Yuri said with a smirk. Sesshomaru stepped out of the darkness and got coated with the moon's light.

"Wh-who are you?" Akihiro asked, scared. Yuri turned to the scared human and softened her eyes.

"Don't worry. We're on your side." Yuri said with a wave of her hand.

"Woof," a bark said from their feet. Looking down, they saw Keiko staring up at them, still transformed.

"The dog," Sesshomaru said in monotone. Keiko growled slightly but then surveyed the scene.

"Keiko," Akihiro said, relieved. Keiko untransformed herself as she saw the dead man then went over and hopped into Yuri's arms.

"Woof," Keiko barked happily, relieving the tension in Akihiro.

"Told you we were on your side." Yuri said. Akihiro blindly nodded.

* * *

"Toshio," Eiko said, shocked.

"Eiko," Toshio said as he came over. "You're alive,"

"So are you," Eiko said as she stood up and hugged her husband/mate tightly.

"The half demon was telling the truth," Toshio whispered, mostly to himself. "What about Sora."

"She's here," Eiko said into his chest. "She's safe," Kaede, seeing the happy couple, left to sleep in a different room.

"Thank goodness,"

* * *

"I can't believe he would just leave without us," Sango said, angered.

"Now, now, I'm sure there was a good reason." Miroku tried to reassure.

"Avion," Sango growled. The nervous looking spiritual bird backed away from the demon slayer slowly, not making any sudden movements.

"Well," Avion said. "He did have a good reason."

"Kagome is our friend too." Sango said.

"I thought you said nothing was wrong," Shippo butted in.

"What I meant was-" Avion started.

"_You let him go, recklessly?" _Kirara meowed.

'_Oh boy,' _Avion thought.

* * *

"So you're saying that I will get another shard if I kill them?" a gruff voice said.

"Yes," A man in a white baboon suit said with a smirk. "If you eliminate them, you will have a lot more than another shard."

"Very well,"

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**HOPE YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER!**

**R&R :D**


	51. Love at Bay

**Disclaimer: Duh, I don't own Inuyasha :P If I did, I would be rich.**

* * *

**A/N: Oh my god! Chapter 50! (Prologue does not count as a chapter) Thank you everyone for reading this! And thank you everyone who reviewed! I couldn't have gotten this far without your encouragements! And, well, looking at the visit counts really helped too! Thank you so much, again! You guys are awesome! :D**

**Now, a special chapter, especially for you, my faithful readers:**

* * *

Love at Bay

"I swear, when I get my hands on him," Sango grumbled as she rode on Kirara through the air.

"Calm down, Sango," Miroku comforted. "If Kagome was in trouble, then he would get there quicker by himself than with all of us."

"Yeah, but he could've told us," Sango grumbled.

"I hope they're okay." Shippo thought absently.

"I'm sure they are," Avion said as she flew next to the fire cat, high up in the air. Looking towards the mid morning sun, Avion searched her connection with the priestess. "Kagome's got some injuries,"

"What happened?" Sango asked.

"Seems like some kind of battle," Avion said. "And a horse,"

"What?" Shippo asked. Avion just shrugged.

"We'll find out when we get there," Miroku said. The other group members nodded.

"Hey, what happened to that demon?" Shippo asked.

"The demon?" Sango asked.

"Oh right, that demon that thought we killed his mate." Miroku said. "Toshio, was it?"

"He left with Inuyasha," Avion said.

"Why?" Shippo asked, innocently.

"Because Inuyasha was being rash and told him that his mate was probably in trouble too, since it was at the village." Avion said.

"Well, you got to admit, it is a possibility." Miroku said.

"But you should've heard the way he said it," Avion said with a slight smile. "Okay, we're almost there."

"Kirara, let's go a little faster." Sango said. The fire cat growled in understanding then sped up, followed by the spiritual bird.

* * *

"I told you I was fine!"

"And I'm telling _you _that you're not!"

"And who was the one that has the injuries. Oh yeah, _me_!"

"Then how about all that blood?!"

"It was a head wound! Head wounds _always _bleed a lot! That's what they're supposed to do!"

"Ye never change, even if ye two are mates." Kaede sighed as she washed her hands in a basin full of water.

"Well he's the one saying that _I'm _not okay." Kagome defended while waving her hands at the half demon.

"You're not!" Inuyasha said back.

"Oh, how do you know?" Kagome asked.

"Do you not see or feel the bandages around yourself?" Inuyasha asked. From the side of the hut, two figures blinked as they watched the couple fight, while a third figure stared in curiosity.

"Yes, I can _feel and see _them," Kagome said exasperatedly.

"Do you know how many wounds those are?" Inuyasha asked, getting angrier.

"Mostly flesh wounds." Kagome sung out.

"And how about where you have the hooves of a horse imprinted on your body?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm thinking internal bleeding," Kagome thought out loud. Inuyasha gritted his teeth.

"Exactly!" Inuyasha roared. "You're not okay!"

"Oh, then how can I walk and talk and _yell_?" Kagome said loudly.

"Toshio, what do you think about this?" Eiko whispered to her own mate.

"I'm thinking she's okay." Toshio whispered back. Their daughter, Sora, who was held by the sky demon, blinked a few times before cocking her head to the side as she watched the other couple argue.

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"Guys, seriously, shut up." _

"What are you arguing about _now_?" Yuri asked as she came into the hut.

"Tell her she's _not _okay!" Inuyasha yelled towards his older half sister while pointing at the young priestess.

"Tell him I _am _okay!" Kagome yelled back, though not getting a good effect due to the bandages around her head and body.

"Uh," Yuri said with a confused look on her face.

"You are covered in bandages," a monotone voice said from next to the female dog demon.

"That doesn't mean I'm not okay, Sesshomaru." Kagome said. "If I had a small cut on my finger and _that _had a bandage on it, would you still say I'm _not _okay?"

"Yes!" Inuyasha yelled.

"What?" Kagome asked as she turned towards the male half demon.

"If you had a bandage over it, then that means you _were _bleeding." Inuyasha argued.

"Yes, _were, _being in past tense!" Kagome argued back while making flaring movements with her arms and hands.

"_Why can't you guys be a _normal _couple?" _Keiko barked, adding to the loud noises to the hut.

"I don't think that has any chance of happening, Keiko." Yuri said to the two tail dog demon. Keiko sighed in her dog ways.

"This Sesshomaru will be leaving," Sesshomaru said before turning around.

"Wait!" Kagome yelled towards the male full dog demon. Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around. "Two men died from our village. Do you think you can… you know, use Tenseiga to help us here?" Kagome smiled innocently.

"This Sesshomaru has no purpose in doing such an act." Sesshomaru said coldly before walking away. Kagome fell to her knees and started crying.

"But they were innocent farmers." Kagome wailed. "They weren't even trained for battle."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said, sympathetically with a hint of concern.

"And we need food in this tiny village. Two farmers is a big amount of food that we cannot make now." Kagome continued as she put her hands in front of her face while tears ran down her cheek.

"Sesshomaru," Yuri sighed. "Please?" Sesshomaru turned towards the dead men near the village though in a barrier erected by Kaede. Yuri followed her older half brother out while Kaede went to release the barrier around the dead men.

'_Getting soft, are you, Sesshomaru?' _Kagome thought with a smirk as Inuyasha rubbed her back.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said worriedly. "Yuri will make sure he brings them back to life." Kagome lifted her head from her hands.

"Is he out of ear shot?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, uncertainly.

"Alright," Kagome said, cheering up. "My job is done."

"_You were faking again, weren't you?" _Keiko barked. Kagome gave a slight laugh as she put a bright smile on her lips.

"Sesshomaru's just getting soft," Kagome said without losing her smile. Inuyasha scratched his head.

"You…" Inuyasha started, but decided it was a pointless sentence.

"You're good," Eiko commented.

"But what did you have that demon do?" Toshio asked, confused.

"He has this sword that his father left for him when he died and that sword brings people back to life." Kagome said cheerfully.

"Interesting," Toshio said.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed.

'Funny how they forgot all about the earlier argument,' Keiko thought as she laid her head on her front paws.

* * *

"Oh come one," Yuri said exasperatedly. "You already told them you were going to bring them back. Besides, do you know how small this village is?"

"Hm," Sesshomaru said as he looked at the dead bodies of the two farmers lying on mats.

"And Kagome was in tears," Yuri said. _'Though I could've sworn she was faking.' _She thought, though Sesshomaru didn't need to know that. Sesshomaru kept his face emotionless as he took out his father's fang. Pulsing in his one hand, the sword glowed blue as the death imps wrapping the bodies in metal chains appeared to Sesshomaru's eyes. Slicing the little monsters, the bodies began to get their normal warm blooded color back.

"Wh-what?" a man asked as he blinked open his eyes. Looking beside him, the farmer grew wide eyed as he stared at the two full fledge dog demons in front of him. "Pl-please don't hurt me."

"Hm," Sesshomaru said before abruptly turning away and floating into the air on his fur scarf. (?)

"Don't worry," Yuri said to the farmers while watching her brother float off. "See you at home!" Yuri grinned as she saw Sesshomaru's impassive face give a twitch. _'I love annoying you.' _Yuri thought.

"Please, I beg you," the second farmer said as he bowed in front of the female dog demon. Yuri turned around and faced the two, watching them bow for a second before regaining her composure. The farmers freaked for a second as they saw the females long fang sticking out from her mouth and over her lower lip.

"Have mercy," The first farmer said as him and his buddy still bowed up and down. Yuri blinked opening and closing her golden eyes. Kneeling down, Yuri put her arms in between her chest and thighs as she continued watching the men, who sweated a bit more as she kneeled.

"We'll give you whatever you want." The second farmer chimed.

"Uh," Yuri said, not really knowing what to do. "You know…" The farmers stopped bowing but kept their head on the ground. "I'm not going to hurt you. You were already dead once, and you didn't do anything to me."

"D-dead?" The famers stuttered. Yuri nodded. She then pointed towards the blue morning sky.

"You know that demon that left?" Yuri asked, though knowing they didn't. "Well he revived you."

"Oh," The second farmer with black hair in a small pony tail and green clothes said. The first farmer, who kept his hair in a longer pony tail, wore blue clothing as he stared at the sky.

"Besides, we came to help you with this mini war," Yuri explained.

"May I ask why? I thought you demons didn't intervene in human battles." The one in blue clothing said, still terrified.

"Inuyasha's our little brother," Yuri said with a wink as she got up and held both hands out. "Come on, you should get checked up by Kaede and Kagome."

"Inuyasha has siblings?" The one in green whispered to his buddy as they warily took Yuri's hand. Yuri, using her demonic strength, hoisted them up to their feet then let go of their hands.

"Yes," Yuri answered with a small grin. "But Kagome was the one to call us here." Yuri shrugged.

"Oh," the farmers said quietly. The three then started heading back towards the village.

* * *

"Was… Was that Sesshomaru?" Shippo asked as he saw a white figure fly through the sky above them as him, Sango, and Miroku flew on Kirara while Avion flew next to them.

"Looks like it," Sango said, blinking in confusion.

"Why is he here?" Miroku asked.

"Look, its Yuri," Avion said as she looked down and saw the female dog demon leading two farmers towards Kaede's hut.

"I wonder what happened to have them all here." Sango said.

"I'll go find out," Avion volunteered as she swooped down towards the dog demon.

"Was it that bad of a situation?" Shippo asked innocently. "I mean, Inuyasha came, then Toshio, then Sesshomaru, and now Yuri?"

"Looks like it," Miroku said as he scanned the forest. Kirara growled.

"_Blood," _Kirara growled out.

"What do you mean, Kirara?" Sango asked.

"What did she say?" Miroku asked. Shippo looked at the monk with a face that said 'you're kidding, right?' Miroku shrugged.

"Blood," Shippo repeated. "Where, Kirara?"

"_Smells like men are wounded and a lot of it is coming from the forest," _Kirara announced. Shippo then sniffed the air and got the coppery metallic smell of blood through his nostrils. The fox demon covered his nose with his small hands.

"Gross," Shippo said through his hands. "It also smells like medicinal herbs."

"People are wounded, so Kaede and Kagome probably used some." Sango said. Miroku stayed silent, not knowing what one creature was saying.

'_Maybe I'll ask Inuyasha to teach me,' _Miroku thought absently then reminded himself of Inuyasha's temper and how impatient he is. _'Then again, Kagome might be a better choice. I'm not going to embarrass myself in front of Sango.'_

* * *

…Later that day…

"Thanks Yuri," Kagome said as she hugged her sister-in-law. "You're the best."

"Hey," Inuyasha said, offended.

"It's a figure of speech," Kagome said with a wave of her hand and a smile. Yuri laughed slightly.

"Well, I got to go," Yuri said as she hugged her blood brother briefly.

"Alright," Kagome said. "Thanks again."

"No problem," Yuri said as she walked away and waved her hand. "Call me if you need me again."

"Will do," Inuyasha answered as he watched his sister take a slight jog before running like a true demon.

"Kagome, are you sure you're okay?" Sango asked from besides the priestess.

"Yep," Kagome said.

"_You look pretty beaten up." _Keiko said as she stood by Kagome's feet.

"But I'm fine. Seriously." Kagome said. "Okay, so priestess's heal faster than humans but slower than half demons, right?"

"Yeah," Miroku answered.

"What does this have to do anything with the injuries you have now?" Inuyasha asked as he crossed his arms.

"Let me finish," Kagome said. "Well, I'm a priestess and that makes me a fast healer, but I also have half demon blood in me. Therefore making my injuries heal even faster."

"But those are some bad injuries," Shippo said.

"Mew," Kirara agreed.

"Not even a half demon will fully heal yet until a day or two." Inuyasha said.

"Really?" Kagome asked, thinking things over. "But seriously, I feel okay." The others looked confused.

"Kagome, you were kicked by a horse," Sango said slowly.

"And have several sword wounds," Miroku added.

"Which are only flesh wounds. Well mine are anyways," Kagome defended.

"_You were kicked into a tree." _Keiko reminded.

"_And have that nasty gash in your head." _Kirara added.

"Not to mention that bloody mess on your head." Miroku said, oblivious to Keiko and Kirara. The others looked at the monk with a face that said 'oh my god, you got to be kidding.' The others shook their heads at the monk. "What?" Miroku asked.

"You know what, never mind," Sango said. "But Kagome, you shouldn't be out of bed."

"Would you guys stop worrying?" Kagome asked as she dramatically turned towards her 'family'. For a split second, the priestess's eyes turned golden then a light purple.

"Whoa," Shippo said. "That's new."

"What?" Kagome asked, thoroughly confused.

"Your eyes…" Miroku said in awe. Inuyasha grabbed her arm and turned the priestess towards him.

"Open your eyes," Inuyasha commanded.

"They are open," Kagome said.

"I meant... never mind," Inuyasha said before opening Kagome's right eye with his thumb below the organ.

"_What _are you doing?" Kagome asked as he looked into her eye.

"What _are _you doing, Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Is something wrong with her?" a female voice asked from behind the group. Turning their heads, the group saw the figures of Eiko, Toshio, and their half demon daughter Sora.

"Hello," Kagome said with Inuyasha's thumb still holding her eye open. Kagome then rolled her eyes and pushed Inuyasha's hand away.

"Hey," Inuyasha said as she swatted his hand away. "I was checking something."

"What on earth were you checking inside my eye?" Kagome asked. "What are you guys so shocked about anyways?"

"Well for one, after the injuries you should feel weak and dizzy." Sango said.

"But you don't," Miroku said. "You're more energetic than ever."

"And your eyes just flashed from gold to a light purple," Shippo added innocently. Keiko and Kirara nodded their heads.

"How did my eyes flash?" Kagome asked with a cocked head.

"I don't know," Shippo said with a shrug.

"Hm, interesting," Toshio said as he rubbed his chin.

"What?" Kagome asked as she blinked her eyes in confusion.

"Maybe we should call Yuri back," Sango suggested.

"I do not understand this," Kagome voiced in.

"What were you checking, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Oh yeah," Inuyasha said as he grabbed Kagome and looked into her eyes. "Hold still, will you?"

"W-what are you doing?" Kagome asked as she stopped her struggle.

"Hm," Inuyasha mumbled.

"What are you looking for?" Eiko asked as she and her mate walked closer to the group.

"The gold ring in her eye is going from big to small," Inuyasha announced as he let Kagome's chin go.

"And that means…?" Kagome asked as she scratched her head.

"Something's going on with your blood," Inuyasha said. Everyone stood in silent confusion.

"What do you mean, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know, but Yuri taught me a little bit about it," Inuyasha said. "She said that if there's something going on with the color of the eyes then there's something going on with the blood." Inuyasha said.

"_Should we get her back? She couldn't have gone too far." _Keiko barked as she stood up.

"She's a pretty fast runner," Kagome said.

"Yeah, she could be a few miles away by now." Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"Oh," Shippo said.

"Hey, where's Avion?" Sango asked, noticing the spiritual bird wasn't there.

"She's helping some village men with the group we killed yesterday," Kagome informed.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Kagome said. Inuyasha went behind her and parted the hair on the back of her head. "What are you doing?"

"The wound that was here isn't there anymore," Inuyasha said, astonished.

"What?" Shippo asked, climbing onto Kagome's shoulder. Keiko jumped and landed on the other shoulder as she peered around.

"Kagome, what... how…?" Sango asked, at a loss for words.

"I don't know," Kagome said with a small shrug, making sure the fox demon and two tail dog demon didn't fall off.

"Extraordinary." Toshio said. "You're kind, strong, and heal from wounds all in one day."

"Well, let's leave this little episode behind and grab some lunch," Miroku suggested.

"Good idea," Shippo said, hopping down from the priestess's shoulder. Keiko followed while Kirara trailed next to them. Eiko and Toshio walked away, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha.

Leaning down, Inuyasha gave a small kiss to Kagome's temple before she looked up at him with confusion. Inuyasha looked back with worried eyes as he stared at the eyes of his mate. The golden ring inside changed from a thick circle to a thing one.

"You okay?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah," Kagome said cheerfully. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm okay."

"Tell me when you feel sick or something," Inuyasha said, taking her hand and leading her back to Kaede's hut.

"Alright," Kagome said as she followed obediently.

* * *

…Sunset…

"So you've decided to go to the priestess village?" Kagome asked as she sat across from Eiko, Toshio, and Sora.

"Yes, I believe it would be easier to live peacefully there." Eiko said. "Not that there's anything wrong here,"

"I know," Kagome said with a soft smile. "There's a barrier around that village that we priestess help erect, so it's much safer there."

"Thank you for everything," Eiko said, slightly bowing her head.

"No problem," Kagome said sheepishly. "Besides, Sango was there to help."

"Yes, thank you." Eiko said again. Sango smiled and nodded her head.

"Why don't we escort you to the village?" Miroku suggested.

"You don't have to," Toshio said. "I can protect them."

"Yes, but you might have trouble getting into the village." Sango said.

"No they won't," Kagome said. "They just have to go into the main building and ask for a place to live,"

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed.

"Oh," Miroku said. "But we might as well go that way."

"Why?" Shippo asked. Keiko opened one of her eyes as she relaxed the other from her seat in Kagome's lap.

"We should go see Yuri to ask her about Kagome," Miroku said.

"Good idea, Miroku," Sango said. Inuyasha sat up straighter as he heard the news.

"We'll go west then," Inuyasha said.

"Alright," Kagome agreed. "So when do you want to leave?"

"Uh…" Eiko whispered.

"How about tomorrow?" Toshio offered.

"That should be good," Kagome said with a nod of her head.

"It's getting late," Inuyasha said, standing up. "Let's get some rest in our own place."

"Alright," Kagome said, lifted Keiko in her arms as she stood up. "Good night, guys,"

"Kagome, can I stay here and play with Sora?" Shippo asked cutely.

"Isn't she a bit young?" Kagome asked with confusion.

"Yeah, but she's likes my tricks," Shippo pleaded.

"Well you have to ask the parents, dear, you can stay if you like." Kagome answered with a soft smile. Keiko roused from her half sleep as she was carried.

"Can I?" Shippo asked as he stepped in front of the woman.

"Sure," Eiko said as she patted Shippo on the head.

"Thanks!" Shippo yelled as he went over to the baby half demon.

"Feh, that's settled, let's go." Inuyasha said, walking out of the hut.

"Good night!" Kagome said as she ran after the half demon. Avion, who returned earlier that evening, jumped into the air and flew out.

"Bye Kagome!" Shippo yelled before she left.

"We should get some rest too, Sango," Miroku said, getting up. "You coming?"

"Uh, yeah," Sango said with a blush tinting her cheeks. "Come on, Kirara." Kirara looked up and got on her feet, following the couple.

"Have a nice night," Miroku said, leaving the hut with his golden staff jingling with every step. Sango grabbed her Hiraikotsu then waved at the couple and the fox demon.

"See you tomorrow." Sango said as she left.

"Bye Sango!" Shippo called as he waved.

* * *

"We haven't been in here for a while." Kagome said as she sneaked inside the wooden hut.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said from behind her. "Let me check if it's okay."

"Alright," Kagome said. "I'll go check the rooms in the back." From her arms, a low growl was heard as Keiko wiggled. "Keiko, what?" The two tail dog demon continued to growl as she looked straight through the darkness in the back.

"Avion, check the surroundings." Inuyasha ordered. The spiritual bird nodded as she flew away and towards the outside perimeter of the hut.

"Inuyasha, do you sense something?" Kagome asked quietly while Keiko struggled. "Keiko, calm down."

"Not in particular," Inuyasha said as he walked to the middle of the room.

"Something's up with Keiko though," Kagome said worriedly as she held the struggling dog tighter. _'If I let her go, she's going to go barge in somewhere and who knows what's going to happen next.' _Kagome thought worriedly.

"Hm," Inuyasha said as he looked at the dog. "I'll go check the back."

"Be careful," Kagome said as she stepped towards the extra room. _'Keiko won't even talk. She just growls at something in the back rooms.' _

* * *

"Oof," Sango said as she ran into Miroku's arm. "What is it, Miroku?"

"We haven't been here in a while, we should check if anyone's inside." Miroku informed as he slowly let his arm drop then step inside.

"Right," Sango said, lifting her weapon slightly. Kirara walked at their feet as she slowly made her way inside and started hissing. "Kirara? What is it?"

"Did she say anything?' Miroku asked.

"No," Sango said as Kirara walked forward. "Kirara, wait," Sango quickly picked up the cat demon and held her as Miroku held the giant bone boomerang. "What's wrong?" The cat demon continues to hiss.

"I'll check the back," Miroku said as he handed the weapon back to the demon slayer. "Stay here."

"Okay," Sango said, still worried about her cat friend. "Careful," Miroku nodded as he disappeared into the darkness. _'I should start making a fire,' _Sango thought as she walked to the middle of the room where the fire pit was and placed her weapon down, wary of what she was touching.

"It doesn't look like anything is in there." Miroku said, coming out of the back. "Is Kirara still in a fuss?"

"Yeah," Sango said as she picked up a lone wooden stick.

"Maybe we should let her wander and try to find it," Miroku suggested as he sat next to his fiancé.

"I don't know," Sango said. "Wait, where'd she go?"

"Uh…" Miroku said as he got up. Sango quickly stood up and walked into the darkness, followed by the monk.

"Kirara," Sango called as she walked into the room she and Miroku were to share. "Come back,"

"It's safe here, she'll be okay. Unless she senses something we don't," Miroku said, almost nervously.

"Kirara, what's wrong with you?" Sango asked as they went further into the room.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she twisted between Sango's legs then went behind Miroku.

"Kirara!" Sango said loudly as she turned, only to bump into the monk. "Uh," The demon slayer's face grew a tint of red as her hands were on his chest. Miroku placed his hands on her elbows to steady her.

"Sango, are you okay?" Miroku asked, their faces mere inches apart.

"Y-yeah," Sango said.

Behind the couple, Kirara sat with a cocked head as she watched. The two tail then stood up and jumped with all her might onto the monk's back, pushing him forward. Unprepared for the impact, Miroku stumbled forward until his body met with the demon slayer while kissing her lips. Snickering, Kirara walked out of the room and out of the hut to give the love birds privacy.

* * *

"There's nothing out of the ordinary back there," Inuyasha said as he came out of the dark.

"But Keiko is still growling," Kagome said as she held fast to the dog and petted her.

"What is that dog growling about?" Inuyasha asked, annoyed, as he sat down and played with the fire with a stick. Wiggling free, Keiko scratched Kagome's wrist slightly as she bounded to the back room.

"Ow," Kagome said as she instinctively pulled her hand away and looked at the scratch.

"Hey, are you okay?" Inuyasha asked as he got up and went to the priestess to look at the drop of blood on her wrist.

"Yeah, it's only a small scratch," Kagome said. She then looked back. "What's gotten into the dog? She never acts like this."

"Well I'll go give her a piece of my mind," Inuyasha growled as he stood up.

"Wait, don't be too hard on her," Kagome pleaded as she got up.

"That dog has to learn her place," Inuyasha said, stomping into the room. Kagome quickly followed to make sure the half demon doesn't go too far with the two tail dog.

"Where'd she go?" Kagome asked as they walked into the room.

"Ow," Inuyasha hissed as his ankle was scratched as Keiko made her way through his legs. The two tail dog demon then went around the priestess and looked from the door way. Inuyasha turned around and bumped into the priestess. Staggering back from the impact, Kagome grabbed on to Inuyasha's arms, unconsciously bringing him closer. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kagome said breathlessly. Keiko rolled her eyes as she ran up and jumped onto Kagome's back, pushing her forward. Gasping, Kagome fell onto Inuyasha and pressed her lips to his. Grinning, Keiko bounced out of the hut happily.

* * *

Avion sat on a tree branch near the village, waiting. The spiritual bird then looked towards the left and saw Kirara come out of the forest, looking proud of herself. Flying down, Avion flew over the neko manta demon.

"I'm guessing it went well?" Avion asked.

"Mew," Kirara meowed happily. _"Yes, they are kissing right now,"_

"That's one couple," Avion said as she got higher into the air and looked towards Inuyasha and Kagome's hut. "Here comes Keiko,"

"Woof!" Keiko barked, wagging her tails back and forth.

"_Did it work?" _Kirara asked.

"_You bet," _Keiko barked.

"Hey, guys!" a shrill voice said from the village.

"Shippo," Avion said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm seeing if it went well," Shippo panted from running.

"_Everything worked okay." _Kirara informed.

"Great," Shippo said. "Those guys need some time alone."

"We're lucky Kagome let you stay." Avion said. "But she would've anyways,"

"Yeah," Shippo said. "We should get back to Kaede's hut. It's pretty dark."

"_Good idea," _Keiko barked as they walked towards the village.

* * *

Landing on the futon, the couple continued kissing as their hands roamed the other's body. Miroku, being on top, put his hands on either side of Sango's head as he stared down at her.

"Sango," Miroku whispered.

"Miroku," Sango whispered back.

"If we go further, you know what that means, right?"

"Yes,"

"Do you…?" Miroku asked, unsurely.

"Yes, Miroku," Sango whispered into the night. The monk then leaned down and kissed the demon slayer breathless.

[Something along the lines of a lemon happens here]

[I don't know if you people know this but it's a rated T fan fiction]

* * *

"Mm, Inuyasha," Kagome panted as they stumbled backwards and onto the futon behind them. Kagome tilted her head sideways as the half demon kissed her neck.

"Kagome," Inuyasha sighed as her hands went from his chest to massage his back slightly.

[Something along the lines of a lemon happens here]

[I don't know if you people know this but it's a rated T fan fiction]

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**This chapter is shorter 'cause it's suppose to have a lemon… sort of. ^^;**

**Well… anyways, Thanks for sticking with me through 50 chapters!**

**You guys are awesome! :) THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!**

**This story isn't ending yet ;) Look forward to yet another chapter! **


	52. Journey Back West

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Journey Back West

The early morning sun shone through the window on the wall. Looking out, the giant Sacred Tree stood tall and proud as the sun beat down on its leaves as the wind riled the leaves into a small frenzy. Blinking her eyes open, Kagome looked out the window as she lie in the futon with Inuyasha snug behind her, an arm resting across her abdomen. Sighing in contentment, the priestess snuggled closer to the pillow as she pulled on the blanket.

'_The Sacred Tree,' _Kagome thought as she continues to look out the window.

_Flashback_

"_If you hand over the jewel right now, I won't have to start sharpening my claws on you." A menacing voice said as bones were crushed under his foot while he cracked his own knuckles._

"_What?" a stunned girl said as she stood behind an old priestess. _'What? You mean he's not the hero?' _the girl thought, surprised at the twist. Men from the village gathered around the half demon, the old priestess, and the young girl in strange clothing, ready to protect the women. _

"_Pay no heed to Inuyasha, child," the old priestess said, referring to the half demon as she put an arm up to block the young girl. _

'The sacred jewel makes monsters more powerful, is it cursed?' _The young girl thought as she looked at the glowing jewel in her hand._

"_I hate having to wait," The half demon, Inuyasha, hissed. "And I hate the smell of you." With that, the half demon launched forward in a fast run; heading towards his target – the girl. Gasping, the young girl turned around and started running, only to trip on a spare bone from a recently deceased centipede demon. Slicing his claws, Inuyasha narrowly missed as the girl fell forward to the ground. Landing behind her, a distance away, the half demon laughed. "Want me to scratch your back?" He said as he cracked his knuckles._

"_You really tried to hit me just now, didn't you?" The girl accused as she got up on her hands and knees. _

"_Shoot him!" a village man yelled as the others agreed and started launching arrows at the half demon. Using his armor, Inuyasha blocked and cracked the arrows in half before racing towards the villagers and cutting the trees on each side of the group. Screaming, the men fled in different directions to escape the falling trees. _

"_Ha, who do you people think I am? Think you can hurt me like I did that centipede?" The half demon accused as he jumped onto the half of the tree that still stood to the ground._

"_Somehow I knew that it would eventually come to this," The old priestess said as she reached into her kimono and pulled out a necklace stringed with purple beads and white fangs. Panting, the young girl ran through the forest as the half demon chased after her._

"_Prepare yourself!" Inuyasha yelled as he closed in on the girl._

"_Prepare?" the girl panted out. "For what?"Slashing into the ground with his claws, Inuyasha watched as the girl was flung forward while dropping the jewel. _

"_Ha! Now it's mine," Inuyasha yelled as he launched himself off a tree and towards the Shikon no Tama. Small strings of light flew through the night as they made their way towards the half demon, encircling around his neck. "Huh? What the heck are these?" Inuyasha asked as he grabbed the purple beads around his neck._

"_Quickly child, the word of subjugation." The old priestess said._

"_Huh? What word?" The girl asked as she crawled to the dropped jewel. _

"_It matters not." The old priestess said. "Your word has power to hold his spirit." Running again, Kagome went to a ledge and stood as it gave way, making her fall to the bottom. Bouncing away, the jewel made it to the middle of a wooden bridge. _

"_Ha! How can you over power me when you can't sit up?" Inuyasha asked as he jumped over the girl and towards the bridge._

"_A word to hold his spirit? But how will I know which one?" Kagome asked herself out loud. Waiting until the jewel as it rolled to him, Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard the girl contemplating her thoughts. "Uh, sit boy," The purple beads glowed around the half demon's neck as he was pulled to the ground – harshly._

"_The heck is this thing!?" Inuyasha growled as he tried pulling it off._

_End Flashback_

Kagome laughed slightly as she recalled the memory. Rousing from his sleep, Inuyasha twitched an eye open as he stared into the back of a giggling head as sun shone through the window.

"What? Is something funny?" Inuyasha asked as he lifted up his body with his elbow and arm.

"Just thinking of old times," Kagome said quietly without moving.

"Oh? Which time?" He asked as he sat up and stretched his arms over his head.

"The time when you tried to kill me," Kagome said, giggling a bit as she also sat up while bringing the covers over her bare chest.

"What? I never tried to kill you. I would never!" Inuyasha nearly yelled. Kagome only laughed again.

"Silly half demon," Kagome said as she picked up a white kimono and wore it over her naked body. "You did. Once."

"When!?" Inuyasha demanded.

"When we met," Kagome said with a small grin as she got up.

"When we met…" Inuyasha repeated. "I still don't…"

"Do you remember Mistress Centipede?" Kagome asked as she turned around and faced him.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, mostly to himself as he thought it over. _'At the Sacred Tree.' _He thought.

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said with a smile as she put her hands flat on the bed and leaned towards the half demon on the other side. "You hated me."

"I-I did not." Inuyasha defended, though he was lying through his teeth.

"Whether you hated me or Kikyo, it doesn't matter." Kagome said as she put her lips on his and forced his mouth open. Surprise, Inuyasha didn't react until he felt her tongue playing with his own before licking at his fangs. The half demon sighed into her mouth as she pulled away, lingering the kiss. "You chose me at the end."

"Mm," Inuyasha mumbled as he bit his bottom lip. "Glad I did."

"Me too," Kagome said as she pushed herself back up into a standing position. "Want breakfast or anything?"

"I'll go hunt," Inuyasha said as he got up with the blankets around his waist as he found his red baggy pants and put them on, tying the sash.

"Alright, then you won't mind if I go bathe?" Kagome asked from the door way.

"Go ahead," Inuyasha said as he slipped an arm in his inner white kimono. "You don't need my permission."

"Really? Usually I do." Kagome said with a smile as she slipped out of the room.

"Hey! That's only to…" Inuyasha started to yell but couldn't think of anything.

"Exactly!" Kagome yelled playfully from the entrance room. Inuyasha growled, mostly towards himself, as he went out. "See you!"

"Bye," Inuyasha grumbled as he took his sword from against the wall and went out of the wooden hut. Breathing the fresh air of the feudal era, Inuyasha began to sniff out game.

* * *

"Br, that's cold," Sango shivered as she dipped herself into the river. A sound from the bush behind the demon slayer startled her as she whipped around with a white kimono in front of her chest. "Who's there?"

"Well good morning sunshine." A female voice said happily. "On alert this early in the day?"

"Kagome," Sango sighed in relief. "Good morning,"

"What's up?" Kagome asked as she pushed her way through the bush. "Did you have a good night?"

"Y-yeah," Sango said as she looked down at the river with a fierce blush on her face.

"Something wrong?" Kagome asked as she turned her back towards the demon slayer and dropped the kimono to the ground before stepping into the stream.

"N-no, nothing's wrong. Why would you think something's wrong?" Sango said nervously.

"Sure," Kagome said unbelieving. "Do you want to tell me the truth now?"

"Uh," Sango said as a nervous smile crossed her face.

"Alright, if you don't want to tell me," Kagome shrugged as she put both elbows on the ground behind her as she floated in the water. "It's okay,"

"Um," Sango said quietly, contemplating. "H-how was your night?"

"It was…" Kagome said while looking up into the clear blue sky and thought about last night. "Good. Very good." Sango cocked her head to the side as she stared at her sister like friend with confusion.

"Very good? Did something happen?"

"I-I guess," Kagome said as a blush surfaced to her face while she looked down at the water.

"Well, what happened?" Sango pushed on, not getting the clues.

"Just something," Kagome said with a slight smile.

"Oh?" Sango said, narrowing her eyes. "And this something is…?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Kagome said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Hm," Sango said, clearly not letting the subject go.

"Say, why don't you have breakfast at my hut?" Kagome suggested quickly. "Inuyasha is hunting for breakfast anyways."

"Uh, alright," Sango said, shocked from the sudden mood change.

"Great!" Kagome yelled cheerfully as she got out of the river, pulling Sango with her, as she quickly slipped the white kimono on. "Meet me at my hut in thirty minutes, okay?"

"Alright," Sango said as she got pushed by the priestess towards her own hut.

"See you!" Kagome said before rushing towards the direction of the wooden hut. Sango stood still as she watched her friend.

"Uh… alright," Sango said quietly as she still stood motionless.

* * *

"I wonder what they're doing," Shippo asked innocently as he looked up at the ceiling of Kaede's hut.

"I wouldn't bother them," Avion informed as she bird hopped her way to the fox demon. "If the plan worked, who knows what you'll walk in on?"

"Oh yeah," Shippo said before giving a brief shiver.

"_Let's not think about that, huh?" _Kirara meowed.

"_Especially since Sora's right there," _Keiko barked as she pointed towards the middle of the hut. _"We're supposed to be watching her, remember?"_

"Right, Eiko and Toshio put us in charge of Sora," Avion said as she looked at the bundle. Sleeping peacefully, the half demon baby rolled to her side to get more comfortable.

"Oh, yeah," Shippo said. "Where did they go, again?"

"They went to take a walk through the village." Kaede said as she came out of the back room. "Now, if ye will excuse me, I need to tend to villagers."

"Do you need help, Lady Kaede?" Avion asked.

"No thanks," Kaede said with a kind smile. "Ye should take care of Sora." Avion then nodded.

"Bye Kaede!" Shippo said cheerfully.

"_Shh, you'll wake her up." _Kirara hissed as she went to the half demon child and curled her body around her. _"You know what happens when demon children wake up to find their parents missing."_

"_They throw a huge tantrum." _Keiko reminded. _"Not a regular one. A demonic one."_

"Oh yeah, I used to do that when I couldn't find my parents," Shippo said in a small voice. Avion cocked her head to the side before glowing pink and transforming into a small dog. The spiritual animal then laid her head in Shippo's lap as the fox demon drew comfort from her.

"You're with us now," Avion said. "You're not alone." Shippo gave a small smile.

"_Yeah, besides, we'll protect you and everyone else." _Keiko barked happily, though softly. _"We're like family."_

"_One big family," _Kirara said with a purr.

"One big family," Shippo repeated as he stared out the window. _'Kirara, Keiko, Avion, me, Inuyasha, Miroku, Kagome, and Sango – one big family.' _The fox demon thought with a smile.

* * *

"Sango, you're back," Miroku said as he stopped poking at the fire with a stick.

"Yeah," Sango said as she went into the back room and put on her regular clothes over her demon slayers outfit. "What are you doing?"

"Just waiting for you to come back," Miroku said with a happy tint in his eyes.

"Oh," Sango said as she blushed again and looked to the ground. "Well Kagome is expecting us at her hut for breakfast."

"Is she, now?" Miroku asked. "Did you run into her?"

"Yeah, we met at the river," Sango said. "So do you want to go?"

"Sure," Miroku said as he got up. "I just got to put the fire out."

"Right," Sango said absently.

"Is something wrong?" Miroku asked. "Was it about last night?"

"Uh," Sango said, stunned. "N-no! N-nothing about that."

"Then what's wrong?" Miroku asked as he came over to the demon slayer.

"Something with Kagome."

"Did something happen at the river?"

"We just talked." Sango said. "But she was all nervous when I asked how her night was."

"Maybe she did something with you know who. You know, like you and me," Miroku said perversely.

"Pervert!" Sango yelled. "She wouldn't… right?" The monk shrugged as he poured dirt and water over the fire.

"Who knows," Miroku said. "Let's get going, huh?"

"Yeah, good idea," Sango said as Miroku grabbed her hand before leaving the hut.

* * *

"What'd you get for breakfast?" Kagome asked as she came out of the back room with her fire rat kimono on.

"Is that all you have me around here for? Getting food?"

"No," Kagome said as she walked over and kissed him on the cheek. "You are pretty good at fighting too."

"Hey!" Inuyasha said, stunned.

"I'm kidding," Kagome said as she stepped up to him and gave him a kiss, making him want more. "You know I love you."

"Keh," Inuyasha said, though he didn't mean it in an offensive way.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before," Kagome said, stepping out of his arms. "Sango and Miroku are coming to breakfast."

"They are? Since when?" Inuyasha asked.

"Since I saw Sango at the river." Kagome said with a cheerful smile. "You don't mind do you?" The half demon sighed.

"Guess not," He said. "It was a pretty big boar." He said as he looked at the cooking meat on sticks in the fire pit.

"Okay," Kagome said with a cheery smile.

"What's with you?" Inuyasha asked. "You're acting kind of weird."

"Fine." Kagome said quickly.

"Um… Okay." Inuyasha said, blinking in confusion.

"Don't you want to bathe, or something?" Kagome asked.

"But I thought-" Inuyasha started to say.

"Hey," Miroku interrupted as he barged in. "Are we in time for breakfast?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said pointing to the brown meat on sticks in the fire pit. "Dig in,"

"Thanks," Sango said as she entered.

"Awesome, it's ready," Kagome said as she walked to the fire pit and picked up a stick of meat. "You eating, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, taking one for himself. Kagome cheerfully ate as the others looked at her with confusion and concern.

"Hey, Inuyasha, is Kagome okay?" Miroku whispered as he leaned towards the half demon. "She seems overly… happy or something."

"Truthfully, I have no idea," Inuyasha said before taking another bite.

"Uh… Does anyone know what happened to Kirara, Keiko, and Avion?" Sango asked.

"Well I can sense that Avion is back at the village." Kagome said. "The others are probably with her."

"Oh," Sango said.

"Okay, I'm going to go." Inuyasha said, throwing his stick into the fire pit.

"Where are you going?" Kagome asked.

"To bathe." Inuyasha said pointedly. "See you." With that he was out of the hut. _'There's something wrong with her.' _The half demon thought.

"Uh, Miroku, go with him," Sango said.

"Wh-what? Why?" Miroku asked.

"Um… You need one," Sango said before pushing the monk up to his feet and out the door.

"But I'm not done with brea-" Miroku started to say.

"Eat it on your way." Sango said as she pushed Miroku out the door. "Follow Inuyasha or something."

"Why'd you do that?" Kagome asked confusedly.

"Alright, Kagome, what's gotten you so worked up?" Sango asked.

"You noticed?" Kagome asked nervously.

"Everyone noticed."

"Oh," The priestess said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked as she walked over to the priestess and sat next to her.

"It… uh… It's nothing," Kagome said. "Don't worry about it."

"Kagome," Sango warned.

"It's not like I'm pregnant or anything." Kagome said absently.

"What!?" Sango yelled as she jumped to her feet.

"Oh…" Kagome said, looking down as she bit her thumb nail. _'Did I just say that out loud?' _

"K-Kagome," Sango said. "You…" Kagome laughed nervously as she looked at anything besides the demon slayer's face.

"I'm not pregnant so drop it," Kagome said with embarrassment.

"How can you be sure?" Sango asked.

"In my time, there are ways to prevent that sort of thing."

"Prevent? How can you do that?"

"There are medicines and stuff. Before I left on my own, I got one of those medicines injected into me." Kagome explained softly. "It's still in effect, so I'm not going to get pregnant."

"So why are you nervous?"

"If Miroku found out, he'll be telling all kinds of perverted things, and Inuyasha doesn't even know that you know." Kagome relented.

"That's it?" Sango asked, crossing her arms as she sat back down. "Don't worry, I'll knock the lecher unconscious if he tries anything."

"And I won't tell anyone about your little escapade too." Kagome said with a wink.

"What!?" Sango yelled. "How did you know that?!"

"You did!?" Kagome yelled. "I was just kidding!"

"Oh," Sango said quietly as her faced burned red. "Lovely,"

"Well," Kagome said, dragging the word out as she dropped her wooden stick to the fire pit. "I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks," Sango said.

"But I thought you were going to wait until marriage." Kagome said, concerned.

"I was, but… everything just kind of went out of hand and I didn't know what I was thinking." Sango said.

"You don't regret it, do you?"

"No! Of course not, but…"

"But… what?" Kagome asked as she put a comforting hand on the demon slayers shoulder.

"I don't know if… if… I'm pregnant." Sango said as she winced and tensed up. Kagome blinked a few times.

"Well, why don't you wait it out? And when you think that you are, I'll bring you something from my time that can tell you." Kagome said reassuringly. "Don't worry, Miroku wouldn't care if you were or not. He'll take care of you, and so will the rest of us."

"Thanks," Sango said with a small smile.

* * *

"Why are you here?" Inuyasha asked as he turned around.

"Sango kicked me out," Miroku said with a sigh as his half demon friend took off his outer kimono.

"Feh, you let your girl manhandle you?" Inuyasha asked.

"No!" Miroku nearly yelled. "I was just letting her have her way."

"Oh, alright," Inuyasha said as he rolled his eyes.

"Hm," Miroku mumbled as he started to undress, getting ready for a dip in the river.

* * *

…Afternoon…

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled as he jumped in the priestess arm while she entered the wooden hut that belonged to the old priestess of the small village.

"Hey, Shippo!" Kagome said excitedly as she hugged the fox. "How was your night?"

"It was fine," Shippo said with a smile.

"Good," Kagome said with a smile as she went further into the hut. "Keiko, Avion, Kirara." The three addressed creatures looked at the priestess and cocked their heads.

"Uh, anyways," Sango said quickly. "Where are Toshio and Eiko?"

"They're somewhere around the village." Shippo answered.

"Feh, well we should get going." Inuyasha scoffed. "We'll never make it anywhere if we stay here."

"Yeah, we should get going," Miroku agreed.

"Alright," Avion said as she hopped into the air and started flying. "I'll go get them," She said as she flew out the door.

"We should start getting ready." Sango suggested as she strapped on her Hiraikotsu to her back.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed as she placed the fox demon on the ground and started gathering her weapons.

"Kagome, are you sure you're okay?" Inuyasha asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, why?" Kagome asked, looking up from packing her bag.

"You're blood, remember?" Inuyasha said as he kneeled next to the girl.

"Oh yeah," Kagome said, thinking for a bit. "I'm fine,"

"Hm," Inuyasha said with a raised eyebrow but stood back up and went to the front door.

"We'll visit your sister on our way." Miroku said. "You said that she would know, right?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, looking out at the village.

"And Eiko, Toshio, and Sora will have a permanent place to live," Sango said.

"Besides, she won't be the only half demon there, right, Kagome?" Shippo asked as he lifted his head from playing with the baby half demon.

"Right," Kagome said with a smile while she stood up. "And that village is protected really well. Toshio might have to go train so he knows the formations when battling."

"What do you mean by that?" Sango asked.

"Well the village has a system of protection when battle. First the demons, half demons, and everything demonic will attack the threat first then the priestess's will finish it off. It's simple, but everyone has an assigned roll if it's more than a smaller demon." Kagome said with a shrug.

"They are very organized," Miroku commented.

"Well they are the west academy for priestess's," Inuyasha said in a monotone voice. "It's the best in the whole region."

"Are ye leaving for ye journey?" Kaede asked as she walked up to the hut.

"Yes," Kagome said as she put on the strap to her bag on her shoulder.

"We will be leaving once we gather the others." Sango said.

"Got them!" Avion said cheerfully as she soared through the door.

"Great," Miroku said.

"Good, now we can go." Inuyasha said as he walked to the door with his arms crossed.

"Bye Kaede!" Kagome said happily as she gave the old priestess a hug then ran outside to her mate.

"Bye Kaede," Sango said with a smile as she walked out the door followed by Kirara, Keiko, and Shippo.

"Again, I thank you for bringing us to our new home." Eiko said as she slightly bowed in her gratitude.

"No problem," Kagome said with a wave of her hand.

"I feel like we've been to the west a million times," Shippo said. "We should just live there."

"And what about this village?" Sango asked. "Wouldn't you miss it?"

"Yeah," Shippo said as he looked into the middle of the entire village. "It is nice here." Kagome bent down and messed with the fox demon's orange hair.

"Let's get going, huh?" Kagome asked as they started walking at an easy pace.

* * *

"They are coming," a little girl in white said to a large demon that was camouflaged by dark waters. Roaring, the large demon's eyes glowed red as he stared at the girl.

"Good," the large demon said in a low voice. "Now I will get the other half of my payment soon." A white glow shone through the dark as it was placed on the demon's forehead.

* * *

"So _why _exactly did you follow me?" Yuri asked pointedly as she walked next to her older brother. Being the emotionless demon, Sesshomaru didn't answer the question. "Were you _worried?_"

"No," Sesshomaru said shortly as he walked inside the castle grounds.

"Curious?" Yuri said as she smirked and poked him in the arm. "Come on, you were the one following."

"Hm," Sesshomaru said as he made his way into the gardens in the back of the castle.

"Ugh, you're no fun at all," Yuri said as she rolled her eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" a shrill voice of a little girl yelled.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" another shrill voice said.

"And Lady Yuri," the little girl with long black hair and an orange and white kimono said as she ran to the two dog demons.

"Hi Rin," Yuri said kindly as she put a hand on top of the girl's head.

"Lord Sesshomaru," a little green imp demon said as he ran in front of the male dog demon. "Where have you been? First you come drop me, Ah-Un, and Rin at the castle, and then you're gone."

"Yes, _Lord Sesshomaru, _where have you been?" Yuri asked wickedly. The cold dog demon with silver hair glared at his black haired sister as she grinned.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are we going on another journey?" Rin asked innocently.

"Yes, now come," Sesshomaru said in monotone as he turned around and started walking back into the castle.

"Like I said, Sesshomaru, you are no fun." Yuri sighed as she followed.

"You ungrateful bitch," Jaken said from next to the female dog demon. Yuri raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"What?" Yuri asked, cracking a small smile.

"Sesshomaru is only doing what he is to stop the evil Naraku!" Jaken defended.

"So that would be him doing 'good'" Yuri said as she put air quotes around the word 'good'.

"Humph, ungrateful," Jaken mumbled. Yuri rolled her golden eyes.

"And that time when you and your little imp army were in a battle with that other demon Sesshomaru bailed you out." Yuri said. "But really, he just wanted you to get out of the way so he can walk."

"But he spared us!" Jaken said, getting angry.

"He felt pity," Yuri said with a shrug. Jaken growled. "Don't take it personally, if he let you tag along for this long, he, on some level, likes you."

"Ungrateful bitch," Jaken mumbled.

"Give it a rest," Yuri said as she veered off to go to her own home. "Sesshomaru!"

"What, little sister?" Sesshomaru said, only turning slightly to the other dog demon.

"Careful with the human girl, you know she needs food more than we do." Yuri said with a wink. Sesshomaru twitched as he watched his sister walk away.

"Bye Lady Yuri!" Rin said with a big smile and wave.

"Bye Rin!" Yuri said as her form started to disappear into the dark forest. "I love messing with those two idiots." Yuri said to herself.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Shippo whined as he plopped on his stomach over the half demon's shoulder. The said half demon twitched as he held up his shaking fist. Kagome quickly put her hand over the fist and patted it with one hand.

"Now, now, don't do _that_." Kagome soothed.

"Shippo, maybe you should occupy yourself with something." Sango suggested as she walked a few paces behind the half demon and priestess.

"But what can I do while we walk?" Shippo asked as he sat up.

"You could walk with Kirara and Keiko," Miroku suggested.

"Or practice flying with Avion," Kagome suggested as she plucked the fox demon off Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Why don't we take a break?" Eiko suggested as she walked in the back of the group. "We're all irritated."

"And look, there's a lake nearby where we can get a drink." Toshio said as he pointed with his unoccupied hand.

"I think that will be a wise idea." Miroku said as he started leading the group to the clear water. Inuyasha groaned.

"We'll never make it at this rate," Inuyasha huffed.

"Oh hush, you. We're mostly human, give us a break." Kagome said. "Come on, we'll check out the surroundings together."

"I don't want to." Inuyasha huffed.

"Too bad." Kagome said through clenched teeth as she used her spiritual power to jump off while holding the half demon's hand.

"Hey!" Inuyasha complained as he was dragged away.

"Those two will always be at each other's throats." Sango said as she shook her head.

"They'll learn." Avion said with a happy tone. Eiko leaned her body against her mate's side as he held their baby.

* * *

"Is there something wrong?" Kagome asked incredulously.

"Keh, no." Inuyasha huffed. The priestess groaned as she took his hand and laced it with her fingers.

"Just come on, we're supposed to be checking out the surroundings." Kagome said as she dragged him through the forest surrounding the lake. Taking her hand out of Inuyasha's grip, Kagome jumped so she landed on a tree branch. Putting a hand on the trunk to balance herself, Kagome scanned the lake for any threats while Inuyasha scanned most of the surrounding ground.

The priestess groaned as a torpedo of water shot out and hit her square in the stomach, knocking her off the branch and into a different tree. With a thud, Kagome impacted with the tree behind her as she slid to the ground, completely wet.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he made his way to the priestess. Before getting to his beloved mate, the half demon was snatched by a large red tentacle. The appendage lifted the struggling half demon up into the air and above the lake itself – where the tentacle connected. "Let me go, damn you!" Inuyasha yelled as he struggled to get his hands and arms free from the vice grip. A dark chuckle was heard from deep within the dark waters.

"Not a chance, half breed." A dark voice said as water separated into waves as a large figure immerged from the waters.

'_An octopus?' _Inuyasha thought as the red scaled demon dripped with water.

"Half demon, half human," the octopus demon said as he stared at the half demon. "Delicious,"

"What?" Inuyasha asked as the tentacle started to lower him to the water. Lifting its massive body sideways, the octopus opened its jaws under its body and started chomping. Struggling further, Inuyasha flexed his claws only to find them totally stuck to his side.

"Heads up!" Kagome yelled from the shore as she threw her small boomerang towards the octopus demon. The boomerang, Rykotsu, was covered with pink spiritual power has it spun in the air towards the tentacle holding the half demon.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**HOPE YOU LIKED IT!**

**A/N: yeah, that was shorter than the other chapters, but I was a tad busy this week ^^;**


	53. Death of a Mortal

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha & co.**

* * *

_Special Thanks to 'Drama Kagome' for giving me the idea of an octopus demon! You rock! :) _

* * *

Death of a Mortal

"Heads up!" Kagome yelled from the shore as she threw her small boomerang towards the octopus demon. The boomerang, Rykotsu, was covered with pink spiritual power has it spun in the air towards the tentacle holding the half demon.

The demon roared in pain as the weapon's sharp edges and spiritual power sliced part of the tentacle that was holding the half demon suspended in the air. Rearing back, the weapon went near Inuyasha's body as it made it back to Kagome's awaiting hand.

"Priestess," The octopus demon said in a low voice. Kagome smile slightly as her eyes flashed gold, pink, then back to brown.

'_Her blood is acting up again.' _Inuyasha thought as he stilled. _'She can't cut the tentacle unless she wants me to fall into the water and be fish food.' _

'_We might need back up.' _Kagome thought as she kept a façade of courage and smugness while smirking at the demon. Flashing her eyes pink for a second, Kagome sent a message to her faithful helper, Avion.

"Priestess, you will die!" the demon roared as he launched another one of his tentacles towards the girl.

"Kagome, get out of the way!" Inuyasha yelled as he struggled harder. Narrowing her eyes at the appendage launching towards her, Kagome dodged to the side then jumped into the branch of a tree. The priestess kneeled as one of her hands held the branch between her bent knees as her feet steadied themselves.

Swinging his tentacle back, the octopus demon crashed the thick tentacle into the trunk of the tree the girl was on. The tree broke in half while the priestess fell backwards. Kagome did a back summersault in the air once she recovered from her shock and landed on her feet.

'_Maybe I can use an arrow.' _Kagome thought as she got out her bow and notched an arrow onto the bowstring. Summoning her power and concentrating it into the arrow, Kagome aimed to the head of the demon as she released the bowstring from her grasp. Watching the arrow fly, the pink streak sparkled with true glory as it made its way to the demon.

'_That a girl, Kagome.'_ Inuyasha thought as he watched the arrow come a foot in front of the demon's head.

* * *

Flashing was seen from the peripheral vision of the beings in the group. Turning their heads, they saw the spiritual bird flash with a brighter pink light before turning back to her normal mellow color.

"Avion, does that suppose to mean something?" Sango asked confusedly.

"Kagome is calling for help." Avion said as she took off from the ground and started flying towards where the priestess and half demon left.

"Let's go!" Miroku said as he started chasing after the spiritual bird. Transforming, Kirara took to the skies as Sango and Shippo hopped on. Keiko transformed, having her fangs and claws lengthen while her muscle mass slightly increased, though she still stayed small. Looking at the couple with the half demon child, Keiko barked orders to the large male sky demon.

"Alright, I'll stay and protect her. You can count that I would've anyways." Toshio said in a rough voice. Nodding, Keiko then took off towards her own master who was in need of help.

"You think they're going to be okay?" Eiko asked as she held their child, Sora.

"They have seen many battles," Toshio said. "And they have fought me; I'd say that whatever ails them, they can handle it just fine." Eiko nodded her head as she started to sit down on the ground while cradling her baby.

* * *

"What do you think went wrong?" Miroku asked as he ran on the ground.

"Not sure," Sango said as she whipped off her pink and green kimono, revealing her demon slayers outfit. She then tied her hair into a high pony tail as she held onto Kirara as she flew through the air.

"I hope they're okay." Shippo said worriedly.

"I'm sure they can manage for a little while," Sango reassured.

"This way!" Avion said as she turned to the left while the others followed.

"What is that?" Sango asked as she saw a large red blob coming out of a large lake.

"I don't know, but it has Inuyasha in its claws." Miroku said.

"Not claws, tentacles," Shippo corrected as his demon sight gave him a clear image. Getting closer, the group saw Kagome release a purifying arrow.

"Look," Sango said as she stared at the arrow. The arrow got closer and closer to the demon before suddenly the motions of the arrow stopped.

"What happened to it?" Miroku asked as the arrow was suspended in the air.

* * *

Kagome stared wide eyed as her arrow was stopped and suspended in the air. The arrow then slowly decreased in spiritual power as it turned into an ordinary arrow and disappeared into ashes. Gasping Kagome took a step back and shook her head.

'_That's impossible; no one has ever stopped one of my arrows before.' _Kagome thought, going into denial.

Chuckling, the demon spoke in a low voice, "Foolish girl, I have protection under your arrows."

"What do you mean?" Kagome yelled to the demon as she stood on land while it was floating in the middle of the lake.

"I have a barrier put up around my body to protect me from spiritual power." The octopus demon replied.

'_That's why Rykotsu didn't leave burn marks on its tentacles and only made cuts.' _Kagome thought as she stared at the demon.

"Surprised, priestess?" the octopus demon asked as he tightened his grip on the half demon. Groaning in pain, Inuyasha struggled as his bones were slowly crushed. Growling impressively for a human, Kagome shouldered her bow while taking Rykotsu back out from her sash around her waist.

'_Well, if I can't hurt him with spiritual power, might as well do it the old fashioned way and use blades.' _Kagome thought as she lifted up the small boomerang.

"Hiraikotsu!" a female voice yelled as a larger boomerang made of bone was released.

'_Sango,' _Kagome thought as she sighed in relief. _'They came.' _

"Kagome." A soft voice said from above her. The priestess looked up in time to see her spiritual bird perch on her shoulder.

"Avion," Kagome said. "You have to hang back; spiritual power can't do anything to that demon unless the barrier is put down. And you're made up of all spiritual power."

"Understood." Avion said with a nod as she soared to the skies, circling for any other threats.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she made it to Kagome.

"Keiko, bend the water." Kagome said. Nodding her head, Keiko's eyes flashed blue as her water controlling abilities kicked in.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango asked as she came to the priestess's side on Kirara.

"Yeah," Kagome said with a slight smile before it disappeared. "But Inuyasha is trapped in his tentacles."

"I'll get him," Sango said as Kirara got ready to fly towards the half demon. Shippo hopped down onto the land before the neko manta demon took off.

"Kagome," Miroku said as he came out of the bushes.

"Miroku," Kagome said as she saw him come out. "Spiritual power doesn't work on this demon. He has some kind of barrier."

"I know," Miroku said. "But I don't think it is his barrier."

"Agreed." Kagome said as she looked back to the demon. "Rykotsu!" Kagome yelled as she threw the small boomerang. The small weapon, combined with Sango's own boomerang, sliced through the tentacle that held the half demon hostage. Kirara swooped down and caught the half demon before he could hit the water.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said as he got steady on Kirara's back.

"No problem," Sango said as she and Kirara flew back towards the land while avoiding other tentacles.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Inuyasha asked as he hopped off of Kirara and made his way to Kagome. The priestess nodded as she looked back at the demon.

"We've got a bigger problem though," Kagome said as she narrowed her eyes to a spot on the demon's forehead.

"What?" Sango asked.

"That demon has a jewel shard on its forehead." Kagome announced.

"Keh, it's like every other demon that has a jewel shard." Inuyasha said. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because I didn't sense it earlier," Kagome said. "The barrier is protecting its location, but from this up close, I could sense and see it."

"We'll just take him down." Inuyasha scoffed.

"Not so simple," Miroku said.

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked.

"The barrier isn't its own barrier. It's someone else's." Miroku said.

"Whose?" Sango asked as she rested her weapon on the ground while still holding it.

"We're not sure," Avion said as she came down. "But the demonic aura from the barrier is familiar."

"Watch out," Kagome said as she launched herself forward and pushed the demon slayer to the ground with a thud while landing on top of her. With a battle cry, Inuyasha took out his Tetsusaiga and chopped off the tentacle that came at them.

"Thanks," Sango said as they both started to get up.

"You're welcome," Kagome said with a sweet smile as both girls got back on their feet.

"Alright," Inuyasha said as he cut another tentacle in half. "This thing is going down!"

* * *

"Excellent," A man said as he sat in a dark room with a girl in white in front of him. "They have found him."

"Naraku," a stern voice said from the door. Turning his eyes towards the voice, Naraku didn't move.

"Kagura," Naraku said darkly.

"You know as much as I do that the octopus demon is no match for them. That ice demon was closer to their level, and yet they manage to struggle out alive." Kagura said as she played with her fan.

"Yes, but that is not my intention," Naraku said as he turned back to the mirror held by the little girl. "Now, Kanna, go with Kagura." Nodding her head silently, the little girl stood up and walked to her sister. Kagura rolled her eyes.

"Where do you want me to go now?" Kagura asked, irritated.

"Kanna will tell you." Naraku said in a low tone as he looked at jars that contained hearts at the corner of the room.

'_My heart,' _Kagura thought as she also looked at the jars. _'With that in his possession, I can't do anything of my will.' _

* * *

"Aim for his forehead! There's a jewel shard there!" Kagome yelled while she jumped to the side to avoid another large tentacle.

"Damn, this thing won't die!" Inuyasha yelled.

"We have to get rid of the barrier!" Miroku said as he blocked a tentacle with his spiritual staff.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled from the air as she flew on Kirara. The giant bone boomerang swirled in a circle as it spun its way to the demon. Hitting the demon square in the forehead, the octopus swayed backwards as the weapon came back to its owner. "We'll just have to defeat it using our regular weapons first."

"But it's so big," Shippo said shakily as he hid behind a fallen tree.

"We'll just have to try," Kagome said with a small smile directed towards the fox demon. Shippo nodded.

"Red Tetsusaiga!" Inuyasha yelled as he collided his red colored sword with the ground, sending a wave of red towards the demon, splitting the water in all directions.

"The barrier breaking Tetsusaiga," Shippo said. "Good idea, Inuyasha." The wave went directly towards the red octopus demon in the water. With wide eyes, the octopus demon prepared himself for the impact. A yellow shield around the demon glowed with strength as it tried to fend off the attack. Cracking under the impact, the shield fell.

"Did it work?" Inuyasha asked, almost breathless as the octopus halted all attacks. Suddenly, a large tentacle sped its way towards the land.

"Ah!"

"No!" Sango yelled as she and Kirara tried to catch up to the demon's tentacle.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he saw his mate coiled in the tentacle while being dragged down into the depths of the water.

"Sacred Sutras!" Miroku yelled as he threw the paper at the demon. Suddenly, white blades swept through the battle field as it cut through the spiritual paper. "What?"

"Kagura!" Inuyasha yelled as he growled. "Is Naraku the one controlling this demon?!"

"Hm," the wind sorceress said as she floated in the air on a giant white feather. "My job is to keep you busy." With that, the demon waved her fan at the demon slayer who was riding on a two tail cat demon as they tried to catch up to the priestess. White blades crashed their way to the couple as Sango blocked the attack with her weapon.

Raising one hand up in a last attempt as being saved, Kagome was dragged under the water. The octopus demon laughed as he tightened his grip on the girl as he used his other tentacles to attack and destroy the others in the party.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he cut through another tentacle. "No," He whispered in denial as he saw the priestess disappear.

"Kagome, Kagome, Kagome, is that all you care about?" Kagura said with a quirked eyebrow.

"Damn you, Kagura!" Inuyasha yelled. The wind sorceress rolled her red eyes. "What does Naraku want with her?!"

"What doesn't he want?" Kagura asked. "He wants the girl to perish."

"Like hell I'll let that happen!" Inuyasha yelled.

"AH!" Kagura screamed as she was pierced through her back. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow as he saw the wind sorceress screams in pain without him doing anything yet.

'_I didn't do anything.' _The half demon thought as he looked around and saw Keiko blowing fire to a tentacle that was chasing her while she clawed a different one while Miroku threw his sacred sutras at the demon and Sango was over the water on Kirara, finding ways to get to Kagome.

'_Pathetic witch,' _the octopus demon thought as he looked at the sorceress. _'I'll just kill the rest of them off and I'll get my jewel shards.' _

* * *

'_Let me go, damn it!' _Kagome swore in her mind as she struggled with one hand free. She then placed her hand on the demon's slimy tentacle and charged up her spiritual powers. _'What the heck? Why aren't they coming out?' _Kagome thought.

"Spiritual power cannot be used in power eating waters." A small monotone voice said that was coming from everywhere at once.

"Who's there?" Kagome said without moving her mouth. _'I can speak in this water? Either way, its water and I need air.' _Kagome then started to kick her legs. Just then, a girl in white floated in the water

"You do not need air, not for a while, but eventually." The voice said from the girl in white.

"Kanna?" Kagome asked without moving her lips.

"Naraku," Kanna said, also without moving her lips.

"What about him? Where is he?" Kagome asked.

"He knows your secret."

"Secret? What secret?" Kagome asked as her hair came out of its high pony tail and started flowing around her while she still struggled. Kanna's mirror then flashed white before showing Kagome's reflection.

"You killed a mortal." Kagome's eyes widened as she stopped struggling and looked directly at the demonic little girl.

* * *

"Kagura," Avion said as she smirked and looked at the woman with a hole through her chest. Inuyasha stared up at the bird in wonder.

'_Avion just shot through Kagura using her body.' _Inuyasha thought before getting knocked down by an unseen tentacle.

"Damn," Kagura groaned as she clutched her chest. "Dance of Blades!" White blades shot at the spiritual bird as the sorceress weakly held her fan.

"You have to do better than that." Avion mocked as she flew off and towards the octopus demon.

"Wind-!" Inuyasha started to yell but got stopped as the monk put his hand on Inuyasha's arm.

"Careful, Inuyasha, Kagome is in the water." Miroku warned.

"I know that," Inuyasha sneered. "But she's not going to make it without air." The monk nodded his understanding.

"Be careful where you aim then," Miroku said as he lifted up his staff and hit another tentacle.

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as she threw her large weapon at the demon's head where Kagome said where the sacred jewel shard was. Just then, a flash of spiritual power flew alongside the large boomerang

"_Avion," _Kirara roared out as she evaded another tentacle.

* * *

"You remember, Kagome?" Kanna asked as she showed a picture in her mirror. Kagome stared in horror as she saw the picture.

"N-no," Kagome whispered. "I-I didn't,"

"You killed that mortal," Kanna continued in a monotone voice. "It was your fault,"

"No…!" Kagome said, desperately trying to convince herself as she closed her eyes as if the picture burned the organs. "No, you're wrong."

"No, I am right, and you know this very well." Kanna said as though she's not the one talking but Naraku was.

"You're lying!" Kagome said desperately as salty tears made itself known in her eyes though they quickly emerged with the surround waters.

"The person who told you it wasn't your fault lied to you." Kanna said. "Actually, the many people who told you lied. And you believed them." Kagome choked in her sobs as she fell limp in the tentacle.

"I…"

"You _killed _that mortal." Kanna said before disappearing into the dark depths of the water.

* * *

A flash of light was seen as the spiritual bird and the large bone boomerang collided with the sacred jewel shard. Hot searing pain went through the demon as it roared with anguish while it got purified from the inside out by Avion. Everyone stared in awe as they awaited the outcome of the tremendous octopus demon.

* * *

"Uh, Toshio," Eiko said timidly as she looked around them.

"Stay near me, love." Toshio said as he showed his fangs at the small flying demons around them. "Protect Sora and I will protect you." Eiko nodded as she watched her mate swipe at the flying demons around them with his claws. Around fifty flying wasp demons flew around, just staring and intimidating.

* * *

"Kanna," Kagura said, still clutching the hole in her chest. The little girl rose to the surface of the water behind the large demon. She then climbed onto the white feather and the sorceress commanded the wind to take the feather towards their next destination.

"Kagura, you are hurt," Kanna noticed as the hole went straight through the sibling.

"I don't have a heart, Kanna, there's no blood and I cannot die." Kagura explained. _'Though it can still hurt like shit.' _She thought bitterly as they flew away from the scene.

* * *

Sango swiftly caught her weapon as it came back to her hand in the air. Looking down, Sango saw that Avion flew with a sacred jewel shard in her mouth and dust disappearing into the wind. The demon slayer snapped out of her reverie as she frantically looked around the water.

"Kagome?!" Sango yelled as she motioned Kirara to circle around the water.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled from the shore, preparing to jump in but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Inuyasha the water is demonic. It will eat away at your natural power and slowly make you weaker even though you don't need to breathe as often in this water." Miroku explained.

"Why didn't you tell us at the beginning?" Inuyasha snarled.

"I just realized it myself. That octopus demon must have released some kind of poison into the water that made it demonic." Miroku said. "You shouldn't search in the water for too long if you want to go." The half demon nodded before jumping in anyways.

"Kagome is going to be okay, right?" Shippo asked as he walked with Keiko by his side.

"She is a strong girl. I'm sure she'll show up." Miroku said, not wanting to lie to the little fox demon.

"Woof," Keiko barked.

"What?" Miroku asked. Shippo shook his head in disappointment.

"She asked where Kagura went." Shippo supplied.

"Kagura," Miroku repeated, thinking over who that was. "Crap," Miroku said as he frantically looked around the skies. "Looks like she got away."

"Woof," Keiko barked. Miroku looked to Shippo for an explanation.

"She said it looks like they got what they want if they just disappeared in the middle of battle. Kagura didn't even help, she just stalled. It looked like they wanted the octopus demon to die." Shippo said.

"Good observation," Miroku said as he bent down and petted the two tail dog demon. Keiko rubbed her head into Miroku's palm before running off and jumping into the water. "Wait, you know its demonic water, right?" Miroku said quickly before the two tail dog demon could get in.

"Woof,"

"She said yes," Shippo said.

* * *

"The rest are leaving," Eiko said as she uncurled her body a little from protecting her child in her arms.

"They're following whoever that is over there." Toshio said as he pointed to a white object in the sky.

"Well at least they're leaving," Eiko said, relieved.

"Are you hurt in any way?" Toshio asked as concern laced his voice.

"No, are you?" Eiko asked as she put a hand on his cheek.

"I'm more worried about you." Toshio said as he placed a kiss on his mate's forehead.

"What about the others? They haven't come back." Eiko said.

"I think they were attacked as well." Toshio said, looking into the forest.

"Shouldn't we go help them?"

"I'm sure they can find a way to win. I have you to protect."

"Goo," Sora gurgled in her mother's arms as she started waving her own.

"What?" Eiko asked as she looked at her child in her arms. "What are you doing, sweetie?"

"I think she's controlling the weather." Toshio said as he looked at his daughter in confusion. "Like a true sky demon."

"What is she doing to the weather?" Eiko asked, concerned and frantic.

"Looks like she's making it sunny." Toshio said as he looked to the sky with a smile.

* * *

"Kagome!" Sango yelled excitedly as she spotted her friend's floating in the depths of the lake through the new rays of light. "Kirara!" Kirara then knew her cue to dive down into the water while Sango grabbed the priestess.

"She got her!" Shippo said excitedly as he pointed to the demon slayer.

"Now, where are Inuyasha and Keiko?" Miroku thought out loud as he looked through the water's surface.

"I'll find them," Avion said as she dropped the jewel shard in Miroku's hands and flew through the water's surface.

"Wait, but you're purely made up of spiritual power! You can't go in!" Miroku warned as Avion flew to the skies.

"Then tap you staff in the water, I'm sure they can feel the vibrations." Avion said as she lowered herself back to the ground.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Sango asked as she hoisted the girl up onto the fire cat. Nodding her head solemnly, Kagome didn't look up at her friend as she held on. Sango quirked and eyebrow at her as Kirara flew to the land. Landing on the ground, Kirara waited as the priestess and the demon slayer get off.

"Kagome!" Shippo said excitedly as he ran to the girl but stopped as he sensed her saddened emotions. "Kagome?" a tear leaked out of Kagome's eyes as her hair dripped with water. With her bent head, Kagome continue to silently cry to herself as her companions gathered around her.

"Kagome, what happened? What's wrong?" Sango asked as she calmly put a hand on the priestess's shoulder.

"There you are, wench." Inuyasha said as he climbed out of the water. "Damn, I've been looking for you forever." Kagome shook once with a suppressed urge to lurch forward and cry harshly.

"Inuyasha," Miroku warned as he stared at the half demon with stone eyes. Inuyasha then took a good look at his mate.

"Kagome? What's wrong? What did you guys do?" Inuyasha asked as he went to her side.

"We didn't do anything." Sango defended softly as she saw Keiko come out of the water and shake her fur slightly to get the water out of it.

"Hey," Inuyasha said as he put an arm around her shoulder's and held her upper arm with the other hand. "What's wrong? Don't cry." Kagome's eyes then leaked more tears as she heard his words as she fell to her knees and sobbed. Everyone gasped as they were prepared to help in any way they could. Quickly kneeling down, Inuyasha pulled the girl to him as he tried his best to comfort her. Everyone stayed silent as they watched the couple.

* * *

"Was the task done?" Naraku asked sinisterly.

"Yeah," Kagura said coldly as she stood at the doorway.

"Good," Naraku said. _'The octopus demon did its job at the cost of his life, though he didn't know that.' _Naraku thought.

"Naraku," Kanna said quietly as she entered from the open doorway her sister was standing at. Naraku looked at the girl then at her mirror as she showed a sobbing girl in the arms of a half demon.

"And the jewel shard?" Naraku asked.

"They have it," Kagura said with a wave of her fan.

"What?" Naraku asked darkly.

"You said we had to make a quick get away without being seen. The only way we wouldn't have been seen would've been if we left the shard." Kagura sneered. Naraku narrowed his red eyes darkly.

* * *

"I wonder what's going on." Eiko said as she sat up against a tree trunk.

"I'm not sure," Toshio said as he sat next to his mate.

"Shouldn't we check on them?" Eiko asked.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Toshio said as he got up and kneeled in front of his wife. "Get on my back; I'll carry you there with Sora."

"But you don't have to do that." Eiko said.

"I want to," Toshio said with a glint in his eyes. Eiko smiled as she adjusted her child in her arms then climbed onto the sky demon's back.

* * *

…Few Minutes Later…

"She cried herself to sleep." Inuyasha whispered to his group as he pulled Kagome away from the hug and wiped her tears off of her face.

"Poor Kagome," Sango said solemnly.

"I wonder what happened in the water." Miroku thought out loud.

"Whatever that fucking bastard did, I'm going to kill him when I see him after doing this to Kagome." Inuyasha growled with a promise. Keiko whined in the back of her throat as she rubbed her head onto Kagome's knee.

"I think we should rest for the rest of the day." Miroku suggested as he looked off to where they had left the others in the group.

"Let's go back to Toshio and Eiko," Avion suggested as she flew near the priestess.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Sango said. Shippo carefully walked up to the sleeping priestess as she looked at her serene face.

'_She's calm in her sleep.' _Shippo thought. _'Good, I don't like it when my parents cry.'_

"Let's go," Inuyasha ordered as he carefully lifted Kagome onto his back and settled her head gently on his shoulder before standing up.

"I wonder what happened," Sango asked quietly as she shouldered her Hiraikotsu.

"I don't know, but it's best not to ask." Miroku said as quietly as he could so he wouldn't wake the priestess. "At least not now,"

"Yeah," Sango agreed.

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as they walked slowly. _'What happened?' _

"She's okay now, right?" Shippo asked timidly.

"Yeah, runt, she's okay in her sleep." Inuyasha said softly. _'At least, I hope so.' _

"Look," Avion said as she flew slowly over the group, keeping surveillance. "It's Toshio and Eiko."

"Woof," Keiko barked. _"They look like they were in a small battle of their own. Well, at least Toshio does."_

"What did she say?" Miroku whispered as he leaned to the demon slayer.

"Mew," Kirara answered.

"Oh, because that helps a lot." Miroku said sarcastically. The two tail cat demon wagged her two tails and cocked her head. Sango sighed.

"Well Kirara said what Keiko said which was that Toshio looks like he's been in a small battle of his own while we were in ours." Sango answered.

"Thanks," Miroku said. Shippo shook his head as he walked besides the two two-tails.

'_Yeah and Eiko doesn't have a scratch on her thanks to him.' _Inuyasha thought sorrowfully. _'That's what Kagome is supposed to be like, but I failed her… again. Without a scratch, but instead, she's crying her heart out.'_

"Hey!" Toshio said loudly. Kagome cringed in her sleep before settling again. Avion quickly flew to the couple and explained minor details of keeping quiet. "Sorry," Toshio whispered.

"Let's camp here, where we have cover by the trees." Miroku suggested.

"Yeah," Sango said as she put down her weapon. "I'll go get some fire wood."

"I'll go with you," Miroku said, noticing the tense atmosphere as Inuyasha gently laid Kagome down on the ground and take off his fire rat robe and use it as a blanket around the girl. Keiko and Avion went to their master's side and lay down and cuddled at her side. Inuyasha stared down at the serene face of his mate that had tear stains.

"I'll go get us some food," Toshio said, noticing that the couple wanted to be alone.

"Mew," Kirara agreed as she went with the demon. That left Eiko, Sora, Shippo, Keiko, Avion, Kagome, and Inuyasha.

The little fox demon looked curiously at the half demon who sat on one leg while the other foot was flat on the ground as he stared at his mate. Shippo slowly and carefully climbed up the half demon's back and ended up at his shoulder. Looking over the half demon's head, Shippo saw that the once perked up ears were drooping with sorrow.

"Inuyasha," Shippo said quietly.

"What?" Inuyasha asked quieter.

"It's not your fault." Shippo said.

"What do you mean, runt? I couldn't protect her, of course it's my fault," Inuyasha said, getting angry at himself.

"You tried." Shippo said. "And Kagome always said that as long as you tried, you're not a loser."

"I don't see how that helps." Inuyasha mumbled as he put his chin on his propped knee.

"Well Kagome explained that to me too." Shippo admitted. "She said that no matter what, as long as you tried to do something, you don't fail completely."

"That helps a lot," Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"She'll wake up," Shippo said. "She's only asleep."

"I know that," Inuyasha snapped as he bared his fangs. Shippo whimpered as he clutched the cloth beneath him. The fox demon gulped down a lump in his throat.

"K-Kagome never gives up." Shippo said nervously. "You'll help her through this like you always do, and she would do the same for you." With that, the fox demon climbed down and quickly went to the woman holding her child. Whispering to her, the fox demon grabbed the mother's hand and dragged her into the forest.

'_Like I always, huh?' _Inuyasha thought. _'She helped me get over Kikyo, helped me get unsealed by that fucking arrow, helped me train with Tetsusaiga, untransformed me when I was overtaken by my demon blood, she helped me with a lot of things. But what have I done for her besides protect her? Even that, I don't need to do anymore.' _He thought sadly.

* * *

"I'm worried about her, Miroku," Sango said as she kneeled down and grabbed another stick.

"Me too, Sango." Miroku said. "Whatever happened, it took a lot out of her."

"Yeah," Sango sighed. "I hope she can get over this. I don't want to see her so sad."

"Me either, Sango, but we have to have faith in her." Miroku said as he put another stick into the growing pile in his arms. "And we'll get Naraku for whatever he did to her."

"Yes," Sango agreed with a nod. "We will definitely get him for this and for everything else that has happened." _'Kohaku…' _Sango thought suddenly.

* * *

…Later that Night…

"She's still sleeping," Shippo said in a small worried voice as he sat next to the sleeping priestess's head.

"Leave her be," Inuyasha said gruffly.

"She's probably sleeping off the effects of whatever Naraku did." Miroku suggested.

"She's sleeping off a little more than just after effects, Miroku," Avion said from beside the priestess. "Her emotions are running wild and her soul is in pieces." The spiritual bird's eyes then flashed a pink color of the spiritual power that made up her body and very being. "I can see it."

"Do you know what is wrong?" Sango asked, hopefully.

"I think this is her secret to tell. Until it gets out of hand, I'm supposed to keep her secrets… secret." Avion said sincerely. "I will tell you if something serious is going to come out of not-"

"She's my mate! Don't you think I have a right to know what's going on?!" Inuyasha nearly yelled, though he kept his voice low enough as to not wake Kagome.

"Woof," Keiko barked, defending her best friend since they travelled together alone with the priestess. _"Of course you do, but secrets are secrets. She'll tell you if she wants you to know." _Inuyasha growled impressively.

"I need to know what is going on in that thick head of hers if I'm going to protect her right!" Inuyasha hissed. "I can't do that if she won't-"

"Do you trust her?" Toshio cut in suddenly.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, shocked, as he whipped around to stare at the sky demon.

"I asked if you trusted her." Toshio repeated.

"Of course I do. If I didn't, we wouldn't even be here right now. None of us." Inuyasha said before clenching his teeth together.

"Then if she's keeping it a secret," Toshio started.

"Then she obviously didn't think it was important information until it was used against her." Eiko continued.

"Mew," Kirara piped up. _"And if she can't handle the situation,"_

"She'll always have back up." Sango said with a small wink. Inuyasha looked from one group member to the next while battling an inner battle within his mind.

'_What do I do? How can I protect her if I don't know what I'm protecting her from, besides Naraku.' _Inuyasha thought. _'I know I trust her, but I can't stand to see her sad.' _

"Besides," Miroku said next with a small smile and a glint in his eyes. "You're always the first one to get to her."

"And she knows she can trust you with everything," Avion said next.

"Even if you are a complete idiot." Shippo said. With that statement said, Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the fox demon. Keiko yawned as she laid her head on the priestess's stomach and closed her eyes.

"Keiko's right," Eiko said. "We should get some rest."

"Yeah," Toshio said as he sat up and brought his wife to his lap. Sango and Miroku stayed near each other though the demon slayer was at arm's reach away from the lechers 'cursed' hand – cursed with more than the wind tunnel, that is. Inuyasha sat near Kagome's mid section as he watched her steady breathing and serene face.

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought. _'I sure hope you're okay. Whatever Naraku did, I will kill him for it.' _Inuyasha inwardly promised as he gripped the hilt of his sword, Tetsusaiga that was propped up in his arms.

* * *

The mirror shone as the light from the moon outside reflected off the dark object and through the eerie room. A sinister glint appeared on an evil man's face as a smirk appeared on his disgusting pale lips. Watching as the mirror slowly turned back to the reflection of the man in front of it, Naraku closed his eyes briefly.

'_So, priestess, it is a secret?' _Naraku thought evilly as he saw his spawn sitting in front of him, awaiting orders. _'Not a well kept secret, may I add.' _

Eyebrows rose as a woman stood and watched as the man's face turned from dark to triumphant in a sinister way one minute to the next. Rolling her eyes, Kagura continue to watch as the group in the mirror's image was plotted against.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I'M GLAD YOU GUYS ARE STILL WITH ME ON THIS STORY!**

**I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING!**

**:)**


	54. Not Bullet Proof

**Disclaimer: Still do not own Inuyasha and Co., though I do own my own made up characters. Please do not steal them. I worked hard on creating their personalities, looks, pasts, and accomplishments.**

* * *

Not Bullet Proof

Kagome gasped with a wide smile on her face as the group walked up to a large shrine. Laughing, Kagome left the group and ran to the entrance of the building with enthusiasm and happiness. The other group members became confused as they looked to each other but shrugged as they let the priestess go.

"Sensei Hisashi!" Kagome yelled as she neared the couple of steps to the wooden floor of the shrine.

[Sensei Hisashi – Chapter: A Deadly Catch]

"Yes?" a man in white asked as he came out of the sliding door. "Kagome? Is that you, child?"

"Yeah," Kagome said with a smile as she put her hands behind her back and smiled with her eyes closed before bowing respectfully.

"Welcome back," the man, Sensei Hisashi, said with a smile of his own. "Did you behave yourself, young girl?"

"You bet." Kagome said with a slight giggle. "Are you okay? You were sick right after I left. Or so I heard from Avion." Kagome said, instantly turning concerned to the older man.

"Oh, yes, I am okay now." Sensei Hisashi said.

"That's good news." Kagome said as her group came up behind her unnoticed.

"Who's Avion, dear?" The priest asked.

"Avion is my spiritual bird." Kagome said happily.

"Ah, so you finally made a stable spiritual helper." Sensei Hisashi said.

"Yeah," Kagome said as she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

"Took you many times." Sensei said in a scolding voice, though he was only kidding. Kagome laughed nervously. "And who are you?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked as she suddenly felt the presence of her friends. "Oh, Sensei, these are my friends," Kagome said as she started pointing as she said the person's name. "That's Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, Inuyasha, Toshio, Eiko, their daughter Sora, and this is Avion." Kagome said as Avion flew to her shoulder. The members of the group bowed respectfully to the elder, although a certain half demon had to have his head pushed by Miroku to finally bow.

"Nice to finally meet you, Sensei Hisashi." Avion said as she bowed her head.

"Nice to meet Kagome's only successful spiritual bird." Hisashi said. Kagome's expression quickly turned into a scowl.

"Hey," Kagome said. "That's not fair."

"Relax, Kagome, we all know you were a wimp before you came here." Inuyasha said teasingly as he put a clawed hand on top of her head. Kagome growled as she moved her head from under his hand and harrumphed.

"You are so mean to me." Kagome whined as she saw a priestess walk around the corner of the shrine with a broom. "Akemi! Over here!"

"Kagome?" The priestess asked as she turned around. Her green leggings and green short kimono swirled with her body as her hair went with it. "Hey, you're back."

"Excuse me, Sensei," Kagome said as she bowed.

"Be my guest, dear." Sensei Hisashi said as he moved slightly out of the way.

"Hey, Akemi," Kagome said as she ran up to the girl.

"Hey, missed ya'" Akemi said as she lightly embraced the girl. "I see you finally got that spiritual helper to work."

"Does everyone have to bring that up?" Kagome asked. Akemi laughed.

"Hey, that was that girl who got in the way." Inuyasha said as he pointed to the girl in green.

"The last I remember, I saved your butts from that crocodile demon." Akemi said with a smirk. Inuyasha opened his mouth but was quickly covered by Miroku's clothed hand.

"If it wasn't for her, we probably wouldn't be here." Miroku whispered to the half demon as he let go of his mouth.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he crossed his arms. Akemi shook her head while Kagome raised her eyebrow.

"You guys ran into a crocodile demon?" Kagome asked with curiosity and concern.

"Kagome, come on, you have to see the quarter demon. He is possibly the cutest quarter demon you could see." Akemi said excitedly as she grabbed the other priestess's wrist and dragged her away.

"Or the only quarter demon you ever saw." Kagome's far away voice said before disappearing with Avion still on her shoulder.

"Interesting." Toshio said as he blinked his eyes. "A quarter demon, huh?"

"Yes, is there a problem?" Sensei Hisashi asked, getting ready for a small battle.

"No, not at all." Toshio said with sincerity in his eyes.

"Very good," Hisashi said. "Now, what may we owe this visit?"

"Well Toshio and Eiko here were looking for a safe place to live with their half demon daughter." Miroku spoke up.

"I see," Sensei Hisashi said.

"Do you think you could help us?" Eiko pleaded. "Please, I'll do anything."

"Eiko," Toshio said, slightly stunned, as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"And who told you of this place?" Sensei Hisashi asked, making sure that word about the hidden village didn't leak out too far.

"Kagome, who else?" Inuyasha said irritably. The elder man nodded.

"Excuse his _rude _attitude." Sango apologized. "We just don't know what's wrong with him."

"Feh," Inuyasha said as he turned his head to look at the surrounding forest. _'Well, if this place makes Kagome happy for once since the encounter with that octopus demon a few days ago, then I guess I'll stay. It's not like I've had good encounters with shrines.' _The half demon thought as he went back to his past in his mind.

_Flashback_

"_Excuse me, kind sir," A small boy with dirt caking his body said in a small voice. "I-"_

"_Demon," the man said without turning around as he continues to sweep the surrounding stone pavement._

"_What?" The little boy in a red kimono and baggy pants asked in confusion._

"_Get out." The man said in a demanding tone._

"_But-" The boy tried to say in desperation. His silver hair sticking to the front of his face as tears leaked out. "Please…" The man finally turned around and glared down at the young boy._

"_A _half _demon. Even worse." The man scoffed disgustingly as he saw the white pointed ears on the boy's head. Pinning the ears down, the little boy walked around the man so he stood in front of him._

"_But kind priest," the boy begged. "All I ask for is food. Please, can you not spare so much as a small bowl of rice?"_

"_I said get out!" the priest yelled as he picked up the boy and threw him in the air. Raising his hand, the man sent out a jolt of purifying electricity as the boy was helplessly in the air. "And never come back to taint this shrine again." _

_Plopping onto the ground with a sickening thud, the little boy cried silently as his body was paralyzed for a few minutes while the man walked away uncaringly. After a few minutes which felt like hours, the little boy slowly got up on his hands and knees then started to stagger out of the temple's grounds._

_

* * *

_

…_Few Years Later…_

"_Finally, the Shikon Jewel is in my possession." A man said with an evil glint to his eyes while soaring through the air as he covered his face with his red kimono sleeve from the smoke coming from the village below him that he just destroyed single handedly. _'Pathetic village. Even with that shrine and that shrine maiden here to guard over it, they are not match for me.' _He thought as he looked at the sparkling jewel in his clawed hands. _'I barely had to get my hands dirty. This will teach that priestess to betray me.' _He thought as he touched the ground with his foot __before leaping towards the forest._

"_Inuyasha!" A female voice said angrily as a swishing noise was heard. Quickly looking back, the man, Inuyasha, saw an arrow coming towards him as he was in the air. With a groan, Inuyasha's heart was pierced by the arrow as he was connected with the tree behind him._

'No,' _Inuyasha thought as he saw the sparkling Shikon Jewel of Four Souls roll away. "Kikyo, why… I thought… I-" He said brokenly as his life and soul was casted within the enchanted curse, sleeping for all eternity._

[Altered that scene, by the way]

_Flashback End_

'_And that was only some of the incidents that happened to me.' _Inuyasha thought angrily. Keiko and Kirara stood in front of the fuming half demon as they blinked in confusion.

"Woof," Keiko barked softly to the fire cat's ear. _"Did his mood change from irritated to sad to angry all in one minute or is it just me?"_

"Mew," Kirara meowed back. _"No, I think you're right. I wonder what's going on in that brain of his."_

"If he had a brain," Shippo mumbled. Flicking their four tails towards the fox demon who was near them, the two two-tails scolded the fox demon.

"_Hush!" _Kirara and Keiko hissed as they saw their friend's inner turmoil.

"_Shippo, maybe it's better not to bother Inuyasha today." _Keiko said concerned.

"_There's something wrong with him." _Kirara continued.

"Alright," Shippo sighed before looking up at the half demon who didn't notice a thing. _'I guess there is something up with him today. Maybe I should take their advice for once.' _The fox demon thought.

Beside the group who were concerned for their half demon friend, the humans and the family of a human, demon, and a different half demon spoke to the priest who runs the priestess academy kindly.

"So, do you think we could stay here?" Eiko asked, almost begging.

"Yes, I think you will be a good addition." Sensei Hisashi said with a smile. "We shall have a welcoming festival tonight."

"Oh, you don't have to do that." Toshio argued. "Letting us live here is enough."

"Oh, but this is necessary so you don't look like a threat and everyone can meet you." Hisashi informed. "We have very high security here."

"Yes, I can sense the strong barrier in the back of this shrine." Miroku said.

"Ah, monk, so you noticed." Hisashi said proudly. "Our priestess's who live here as well put it up."

"They are quite strong." Miroku noticed.

"Yes, I train them to the best of my ability and the girls help each other out with the process of becoming a priestess." Hisashi said as he looked behind him to the forest. "Oh, excuse my manners, you must be exhausted."

"Oh, no, it's okay." Sango defended kindly.

"Now, now, demon slayer, you and your friends must come inside and rest." Hisashi said insistently.

"Let's go and make the guy happy." Inuyasha grumbled as he walked towards the moving priest as he stepped inside the room her came out of.

"Inuyasha!" Sango scolded. "What is wrong with you?"

"Now, its okay, young demon slayer, he is troubled by this entire shrine, are you not, young half demon?" Hisashi asked, knowingly.

"And what do you know about me, _priest_?" Inuyasha scoffed out.

"Be polite." Miroku warned.

"Inuyasha, is it? Well, I, as well as all the priestess's here or were trained here can sense people's troubles in their mind. Yours happen to be about shrines and temples all on their own. Your past experiences are not delightful." Hisashi said.

"And what would you know?" Inuyasha growled. _'Wait, could Kagome do that too?' _He thought.

"I know that you don't like it here. But you are safe. You may wander with the other half demons here if you wish." Hisashi said as he pointed to a back door. "I'm sure you know young Kagome's scent. Follow hers and you'll find your way through a barrier."

"Like I would go through a purifying barrier." Inuyasha growled.

"It is not. It is a protection barrier. It lets good past, but bad does not. And you, dear half demon, are not bad, just misunderstood." Hisashi said kindly.

'_Wow, I never met people like them before.' _Sango said as awe crossed her eyes.

"If you will be so kind," Miroku started. "But were you always like this? Kind to all demons."

"Oh, no, sad to say." Hisashi said with sadness in his voice as the group sat down. "Kagome is persistent in saying what she believes in. And I must admit, the young girl is right. She has a big heart and a kind soul."

"She did the same this with us." Sango said sheepishly.

"I imagine," The priest said kindly. "Now for the new couple and their daughter."

"Yes?" Toshio asked.

"You will build your own hut with the help of others once the festival is complete." Hisashi said as he thought through things that needed to be done. "And your training, for you Toshio, will begin after you are settled down."

"Yes sir," Toshio said. "Thank you very much."

"Don't thank me, sky demon, thank Kagome." Hisashi said with a soft smile of his own.

"We will." Toshio said.

* * *

"Aw, he is so precious," Kagome said as she put the quarter demon down on the ground then walked a few paces away. "Come here, Juro," Kagome cooed as she watched the little toddler get up and walked towards her outstretched arms. "That's a good boy. Look how much you've grown." Kagome said as she giggled and lifted the toddler to the air. The mother with dark brown hair laughed slightly as she watched the priestess play with her child.

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself, Lady Kagome." The mother said as she opened her bright green eyes.

"Oh, hi, Rei," Kagome said sheepishly as she set the toddler down and watched him walk to his mother. Picking up her son while giggling, Rei looked at the priestess who left some time ago.

"Oh, that's okay. I don't mind. I'm glad to see you are back." Rei said while balancing her baby on her hip.

"Yeah, we needed to drop off a new family who is going to live here." Kagome said.

"We?" Rei asked.

"Oh yeah, I met up with my friends from before." Kagome said.

"That's good news." Rei said as she saw a pink bird flying above them. "What's that?"

"That's just Avion, she's my spiritual bird."

"The spiritual animal that had you crazy for weeks trying to make?" Rei questioned.

"I guess," Kagome sighed. Rei giggled as she saw Akemi come out of the hut behind them.

"Hey," Akemi said to both the girls. "Found Juro, huh?"

"Yeah, little trouble maker he is." Rei said as she saw another woman come out of the hut. "Hey, Naoki, thanks for taking care of Juro for me."

"No problem, Rei," Naoki, a middle aged woman with black hair and brown eyes, said.

"So, how's everything doing since I left?" Kagome asked suddenly.

"Not bad," a girl said from behind the youngest priestess, Kagome, as she wrapped her arms around the girl's neck. "But you're in for trouble since you didn't come and say hi to me."

"Oh, Masumi," Kagome said as he face brightened. "Sorry, I just wanted to see our new edition."

"More important than me?" Masumi asked as she playfully shoved the priestess forward.

"Maybe," Kagome joked as she turned around and gave the girl a hug. Masami had dark blue eyes and light brown hair while her priestess outfit were pink leggings that go down to the bottom of her knee and a solid pink kimono that went down to her mid thighs. "So, how've you been?"

"Good as ever, you?" Masami asked.

"I'm fine. Few rough spots here and there, but other than that, perfectly peachy." Kagome said with a slight laugh.

"That's good," Masami said with a bright smile.

* * *

"Whoa, this place is bigger than I thought." Shippo said in awe as he walked through the dirt roads in the village of all kinds.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she turned her head from side to side as she looked at the many people. _"And look, demons and humans are getting along with each other." _

"_You're right. Wow, this place is amazing." _Keiko barked as she, the fox demon, and the two tail cat demon kept walking.

"It also looks so peaceful and happy." Shippo said.

"This place is happy and peaceful," a male demon said as he stood in front of the group of three. Shippo shook slightly as he saw the large demon towering over them. Kirara and Keiko stood in a defensive stance as they pinned their ears back. "Oh, don't be scared little ones, we have no violence here."

"Really?" Shippo asked.

"Of course. We live together in harmony. Though there are a few fights, but what village doesn't have a few problems now and again?" the demon answered with a bright smile.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she relaxed her muscles and sat on the ground. _"That's a relief."_

"You bet," the demon said. "Now, are you lost or something?"

"No, we were just looking around. We just got here." Shippo answered.

"Mew," Kirara meowed. _"We came with Kagome."_

"Oh, so you're part of _her _group." The demon said, intrigued. "Well come on now, I'll show you around."

"Oh, that's okay; we can go wander by ourselves." Shippo said politely.

"Nonsense, Lady Kagome created this whole village for both races to live together in peace, you are our guest of honor." The male demon said. The two two-tails cocked their head to the side as they shrugged and walked behind the 'tour guide' demon. "I'm sorry, where are my manners, my name is Orochi."

"I'm Shippo, and that is Kirara and Keiko." Shippo answered.

"Nice to meet you." Orochi said before continuing the tour.

* * *

'_This place,' _Inuyasha thought as he looked around while his arms were crossed. _'This place looks so happy.' _

"Watch out!" a female said from a far distance away. Twitching his ear, Inuyasha looked towards where he heard a swishing noise and quickly caught the ball that was flying towards him. Running up to him, the female from before laughed nervously. "Sorry about that, my little brother and sister are too energetic for me to take care of alone."

"Oh," Inuyasha said, confused by the female. "Just watch it, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," the female said, confused. "You don't come from this village, do you?"

"Keh, what gave you that idea?" Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"You just seem cold." The female said as she took the ball from his hands.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Inuyasha growled.

"You're half demon, aren't you?"

"And what would a girl I just met know about me?" Inuyasha seethed.

"A lot more than you think. You lived on your own for your whole life, huh?"

"I don't even know your name; you don't know anything about me." Inuyasha hissed.

"I'm Ume," the female said. (Ume – oo-may) "What's your name?"

"Like I would tell you that."

"Oh, come on, we can all trust each other." Ume encouraged. "Besides, I'm a half demon too." Inuyasha raised his eyebrow before thoroughly looking at the girl and her demonic aura.

'_I wonder why I didn't catch that. It must be from all of the other demons and humans around here.' _Inuyasha thought.

"Ume, can we go play?" A little boy at around five said as he tugged on the girl's sleeve.

"Oh, here, take this and go play with our sister." Ume said as she kneeled down and gave the little boy the ball.

"Okay," the little boy said as he rushed off to go play with his twin sister.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ume asked as she looked around and saw the dog half demon walking away.

"You don't know me, and I don't know you." Inuyasha said.

"You know, you don't have to hide everything. You might think that you're protecting yourself, but in this village, we protect each other and we can't do that if we don't know what you've been through or running away from." Ume informed. Inuyasha stopped as he slowly looked back.

"Look, _Ume, _you don't need to know me."

"Maybe I was a fool for trying to help you." Ume said as she began to turn around. "You know, I was like you once. I was out there in the cold world all alone. My father left me and my mother because he didn't want anything to do with a half demon child, and my mother was beaten to death because she gave birth to me. So I was left to my own devises, until I ran into this family when I was running away from a demon. They helped me. The mother, who was a tiger demon, helped me and told me I could go with her. That's why I'm a bird demon while my siblings are tiger demons. But anyways, in our old village, our father – or their father – couldn't really take care of us while the mother was pregnant. We left a few years later and came across this shrine. Lady Kagome was training outside when we got here and instantly offered us to live here, peacefully. We owe a lot to her."

'_I knew a life of a half demon is bad, but I guess this girl got lucky.' _Inuyasha thought.

"So now we're here." Ume said as she instantly gave a bright smile. "Why are you here?"

"I came here with Kagome." Inuyasha said, nonchalantly. The girl gasped.

"You came here with Lady Kagome?" Ume asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I can't believe she's back. I must go see her before she leaves again." Ume said excitedly.

'_Kagome sure had a lot of fun when she was away.' _Inuyasha thought sarcastically.

"Well, I told you my story, what's yours?" Ume asked.

"My parents died, my brother is a bastard, and I was living alone for all of my life until a few months back." Inuyasha said shortly.

"Uh," Ume said, unsure how to answer. "I'm sorry; I guess you think that I'm a spoiled brat because we have this place to take care of us."

"Keh, like I care what everyone else does." Inuyasha scoffed. Ume smiled, knowing what the statement really meant.

'_Well, if you're with Lady Kagome, I'm sure your life is looking up. I wish you the best.'_ Ume thought with softness in her eyes. "You know, I wish that this place was created earlier. Then maybe not so many of us half demons had to die fighting for our lives, you know?"

"Feh, a kid has to learn how to fight one way." Inuyasha said.

"You know, we demons can train here too." Ume said. "It is taught by our elder demons."

"Fascinating," Inuyasha said sarcastically. "Well I got to go."

"Wait, you never gave me your name." Ume said as she saw him walk away.

"I'm not much of a public speaker." Inuyasha informed as he left.

'_Arrogant jerk.' _Ume thought. _'Oh well, when I catch up to Lady Kagome, I'll just ask her who that hot guy is. Oops, did I just think that?' _Ume thought with a blush as she turned around and saw her 'siblings' playing with the bouncy ball.

* * *

"Oh wow," Sango said in awe as she looked around while walking down a street of items. "Look at this place."

"Yes, I know," Miroku said. "And everything is free because there are only people from this village that ever come here."

"It must be nice living here." Sango said while the couple kept walking.

"Oh it is very nice here." A little boy said as he stood in front of the demon slayer.

"Hello there, little boy," Sango said as she kneeled down. "What's your name?"

"I'm Yuji," The boy said happily as he gave an open mouth smile, giving an eyeful of fangs.

"Well hello, Yuji, my name is Sango and he's Miroku." Sango said while pointing to the monk.

"Well to answer your question, Miss Sango, it is very nice living here. All the people are nice and accepting and we all work together like a big family." Yuji said as he raised his arms parallel to the ground, symbolizing how big the family was. Sango gave a pure smile.

"If you don't mind me asking," Sango started to say. "But what percentage demon are you?"

"You noticed, huh?" Yuji asked.

"Well yes," Sango said. "I was trained to notice these types of things."

"Do the priestess's and Sensei Hisashi know you're here?" Yuji asked, getting defensive.

"Yes, they do. We came here with Lady Kagome." Miroku informed.

"Oh, Lady Kagome is back?" Yuji asked, instantly cheering up and trusting the people.

"Yes she is," Miroku said as he walked up to them. "Do all of the people in this village know her?"

"Oh yes," Yuji said. "People who want to live here must first know who its creator was for giving us a wonderful opportunity to live. Or so Sensei Hisashi says."

"Kagome is very famous here." Sango said with amusement. "Now, do you mind answering my question?" Yuji looked confused for all of two seconds.

"I'm 37.5% demon. Well, that's what my dad said I was." Yuji said.

"37.5%?" Miroku asked. "What are your parents?"

"Well my mommy was a quarter demon and my daddy is a half demon." Yuji answered.

"Did you say your mother _was _a quarter demon?" Sango asked.

"Well," Yuji said, getting sad. "Yeah."

"Yuji, there you are." A male said as he came up behind the group.

"Father!" Yuji said excitedly as he went around the two people and hopped into his father's arms.

"Hey there, big boy," the father said before looking at the two humans. "I'm sorry; did he cause you any trouble?"

"Not at all," Miroku reassured. "He was actually very helpful in answering some of our questions."

"Oh? And what questions did you have?" the male asked.

"Just asking how much demon he was and how everyone knew Kagome." Sango reassured.

"Yeah, father, they came here with Lady Kagome. She's back!" Yuji said excitedly.

"Oh, so you're part of her group." The male said, smiling. "I'm Yoshinori."

"I'm Miroku, and she's Sango." Miroku introduced.

"Hi," Sango said politely.

"Well, why don't I treat you to some tea? Maybe I'll be some help to your curiosity." Yoshinori said kindly as he turned around and started walking towards his hut. Miroku and Sango shrugged to each other before following.

…Later…

"Sunset already," Miroku said as he looked into the orange sky.

"Yeah, it's pretty," Sango sighed.

"Miroku, Sango!" Miroku and Sango turned around and saw a familiar girl running towards them.

"Hey, Kagome," Sango said as she watched the girl run up to them.

"Hey, how did your day go?" Kagome asked.

"We got a lot of answers," Miroku said.

"Oh? What kind of answers? To what questions?" Kagome asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Just questions about who lives here and how they all stick together like a big family. That's all." Miroku said with a kind smile.

"Oh, well you could've just asked me," Kagome said, feeling dejected.

"Kagome," Sango said. "You just seemed so happy coming back around here; we didn't want to bother you." Kagome smiled, though she still felt like she wasn't wanted.

"Besides, it looks like everyone really likes you here. We didn't want to just ask you questions all day when you could be talking to long lost friends." Miroku added.

"Right," Kagome said softly.

"Don't think that we don't need you." Sango said, knowing what the girl was thinking. "Of course we do. We were giving you a break, that's all. You needed one."

"We all needed one," Miroku said.

'_Yeah, but you're not the only ones that left me alone in this village. Even Avion disappeared on me.' _Kagome thought. The priestess then nodded and acted cheerful. "So, have any of you seen Inuyasha?"

"Uh, no, we haven't exactly seen anyone all day." Sango said.

"Then I'll just go find him. Why don't you go back to the temple, there are rooms set up for us and dinner should be ready soon." Kagome said with a smile.

"Don't you want us to help you?" Sango asked.

"No, that's okay; it couldn't be too hard to find him." Kagome said as she put her hands behind her back to look more cheerful while slightly touching the bite mark on her wrist even though it was covered with a forearm cover.

"Are you feeling okay, Kagome?" Miroku asked, noticing her eyes change color for a second.

"Peachy, now go before dinner gets cold." Kagome said as she manually turned the two around and pushed them on their way.

"Alright," Sango gasped as she was pushed then saw the priestess run in another direction. "I'm worried about her, Miroku."

"Me too, she's not exactly acting like herself." Miroku said.

"Do you think it's her blood?" Sango asked. _'I know she can't get pregnant, so it couldn't be that. Besides, it's too early to have mood swings.' _The demon slayer thought.

"That's the only answer we could come up with." Miroku said. "Well, let's just keep her happy for now. After that run in with that octopus demon and Kagura, she's been a little out of it."

"I wish she would tell us what happened though. How can we help if we don't know?" Sango asked.

"The only way we can, is just to support her for now." Miroku said. "Come on, we should go back."

"Alright," Sango said as she felt the monks hand on an appropriate part of her body – her shoulder.

* * *

'_Sango and Miroku don't need me around and everyone else is gone enjoying themselves. I feel so alone.' _Kagome thought as she sighed then looked to the ground. _'And once they find out… find out what I did, no one would want me around.'_

_Flashback_

"_You killed that mortal," Kanna continued in a monotone voice. "It was your fault,"_

"_No…!" Kagome said, desperately trying to convince herself as she closed her eyes as if the picture burned the organs. "No, you're wrong."_

"_No, I am right, and you know this very well." Kanna said as though she's not the one talking but Naraku was._

"_You're lying!" Kagome said desperately as salty tears made itself known in her eyes though they quickly emerged with the surround waters._

"_The person who told you it wasn't your fault lied to you." Kanna said. "Actually, the many people who told you lied. And you believed them." Kagome choked in her sobs as she fell limp in the tentacle._

"_I…"_

"_You killed that mortal." Kanna said before disappearing into the dark depths of the water._

_Flashback End_

Sighing again, Kagome looked up to the orange sky, shining in its glory as the sun retired for the night, tired from a day's work of shining in Japan. The priestess then caught a glimpse of red in the corner of her eye. She stopped in her tracts then looked towards her right and went forward.

"Oh, Inuyasha, you are so funny." A female said as she giggled.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said with a slight smile. Kagome walked behind a hut as she carefully spied on her half demon and his lady friend. Eyes widening in shock, Kagome quickly hid behind the wooden hut and quietly listened.

"Okay," the female said.

"Okay what?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome peered around the corner, unnoticed, as she eyed the girl clinging onto her half demon's arm. She had light blue hair with a blue gem on her forehead and stunning medium blue eyes. Her height went up to Inuyasha's chin while she wore a dark blue kimono to contrast with her looks.

'_A half demon.' _Kagome thought as she went back to leaning her back on the hut and let a barrier to protect her scent from being noticed.

"Well, I told you _my _past. Tell me about yours." The girl said in a flirting tone.

"Ume, are you going to ask me this all night?" Inuyasha asked the girl, Ume, as he looked down at her.

"If you stay with me all night." Ume said with a grin that slightly showed her fangs. Inuyasha chuckled softly before the 'couple' continues their walking. Kagome let her head fall and had her bangs covering her eyes as she slowly pushed herself away from the hut's wall and walked in the opposite direction.

'_So, he finally found someone else he wants. Someone more like him. A half demon.' _Kagome thought sadly. _'I guess I wasn't good enough for him after all. It took me forever to get at least a small piece of his past, but he just goes right up and tells her. He even laughed with her.' _Kagome thought as she fisted her hands by her side and continued walking. _'He doesn't want nor needs me either, fine.' _

* * *

"There you are," Avion said as she flew down to the fox demon and two two-tail demons. "I was looking for you."

"Really?" Shippo asked as he ran around in a circle. "How come?"

"Well, I was going to tell you it's time for dinner." Avion said. "Who are you playing with over there?"

"_These are Orichi's children." _Kirara meowed as she ran through a boy's legs.

"_Yeah, we've been doing this for a while." _Keiko barked. _"Orichi should be inside his hut though." _

"Alright," Avion said with a slight smile. "But it's time to go."

"Do we have to, Avion?" Shippo whined.

"Now don't whine." Avion said. "Kagome will not be pleased if you miss dinner."

"Alright," Shippo sighed as he relented.

"_Bye guys, it's been fun." _Keiko barked to a little boy.

"Bye," The little boy said as he petted the dog demon.

"Mew," Kirara meowed while the other little boy patted her head.

"Bye Shippo," the two boys said together as they saw the fox demon go towards the spiritual bird.

"Bye!" Shippo said before he watched Avion fly into the air.

"Now you boys go back inside, it's going to be dark soon." Avion suggested.

"Okay," The boys said before running inside.

"_Well, are we going or did we just stop a fun game for nothing?" _Keiko barked playfully as she started jogging away. The other three followed her in a fast run.

* * *

'_And there go the rest of them.' _Kagome thought as she watched Avion, Shippo, Keiko, and Kirara run towards the temple in the front. _'I guess they really don't need me around.' _The priestess then started to walk towards the opposite end of the village. _'There's a party tonight to welcome Toshio, Eiko, and Sora. Maybe I won't go. I bet they won't notice. Might as well have them get use to me not being there again. They won't like me anymore after they find out.' _

* * *

"I'll see you at the party tonight." Ume said as she hugged Inuyasha's arm.

"Right, the welcoming party." Inuyasha said as they stood at the bottom temple's few steps.

"Yeah, you'll be there, right?" Ume asked, flirtatiously.

"Keh, yeah," Inuyasha said. _'Either way, I have to go. Kagome's going to make me. Oh well.' _The male half demon thought.

"Alright, so after dinner, meet me where the drum is set up." Ume said before letting go and excitedly ran towards her hut. "Don't forget."

"Yeah, sure," Inuyasha said with a slight wave of his own before going up the steps.

"Inuyasha, you made it in time for dinner." Sango said as she looked up from her food to the opening door.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he looked around. "Where's Kagome?"

"You mean she's not with you?" Miroku asked.

"Why would she be with me? She was happy going off and talking to all the villagers around here." Inuyasha said.

"But she went to look for you." Sango said, worried.

"Well obviously she didn't find me," Inuyasha said, mostly to himself as he turned around and looked towards the village. _'Where did you go?' _He thought as he surveyed the now quiet village.

"Well, this is pretty much a village she created, she'll be safe." Miroku said, though he was worried.

"If I know Kagome, she's probably helping some family gather their dinner." Shippo said.

"Yes, Kagome is quite kind," Sensei Hisashi said as he came through a side door. "Do not forget we have a welcoming party after dinner. Eat up, Inuyasha."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said absently as he let his eyes linger on the village before going to sit down and eat.

…Later that Night…

"Inuyasha I'm really worried," Sango said as loud music was played all over the village and people were talking chaotically. "Kagome still didn't show up."

"I know," Inuyasha said as he prepared to run through the entire village. "I'm going to-"

"Inuyasha! There you are." A female said.

"Oh, Ume," Inuyasha said as he relaxed slightly from his running stance.

'_Ume? A half demon? What are you doing, Inuyasha?' _Sango thought as she watched the two in front of her.

"I thought you forgot." Ume said excitedly as she clung on to his arm.

"No, not really." Inuyasha lied.

"Well come on, we should go celebrate the new coming of a family." Ume said as she dragged him to the middle of the crowd.

'_I hope you know what you're doing, Inuyasha.' _Sango sneered in her mind.

* * *

"Miroku, Kagome is still missing." Shippo said worriedly.

"I know Shippo, but where could she have gone off to?" Miroku answered.

"I don't know, but she doesn't want to be found." Avion said.

"_What do you mean by that?" _Kirara meowed as she cocked her head.

"Usually I can sense her presence, but she cut off our connection." Avion said. "I don't feel her at all."

"_You don't think she's in trouble, do you?" _Keiko barked worriedly.

"No, if she was in trouble, she can't hide that from me. We spiritual helpers usually help in battle, that's what we originate from anyways. So we are keener to feel danger more than presence." Avion answered.

"Should we look for her and see if she's okay? She was pretty down when Sango and I saw her." Miroku said.

"Like I said, she doesn't want to be found. I think we should leave her alone for a little while. But if she's still not back by tomorrow, then something must be really troubling her." Avion said.

"Good idea," Miroku said as he looked over towards the drums and saw an angry looking demon slayer.

* * *

'_I'm still worried about Kagome though.' _Inuyasha thought as he was dragged by the hand to the middle of the crowd. _'Maybe I'll just give her a call with the mating mark.' _

* * *

Kagome looked down into the clear water of a small lake that was a few yards away from the village. The priestess stared down into her reflection while seeing her eyes change color briefly. Sighing, Kagome sat back down and picked up a rock then skipped it across the water's surface.

'_What's wrong with me? I have a mixture of emotions that don't even go together. It's like I'm happy, sad, angry, guilty, and jealousy. I'm happy because I get to visit old friends, sad because my current friends don't need me, guilty because of my secret, angry and jealous at Inuyasha. Oh, what do I do?' _Kagome thought before getting a warm feeling overcome her body. Gasping quietly, Kagome looked around her but sensed nothing other than animals around her. _'Inuyasha told me once, that if a warm feeling comes over me, then it's probably the mating mark.' _The priestess then pushed her forearm cover down slightly and looked at the glowing mating mark. _'Blue… Inuyasha said that the colors go from urgent to missing you. Red is urgent and purple was missing the mate. It's blue, so I guess he's kind of worried.' _Kagome scoffed. _'I'm surprised he even noticed I was gone, flirting with that girl and everything. He makes me so angry, and he says that _I'm _the one that flirts. Yeah right, Einstein, look who's talking now.' _Kagome said angrily in her head as she picked up another rock and chucked it to the middle of the lake while a small tear of anguish and sadness dripped down her cheek.

* * *

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I HOPE YOU LIKED IT!**

**PLEASE REVIEW! I COULD REALLY USE SOME INSPIRING WORDS!**


	55. Kagome's Heart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, but I do own my made up characters. So please don't steal them.**

* * *

Kagome's Heart

Kagome looked down into the clear water of a small lake that was a few yards away from the village. The priestess stared down into her reflection while seeing her eyes change color briefly. Sighing, Kagome sat back down and picked up a rock then skipped it across the water's surface.

'_What's wrong with me? I have a mixture of emotions that don't even go together. It's like I'm happy, sad, angry, guilty, and jealousy. I'm happy because I get to visit old friends, sad because my current friends don't need me, guilty because of my secret, angry and jealous at Inuyasha. Oh, what do I do?' _Kagome thought before getting a warm feeling overcome her body. Gasping quietly, Kagome looked around her but sensed nothing other than animals around her. _'Inuyasha told me once, that if a warm feeling comes over me, then it's probably the mating mark.' _The priestess then pushed her forearm cover down slightly and looked at the glowing mating mark. _'Blue… Inuyasha said that the colors go from urgent to missing you. Red is urgent and purple was missing the mate. It's blue, so I guess he's kind of worried.' _Kagome scoffed. _'I'm surprised he even noticed I was gone, flirting with that girl and everything. He makes me so angry, and he says that _I'm _the one that flirts. Yeah right, Einstein, look who's talking now.' _Kagome said angrily in her head as she picked up another rock and chucked it to the middle of the lake while a small tear of anguish and sadness dripped down her cheek.

* * *

…Early Morning…

"Guys, I'm really worried." Sango said as she paced backed and forth near the front steps of the temple. "Kagome still isn't back yet and the sun rose."

"Maybe something happened," Miroku said as he looked around. "I still don't sense her presence anywhere."

"Damn, where did she go?" Inuyasha growled as he stood on the roof of the temple. "She knows she shouldn't just wander away." He said as he looked through the tops of the trees in the forest. _'She didn't even answer to the call.' _Inuyasha thought before jumping down to the ground at the bottom of the stairs.

"We should go look for her." Shippo suggested with beads of tears in the corner of his eyes. "What if she's hurt? What if something happened?" the fox demon said frantically.

"Nothing happened!" Inuyasha growled. "Especially not under my nose."

"She hasn't been back the whole night and she's still cutting off my connection." Avion said worriedly.

"_Something's wrong, Inuyasha!" _Keiko barked, trying to get the half demon to come to his senses.

"_We have to go find her." _Kirara meowed as she transformed.

"Nothing's wrong!" Inuyasha denied. "I know she's alright."

"As much as you want that to be true, we can't rule out the possibility." Miroku said as he and Sango got onto Kirara's back.

'_Kagome, I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you.' _Inuyasha thought. _'Please, don't let me fail you now. I _knew _we should've looked for you yesterday!' _

"Inuyasha, stop denying it, you know something's wrong." Sango hissed. "She would've been back by now. She always is. I'm sorry to be this tough on you but we can't just wait around."

"I'm not waiting around," Inuyasha growled. "She's my _mate! _I promised her I wouldn't let her get hurt!"

"You're afraid." Miroku stated.

"Of what?!" Inuyasha hissed, not being in a good mood.

"Of what you find in _that _forest." Miroku said as he pointed into the trees. "You're afraid that you let her down."

"Inuyasha, we got to go." Shippo whined as he hopped onto the half demon's shoulders.

"_Inuyasha, either you stay behind or come with us." _Keiko growled. _"We can't waste any more time." _Avion gasped as she flashed bright pink before stabilizing.

"Avion, what's wrong?" Shippo asked.

"Kagome put our connection back up." Avion announced.

"Where is she?" Sango asked.

'_She's alright,' _Inuyasha thought in relief.

"Behind us," Avion said as she quickly turned around. The priestess stood, leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed and her head slightly tilted down so her face was covered by the shadows of her hair.

"Kagome!" Everyone gasped.

"Where have you been?!" Inuyasha growled as he approached the stairs but didn't climb up them. "Why didn't you answer the call?"

"I had things to think about," Kagome said quietly, though the others from the ground could still hear it.

"You could've at least told us," Sango said as she and Miroku got off of Kirara.

"If I told you, you would've followed me," Kagome said, still not looking towards her friends and keeping her side to them.

"That's because we're worried," Miroku said. "You were gone all night."

"So you noticed," Kagome said, quieter.

"What?" Miroku asked.

"Nothing," Kagome said louder as she pushed off the door frame and turned so her body was facing her friends. "Were you leaving without me?"

"No, we were looking for you!" Inuyasha growled as he stepped up a step.

"You got far." Kagome said sarcastically.

"We would've gotten somewhere if Inuyasha wasn't being a coward," Shippo sneered.

"What did you say, runt!?" Inuyasha growled.

"Enough," Kagome commanded. The fox demon and half demon quickly looked towards the priestess.

"Are you okay?" Avion asked as she slowly flew towards her master.

"Just a lot on my mind." Kagome said.

"_Do you want to talk about it?" _Keiko barked while she watched Kirara transform herself back into a small kitten.

"No," Kagome said as she turned her head. "Not now. But we should get going. I congratulated Toshio and Eiko. We better start looking for Naraku."

"What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked. "First you were all happy yesterday, and now you're gloomy. Kagome-"

"Look, I don't need this." Kagome sneered. "Especially not from you." Inuyasha took a small step back in surprise.

"What did I do?" Inuyasha asked, getting angry. Kagome narrowed her eyes before turning around and entering a room inside the temple.

"Miroku," Sango said, asking a question in his name.

"I know," Miroku answered.

"What happened?" Shippo asked softly. "Kagome's never acted like this. Not even when she was mad at Inuyasha."

"I don't know." Miroku said as they saw Kagome come out of the room.

"Let's go," Kagome said as she hopped from the top of the few steps to the middle of the group and started walking. "I thanked Sensei Hisashi and he knows we're leaving."

"_But Kagome," _Keiko barked but stopped as she saw the priestess keep walking into the forest without turning back. Whimpering, Keiko jogged to catch up to the priestess while the others lagged behind slightly.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said sternly after a few minutes of silence and walking. Kagome stopped but she didn't turn around or say anything. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kagome said harshly. "I'm finding Naraku."

"Are you now?" Inuyasha growled.

"Yeah, and I'll take him down whether you help or not." Kagome hissed before continuing to walk. Sango gasped slightly as she looked at Kagome's back while the group stood still. Avion quickly looked back before following her master and Keiko.

"Kagome," Sango said, confused.

"Something definitely happened." Miroku said. Sango bit her lip as the priestess disappeared into the shadows of the surrounding forest.

"We should follow before we lose her." Shippo suggested as he ran forward.

"Keh, leave her. If she wants to act like this, I'm not interested." Inuyasha scoffed while crossing his arms.

"Inuyasha," Sango gasped. "You can't mean that."

"Of course I mean it," Inuyasha growled.

"She's your mate. Aren't you worried about her?" Miroku asked calmly.

"Of course I'm worried, but I'm not going to help her until she stops biting my head off. If you want to follow her, fine," Inuyasha said before turning and walking to the right.

"Where are you going?" Sango demanded.

"It doesn't matter where I go." Inuyasha said while he still walked away. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"_And what if Naraku shows up before you get back? Do you want a piece of him or not?" _Kirara growled.

"If he shows up, I'll get my own revenge by dancing on his grave." Inuyasha said seriously. "That is, if you can beat him."

"You doubt us?" Sango asked.

"With an overemotional priestess on your side, there's no way you could win." Inuyasha said before he looked to his side.

'_Soul Collectors,' _Miroku thought as he eyed the light deep in the forest.

"Hey, don't say that to her." Sango said angrily.

"Or what? Can't I have my own thoughts?" Inuyasha asked as he turned slightly and headed towards the light that was inside the forest. "Or do I have to ask you and Kagome for permission?"

"You know, I thought something was wrong with Kagome, but now I see how she got in that mood of hers." Sango hissed.

"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed.

"You're nothing but a jerk, Inuyasha!" Sango yelled. "I'm surprised Kagome ever saw something good in you! You're nothing but mean to her, shooting insults and comparing her to Kikyo!"

"I don't do that!" Inuyasha yelled.

"You use to and you know it!" Sango yelled as tears of anger beaded in the corner of her eyes. "Even now, you just insulted her behind her back!"

"She's being unreasonable!" Inuyasha countered.

"Maybe so, but _something _had to put her into that mood, Inuyasha! And she's only been biting _your _head off, so obviously you did something to upset her." Sango sneered.

"What did I do? She blames me for everything!" Inuyasha said.

"Now that's not true! She doesn't blame anything on you." Miroku joined. "Now why don't you go talk to her or go to Kikyo. Those are your options."

"Kikyo?" Sango asked as she finally noticed the floating dragon serpents. "Is _that _it? You want to go see your lover?"

"Shut up, Sango. You're getting on my last nerve." Inuyasha growled.

"Kagome _loved _you! Was your half of the bargain a lie?" Sango asked, getting angry for her sister like friend. "Did you get what you want and now you're leaving?!"

"No!" Inuyasha growled loudly.

"Why don't you just go to that half demon in the village or Kikyo? Because I have better things to do than to argue with someone like you," Sango spat. "Kirara," She called. The fire cat transformed while the monk and demon slayer hopped on. "Let's go find Kagome," Kirara growled her understanding as she flew off into the forest.

'_Why that little-' _Inuyasha growled in his mind before stomping through the forest. _'I didn't _do _anything! Of course I love Kagome, why wouldn't I? What would give them that stupid idea?' _

* * *

'_None of them are following,' _Kagome thought as she briefly spread of powers to sense the others. _'Fine, they don't have to. As long as they stay away, they won't know.' _

"Woof," Keiko barked worriedly. _"Kagome, what about the others? I don't understand."_

"Don't worry about it, Keiko." Kagome said before stopping, making the two tail dog demon almost crash into her ankle. "You could go back and be with them. You don't have to come with me."

"_Kagome," _Keiko gasped. _"You're my master. Of course I'll follow."_

"And what if I let you go?" Kagome asked with her head bowed.

"_I'll still follow you wherever you go. Dogs never forget their masters, even if they are free." _Keiko barked.

"Is that what you want?" Kagome asked. "Or are you just doing that for my sake?"

"_I want to follow you!" _Keiko barked and whimpered desperately as she hopped onto Kagome's shoulder and put her head against the priestess's neck. _"Please, don't leave me behind, please." _Kagome slowly brought her hand up and placed it on the two tail's head, slowly petting her.

"Are you sure you don't want to live peacefully in that village instead of fight?" Kagome asked softly, without looking at the demon.

"_What brought all of this up?" _Keiko asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You all just looked so happy there." Kagome said sadly. "And what about you Avion? I could let you keep the body and spiritual power I have given you. You can go back."

"No," Avion said, shaking her head as she landed on the priestess's unoccupied shoulder. "I'm staying."

"Are you guys sure?" Kagome asked.

"Absolutely," Avion said with a kind bird smile.

"_Mm-hm," _Keiko mumbled in the dog language as she rubbed the top of her head on Kagome's cheek.

"Okay," Kagome said while finally a small smile crossed her lips. "The others don't look like they're going to follow. Let's go, huh?" The two nodded, though they looked behind them.

'_They're not going to come?' _Avion thought.

'_I thought we were friends.' _Keiko thought sadly. _'Inuyasha is her mate. At least he should follow even if they're mad at each other.'_

'_But what's gotten Kagome so mad about Inuyasha?' _Avion thought as she felt a presence near them.

"Kagome!" a voice yelled. Kagome stopped again and slowly turned so her side was towards the direction they came from. "Kagome!"

"Shippo," Kagome whispered as the fox demon jumped into her stomach. Startled by the contact, Kagome wrapped her arms around the shaking fox demon.

"Don't leave," Shippo whimpered. "Please don't leave."

"Shippo," Kagome said a bit louder than a whisper.

"Whatever got you angry, I'm sorry!" Shippo said desperately as he cried into the girl's clothes that was covering her stomach, making it wet. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Kagome sighed.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Shippo," Kagome said as she took one of her hands and stroked the fox demon's orange hair. "You don't have to apologize for anything," Shippo nodded silently as tears streamed down his cheek.

"Was it Inuyasha?" Shippo whimpered out.

"Something like that," Kagome said as she got sad and angry again.

"Oh," Shippo said as he noticed that the priestess didn't want to talk about it.

"Kagome!" a female yelled through the forest. "Kagome, there you are."

"Hi, Sango," Kagome said quietly as she situated Shippo so he was more comfortable in her arms.

"Is everything alright?" Sango asked, concerned, as she and Miroku got off of Kirara and walked to the girl.

"Been better," Kagome mumbled, though the human and fox demon heard it while Keiko and Avion stayed quiet.

"Mew," Kirara meowed after transforming back to her smaller self.

"No, Kirara, I don't want to talk about it." Kagome said with her hair covering her eyes. She then gently placed Shippo on the ground. "Why don't we just take a rest here, huh? It's nice and quiet."

"That's a good idea," Miroku said as he gathered sticks to make a small fire for the time being.

"Yeah," Sango said as she walked towards the priestess who was walked over towards a tree and started staring up at it. "What are you staring at?" Without answering, Kagome jumped into the tree with Keiko and Avion still on her shoulder. Avion quickly flew off while Keiko hopped onto the branch of the tree that Kagome has landed on.

"Catch these, will you?" Kagome asked as she dropped a peach down the tree. Gasping slightly, Sango quickly used her reflexes to catch the falling fruit.

'_Warn me a little sooner, will you?' _Sango thought as she caught another falling peach.

"So, Kagome, you've found food. Intelligent, as always," Miroku complimented, trying to get the priestess into a good mood.

"Glad someone gives me credit for my brain," Kagome said from the tree branch. "Unlike the person who is missing and always calls me stupid,"

"Kagome, I don't think-" Sango started as she caught the sixth peach.

"Where is he anyways?" Kagome asked nonchalantly as she hopped down with a light step. "He off with his little girlfriend?"

"What?" Sango asked, shocked. "What do you mean?" Kagome sighed as she fell back against the tree trunk and slowly slid down with her knees bent.

"You know," Kagome started as she crossed her arms on her upraised knees and put her chin on them. "You don't have to come."

"Not come?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, you could just stay at the village. I know you were happy there." Kagome said with a soft smile. "I'll get the jewel shards and figure out how to get Naraku. You don't have to tag along."

"Well for one, did you forget about the revenge we have to do?" Sango asked, getting upset. "And I have to get my brother back."

"And I have to kill Naraku so my wind tunnel disappears." Miroku said.

"But revenge is all you want." Kagome said in a small voice. "Revenge is something bad. And it will take over your heart and mind. You'll become so involved in your revenge that you forget things that are more important."

"But I still have to get my brother back," Sango reasoned.

"And _I _need to get rid of the wind tunnel," Miroku repeated.

"What if I do all of that _for _you?" Kagome asked.

"Kagome-?" Shippo started but couldn't finish out loud. _'Are you asking them the same question you did me? Is this a test or something?' _the fox demon thought.

"What are you getting at?" Sango asked.

"Woof," Keiko barked quietly to Kirara who was next to her. _"She thinks you guys want to stay at that village in the priestess academy,"_

"_Oh, why?" _Kirara meowed.

"_You'll see," _Keiko barked quietly as they still watched. Avion flew near the tree tops as she scanned them silently.

"You guys just looked so happy in that village. Since all of this is my fault, I thought I'd just do this on my own while you guys live the happy lives you deserve." Kagome said.

"Is that what it's all about?" Miroku asked.

"Sort of," Kagome whispered.

"Well, you don't have to worry. It might be nice there, but I'd much rather be where my sister is." Sango said with a genuine smile. Kagome looked up at the demon slayer then at the monk.

"Me too," Miroku said.

"Mew," Kirara agreed.

"Are you sure?" Kagome asked.

"Positive," Sango said as she sat next to the priestess. "We're always going to be by each other's side."

"Thanks," Kagome said with a smile. _'They still want to stay.' _She thought. _'Well, most of them.' _

"No need to thank us," Miroku said. "We're a team."

"So get out of that mood of yours." Sango said playfully.

"Right," Kagome said with a slightly forced smile. Sango eyed her friend as she set the peaches down on the ground.

"Inuyasha will be back, don't worry." Sango said with sadness in her voice.

"No," Kagome said as she covered her eyes with her bangs again. "I don't think he will."

"Why not?" Shippo asked. Keiko and Kirara cocked their heads to the side as they walked towards the priestess.

"Besides biting his head off," Kagome started lightly. "There are other girls he's interested in. I'm nothing compared to them."

"Are you crazy?" Sango asked, questioning Kagome's sanity. "You're way more than you give yourself credit for."

"Maybe to other people," Kagome said. "But not to him. I'm never good enough for him, no matter what I do."

"Kagome," Miroku scolded. "You know that's not-"

"Eat," Kagome interrupted as she picked up a peach and tossed it at the monk.

"But Kagome, Inuyasha-" Shippo tried to say.

"He obviously doesn't want to be here or else he would be, wouldn't he?" Kagome asked quietly. "Just eat this and get some energy back before we head off again." The priestess said as she handed the fox the peach. Getting the message, Shippo nodded his head and took the peach from the girl's hand and lightly nibbled on it.

'_I can't tell her that that's not true.' _Sango thought. _'Although I really want to, but Inuyasha left on his own, to Kikyo nonetheless.' _

"Sango, aren't you going to eat?" Kagome asked as she held the fruit in her hand.

"Uh, yeah," Sango said as she slowly picked up the fruit while watching the priestess hand fruit to Kirara and Keiko, though they despised fruits, the two tail demons had to eat something. "Aren't you eating, Kagome?"

"I'm not really that hungry." Kagome whispered. The demon slayer narrowed her eyes.

"Hungry or not," Sango started as she took the remaining peach and shoved it into Kagome's hands. "You are eating."

"But-" Kagome tried to say.

"I don't care, you have to eat. You weren't there for dinner or breakfast, so you're eating." Sango said sternly.

"You should eat," Miroku commented.

"Yeah, or else you won't have enough energy to go on through the day." Shippo said worriedly.

"Right," Kagome said as she slightly smiled. _'At least they care.' _She thought as she took a small bite out of the fruit.

"Good," Sango sighed in relief as she started eating her own fruit. _'Inuyasha's going to pay. The next time I see him, I'm going to hit him with Hiraikotsu and have Miroku suck him in his wind tunnel. Or maybe I'll just push him off a cliff when he's human on the new moon.' _Sango thought evilly.

'_That half demon,' _Miroku thought. _'He can't just go to another girl. I flirt with them, sure, but I don't go directly to them and start leading them on… Okay, I do, but I never go any further than teasing.' _The monk thought. _'I know Sango is the one I am going to marry, and I won't stray.' _

'_Inuyasha's such an idiot!' _Shippo thought angrily as he took and angry bite out of his fruit. _'I can't believe he will run off like that and leave Kagome again. Just you wait, Inuyasha, I'll… um…' _

"Mew," Kirara meowed softly as she made a disgusted face. _"This thing is nasty." _

"_Just stomach it. We won't have anything to eat until someone catches something. And that will mostly likely be you and me, since Inuyasha left." _Keiko replied, slowly chewing and turning slightly green.

"_Whatever you do, just don't puke on me."_ Kirara said as she rolled the peach away slightly and just sat in front of it, staring.

* * *

'_That wench, is that what it's all about?' _Inuyasha thought as he lurked in the trees. _'I didn't do anything, and yet she thinks she's not good enough for me? Hell, I was worried she would realize that she deserved better.' _The half demon then made his way closer into camp, making sure to stay out of Kirara, Keiko, and Shippo's hearing and smelling range, while also staying clear of Miroku, Sango, and Kagome's sensing ability. _'Damn, I can't get any closer. Can this group get any stronger?' _He thought sarcastically.

* * *

'_Hm, Inuyasha's not coming.' _Kikyo thought as she sat on a branch of a tree. _'He really shouldn't keep a lady waiting.' _She thought as she sent two more soul collectors to get Inuyasha to come to her.

* * *

'_They left,' _Ume thought as she stared into the sky. _'I hope he comes back.' _

"Ume," A middle aged woman said.

"Yes, Mama?" Ume asked.

"Can we talk?" the mother asked.

"Sure, what about?" Ume asked with curiosity as she turned towards her subjugate mother.

"Just stuff," the mother said innocently.

"What kind of stuff?" Ume played along.

"Mother to daughter stuff."

"Oh?" Ume said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," The mother said as she sat on the ground with her back against the wall of the hut. "Come, sit,"

"Alright," Ume said unsurely.

"So, how has your life been?"

"Good," Ume said. "Do you want to get to the point or beat around the bush?" the mother giggled.

"Alright, I'll get to the point." The mother said while laughing. "It's about that half demon boy you were with."

"You mean Inuyasha?" Ume asked.

"Is that his name?"

"Yes," Ume said dreamily. "He's so handsome."

"Well, dear, I can't argue that, but do you know what you're getting yourself into?" Mama asked.

"Yes, a relationship with another half demon like me," Ume said in an obvious voice.

"No, not like that." Mother said as she stared ahead of her to the hut in front of theirs.

"Then what do you mean, mother?" Ume asked as she sat next to the middle aged woman.

"I mean," the mother started. "He's already got a mate."

"Mate? That's impossible," Ume said like it meant nothing. "He does not."

"Honey," the mother sighed. "He does."

"Well he could just leave her and come to me. He seemed pretty interested in me yesterday." Ume said.

"Well, you just be careful." The mother said before getting up and dusted the dust from her clothing.

"That's it? No _big _lecture?" Ume asked, incredulously.

"Nope," The mother said as she started to walk slowly to the field behind the village. "Sometimes, I got to let you fall so you could learn on your own." She said with a kind, sympathetic, smile before walking away.

'_Hm,' _Ume thought. _'I won't get hurt. He'll come back, I know it.' _

* * *

…That Night…

"Well, we got pretty far. I think this is a good place to rest for the night." Kagome said, still in a depressed mood.

"Good idea, Kagome." Miroku said, trying to make the girl feel better about herself.

"I'll start a fire." Sango announced as she started digging a small indent in the ground and circled it in rocks.

"Well, Kagome, it's you or me." Miroku said with a smirk.

"What is?" Kagome asked in confusion.

"Who's going to get food?" Miroku asked. Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion looked at the two intently as they switched their eyes back and forth between the monk and priestess.

"Well, we could do it the easy way or the hard way." Kagome said, playing along.

"I enjoy a good challenge," Miroku said with a grin.

* * *

'_Damn, where did they go? How did they move so fast? I fell asleep for fifteen minutes and they're gone.' _Inuyasha growled in his mind. _'And it doesn't help that their scent trail is starting to fade.' _

"Inuyasha," a female said coldly.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked as he turned around. "Oh, Kikyo,"

"Why didn't you come to me when I called you?" Kikyo asked as her soul collectors swirled around her, dropping random glowing souls into her clay body.

"I'm not an obedient puppy," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Oh? Then you're not a dog, I see." Kikyo said.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, confused. "I'm not a _pet _dog, I'm a dog demon."

"I know. But you dog demons take the instincts and occasional behavior and abilities of regular dogs, do you not?" Kikyo asked in a monotone voice.

"Yeah, I guess." Inuyasha said, still confused. "Look, I really got to go."

"You are neither a dog nor a dog demon." Kikyo said bluntly as the half demon started walking away.

"What?" Inuyasha growled. "I'm a dog _demon_! Kikyo, what-"

"Dogs are loyal, Inuyasha. You were neither loyal to me or Kagome." Kikyo said as she looked off into the darkness of the forest.

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha hissed. "What about Kagome?"

"You found another girl while your heart belonged to me or Kagome." Kikyo explained slightly. "Your heart belonged to me when you gave it to Kagome. Though, I take pity on that girl. You make her your mate then mate her then take your heart back and give it to another. Who knows what's going on in her mind?"

"What are you talking about? You never owned my heart," Inuyasha growled.

"No? Well then does your life sound familiar? I remember you saying that your life belonged to me and mine yours." Kikyo said with a smirk. Inuyasha pinned his ears down onto his head. "Face it, you can't stick with one woman too long because you get bored and find other lovers."

"That's not true!" Inuyasha hissed, defended himself.

"Oh, isn't it?" Kikyo asked, getting annoyed. "Then tell me, Inuyasha, what are you doing, going after three different girls?"

"What?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.

"Well, for one, you are after me, then Kagome, whom you made your mate," Kikyo listed. "And that pretty little half demon in the village."

"I didn't-"

"And let me tell you, Kagome was _thrilled _to see you with another woman." Kikyo said sarcastically. "If staying out alone all night, chucking rocks into a lake is any clue. She was so out of it, she didn't even feel my presence."

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha gasped in his mind. _'Is that what you're mad about? I…'_

"I truly pity that girl, Inuyasha," Kikyo laughed coldly. "First, you tell her that she means a lot to you, and then you come after me, shattering her heart. And once she is truly in love with you, you crush her healed heart by going after another."

"I didn't go after another woman! That's Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled. "Look, I don't have time for this." With that, Inuyasha followed his nose to where the group was.

'_Hm,' _Kikyo thought. _'That boy should grow up.' _

* * *

"Shoot," Miroku and Kagome said at the same time as they put one of their hands in the area between them.

"Scissors beats paper, Miroku, I win!" Kagome said excitedly while she stuck her tongue out playfully at the monk. "You have to go hunt for food!"

"Ugh," Miroku groaned. "You're too good at that game."

"_Come on, Miroku, I'll help you." _Kirara meowed as she stood up.

"Huh?" Miroku asked with a cocked head. Kagome and Sango sighed as Shippo and Keiko shook their heads. Avion flew and landed on the monks shoulder as she whispered into his ear. "Oh, okay. Thanks Kirara." Kirara nodded, not even bothering to say anything, as she followed the monk into the forest with Avion on his shoulder still.

"Shippo, Keiko, why don't you go get us some water from the stream we saw a few yards back?" Sango suggested.

"Alright," Shippo said, excited to be useful. "Come on, Keiko,"

"Woof," Keiko barked happily as she ran after the fox. Kagome sighed as she fell against a tree behind her while still standing. The girls stayed quiet for a few moments as Sango made the fire while Kagome was staring into the orange sky with her arms crossed.

"Is it bothering you?" Sango asked suddenly as she sat peacefully next to the burning fire.

"What is?" Kagome asked as she turned her head to the demon slayer, still standing.

"Inuyasha not being here." Sango said softly. Kagome lost her cheeriness and looked away and towards the ground.

"Should I be?" Kagome asked stubbornly.

"Yes," Sango said.

"Hm," Kagome mumbled as she looked back up at the sky. "I can't force him to stay. If he wants to go, who are we to drag him along with us?"

"What are you saying?" Sango asked, shocked.

"If he's happy with her, then I have no choice but to let him go." Kagome said as her eyes sparkled from the reflecting sun.

"You're not giving up, are you?" Sango asked.

"I guess," Kagome said. "I've tried for a while, and I guess it didn't work because he still doesn't want to stay with me."

"You can't give up!" Sango said as she got up. "You always said not to give up on something you believe in."

"Maybe I don't believe in this anymore." Kagome said, looking at the demon slayer with the corner of her eye.

"You don't mean that," Sango said as she took a step closer to the girl.

"Between the two of us," Kagome said as she pushed off the tree trunk without using her hands while her arms were still crossed. "I think you're better off."

"What?"

"You know that when Miroku flirts, he's only playing and doesn't mean it. With Inuyasha, if he does anything like that, you know he's not playing." Kagome said as she turned her back to the demon slayer as tears formed in her eye, though the priestess refused them to fall. Sango clenched her teeth and fist together.

"Kagome," Sango said sympathetically. Kagome chuckled slightly.

"Don't," Kagome said. "He's not here now. That's enough of an answer for me."

"What are you… going to do?" Sango asked slowly as she swallowed the lump in his throat. Suddenly, are flowed around them while a red and blue swirl covered Kagome's right wrist. "No, Kagome, stop!"

"He's free now." Kagome said softly as the wind stopped and the demonic energy and priestess energy disappeared. She then started to slowly walk.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked, prepared to go after the girl.

"Just a small walk to clear my head," Kagome said. "I'll be back in a few minutes or so."

"Alright," Sango relented as she watched the priestess slowly walk away. _'Inuyasha is so going to die once I see him again.' _The demon slayer thought angrily.

* * *

A sudden wind blew through as he stopped dead in his tracks and covered his golden eyes with his right arm. Gasping slightly as he saw the priestess energy and demonic energy swirling around his wrist, Inuyasha eyed the limb intensely.

'_She didn't,' _Inuyasha thought, shocked. _'I'm going to kill that girl.' _He then clenched his fist together and gritted his teeth as he stared ahead of him.

* * *

'_Stupid girl,' _A dark figure thought as it lurked in the shadows of the trees while watching a priestess walk through the forest while kicking a small stone. _'She's so lost in thought, she doesn't even sense me.' _The priestess sighed as she let her arms fall from their crossed position.

"How can one guy be in love with three girls at the same time?" the priestess said quietly before violently kicking the small stone ahead of her and into another tree. "And why do I have to be one of them?" She said, calming down as a tear slipped out of her eye while she fell to her knees then onto her butt.

"Easy, my girl," the dark figure said, walking out of the trees. The priestess gasped.

"Naraku," the girl said as she stared at the man in a baboon outfit that had white fur and a blue face.

"You have been through a lot; I'm surprised you can still be as pure as you are, Kagome." Naraku said with a smirk. "First, losing the one you love to another woman, two actually," he continued while Kagome stared at him. "Oh, but before that you-"

"Shut up!" Kagome yelled as she shakily stood up. "Don't you dare,"

"Fine," Naraku relented easily. "I won't say it to you; I'll just say it to Inuyasha."

"What are you here for?" Kagome asked, seeing through his bluff.

"How would you like it if you forgot all of those memories?"

"And how do you even know my memories?" Kagome accused.

"You see that gift that you got from Inuyasha around your neck?" Naraku asked. Kagome brought her hand up and grasped the necklace.

'_Inuyasha wouldn't… He wouldn't, right?' _Kagome thought frantically.

"Inuyasha betrayed you, girl," Naraku said sinisterly. "That pendent of yours let me into your memories."

'_No,' _Kagome gasped in her mind. _'I know Inuyasha, even if he hates me and used me, he wouldn't do that.' _

"What are you going to do?" Naraku asked. Kagome put her head down as she looked towards the ground.

"Me?" Kagome asked. "Well first, I'm going to do _this,_" Kagome then launched forward, only to be caught by the neck by a tentacle and slammed against a tree.

"You're not thinking clearly enough to put those battle skills into use." Naraku said as he tightened his grip on her throat while Kagome put both of her hands on the limb.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Kagome yelled. Naraku grinned while he stared at the girl who was dangling from the tentacle around her neck.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE review! I would really appreciate it!**


	56. Line Between Good and Bad

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Line between Good and Bad

"Inuyasha betrayed you, girl," Naraku said sinisterly. "That pendent of yours let me into your memories."

'_No,' _Kagome gasped in her mind. _'I know Inuyasha, even if he hates me and used me, he wouldn't do that.' _

"What are you going to do?" Naraku asked. Kagome put her head down as she looked towards the ground.

"Me?" Kagome asked. "Well first, I'm going to do _this,_" Kagome then launched forward, only to be caught by the neck by a tentacle and slammed against a tree.

"You're not thinking clearly enough to put those battle skills into use." Naraku said as he tightened his grip on her throat while Kagome put both of her hands on the limb.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Kagome yelled. Naraku grinned while he stared at the girl who was dangling from the tentacle around her neck.

* * *

"Where's Kagome?" Shippo asked as he came back to camp with water that was in a ball that Keiko created using her water manipulating powers.

"She went for a walk." Sango answered as she looked into the fire.

"Woof?" Keiko barked. _"Where should I put the water?"_

"Oh," Sango said, finally noticing the water. "Just put it here," The demon slayer said as she placed water bottles from the modern time in front of the two tail demon.

"_Thanks," _Keiko barked.

"Miroku isn't back yet?" Shippo asked. Sango shook her head from side to side.

"Nope," Sango said with a slight grin. "You know him, though. He usually gets his food by performing phony exorcisms."

"That's true," Shippo said thoughtfully.

"_How long has Kagome been gone?" _Keiko asked as she got a weird feeling in her stomach.

"Not too long, I guess," Sango said as she looked in the direction the priestess left. "Why do you ask?"

"_Don't you think we should look for her?" _Keiko barked.

"She really looked like she wanted to be alone," Sango said worriedly.

"Finally," a voice sighed as a man emerged from the bushes around the camp sight.

"You got food?" Shippo asked.

"Yeah," Miroku said as he happily held up plants and berries. The group blinked.

"Uh, Miroku… We sent you _hunting, _meaning it was supposed to be some form of meat." Sango said as she held back a laugh.

"Please, this guy couldn't catch a dead fish." Avion said from the monk's shoulder. With that, Sango and Shippo laughed while Kirara and Keiko grinned and looked at the monk.

"You're not serious, right?" Sango asked.

"Of course not!" Miroku defended.

"Mew," Kirara meowed merrily. _"No, we saw a dead fish in the river and he couldn't get it."_

"We're not sending you hunting again." Shippo mumbled.

"Hey, what did she say?" Miroku demanded as he pointed to the cat demon. Sango rolled her eyes joyfully as she took the plants and berries out of the monk's hands and placed them in a small bowl that was also from the modern time which came out of Kagome's bag.

"_You're hopeless." _Keiko barked quietly.

"Maybe we should have Sango teach him." Shippo mumbled to the two two-tail demons. They each nodded while looking at the spiritual bird who was once again on a tree branch.

"_What are you looking for, Avion?" _Keiko barked up to the bird.

"Where's Kagome?" Avion asked instead.

"She took a walk," Sango answered.

"By herself?" Miroku asked.

"No with Inuyasha," Sango said sarcastically as she washed the plants and berries. "Of course she went by herself, she has a lot to think about and we should let her make her own decisions. Even if I am worried about her, I can't do anything."

"What did Inuyasha do this time that made Kagome so angry?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Probably the fact that he was all over a half demon girl in the village," Sango said angrily as she continue washing.

"I saw that too," Miroku said softly.

"That idiot," Shippo grumbled.

"_Poor Kagome," _Kirara meowed before looking at Keiko then Avion and saw them looking intently into the forest.

"But Miroku," Sango said quietly as she stopped washing.

"Yeah?" Miroku asked.

"I think… I think Kagome really meant it this time." Sango said.

"Meant what?" Miroku asked as he sat in front of her.

"Letting Inuyasha be with whoever he wants. I think she really took off the mating mark." Sango said worriedly.

"What? Kagome wouldn't do that." Miroku said confidently.

"You should've seen her though." Sango whispered. "It looked like she made up her mind."

"Kagome's in trouble," Avion suddenly said as she shot up to the sky.

"Huh?" Shippo asked as he stopped playing with Kirara.

"_Let's go," _Keiko barked as she went off towards where Sango was staring at before. The group nodded as they started to run into the forest. Sango quickly grabbed her weapon and ran after the group while jumping onto Kirara as she transformed.

* * *

Kagome groaned as the tentacle around her neck tightened its grip. Kagome tightened her hands around the tentacle and shot spiritual power into the appendage. Looking down, the priestess saw that she only burned the skin around the limb.

"You're powers are weakening." Naraku said with a smirk.

'_Oh no,' _Kagome thought as she struggled to breathe. _'It can't be helped now. I already feel the emotions.'_

"Don't try to block your true emotions, it doesn't work that way, you of all people should know that." Naraku said.

"I know that," Kagome wheezed out. _'Kikyo knew that too, but she thought that love makes our power weaker, but love is what makes them stronger. That's not the only emotion that controls spiritual power though.' _She thought.

"Anger, worry, disappointment, sadness, rejection," Naraku listed. "And many other emotions you feel."

"Shut up," Kagome strained out as she moved her foot so it rested on the bark of the tree behind her. "I don't need a lecture from you."

"Shall I tell all your _friends _your terrible secret, Kagome?" Naraku asked sinisterly with a dark chuckle. "Shall I have them reject you so you're all _alone_?"

"Don't tell them anything," Kagome said with a snarl.

"Or what?" Naraku asked. Kagome growled as she tried to use her human nails to hurt the limb holding her neck. "I tell them, or I don't and you become my servant." Kagome growled as she thought over the possibilities.

'_Or I could have him kill me right here. It'll save a lot of people a lot of trouble.' _Kagome thought.

"Don't do it!" a male voice said from the forest. Moving her eyes, Kagome looked around the forest. Suddenly, a flash of yellow light was seen streaking across the tentacle that was holding the priestess by the neck. After a second without anyone or anything moving, Kagome slid down the tree trunk as the tentacle was severed in two.

'_Who dares interfere?' _Naraku thought as he retracted the tentacle and looked around.

'_Ow,' _Kagome groaned inwardly as she held her neck. _'That was close.' _

"Stay away from her!" a male voice said as the body made its appearance.

'_Inuyasha… what….?' _Kagome thought shocked as she stared at the man holding his sword in front of him and stood in front of her. _'I thought you left.' _

"You're going to fight me now," Inuyasha growled as he tightened his grip on the sword.

"Hm," Naraku mumbled. "Very well, I'll kill you both while I tell Kagome's secret to the world." He said before forming another tentacle and forced it towards the dog half demon.

"Like a stupid thing like that could hurt me!" Inuyasha yelled as he sliced the limb with his sword.

"Kagome!" a female yelled as a large fire cat demon came crashing in.

'_Sango and the others,' _Kagome thought as she still panted from the lack of air a while ago. _'They all came,' _

"Kagome," Avion said in a quieter voice as she flew to the priestess on the ground holding her neck.

"Why…" Kagome groaned out quietly as she slowly got up. Avion cocked her head to the side as she flew near the girl.

'_What is she talking about?' _Avion thought with confusion. Kagome squinted one of her eyes in pain as she watched her friends go in front of her. Naraku narrowed his eyes before sending a stream of miasma at the group.

'_No,' _Kagome thought as her eyes flashed pink while she clenched her teeth together.

"Miasma!" Miroku yelled as he posed his staff in front of him. Suddenly a barrier erected in front of the group, successfully blocking the miasma.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he looked behind him. Sango stared at the girl as she waited to see what she was going to do.

"Hm," Naraku said as he observed the scene. "Kagome, come to my castle, we shall fight there." With that, the dark half demon left in smog of purple miasma. Growling, Kagome let the barrier fall as she ran full speed into the forest.

"Kagome, come back!" Inuyasha commanded.

"This is my fight!" Kagome yelled back as she stopped and turned around quickly.

"Your fight is our fight," Miroku reasoned.

"We're a team," Sango said. Kagome stayed quiet for a second as she stared at each individual.

"Then I don't want to be a part of this team!" Kagome yelled angrily. Everyone stood still as the words registered in their minds.

"Kagome," Shippo whispered, confused.

"And I don't want _anyone _following me! Keiko, Avion, you, or anyone else!" Kagome yelled unkindly. The priestess then huffed and turned around and ran into the forest as the group quickly lost track of her silhouette due to her spiritual powers.

* * *

'_Very good, Kagome,' _Naraku thought as he looked into a silver mirror. _'Come alone and push the others away.' _

"Naraku," A female voice said from the doorway to the dark ominous room.

"What do you want, Kagura?" Naraku asked without looking towards the door.

"Do you really have a plan or are you going to just play along?" Kagura asked as she flipped open her fan.

"I always have a plan," Naraku answered with a smirk. "Meet your brothers," Kagura raised her eyebrow before looking towards the corner of the room and saw two silhouettes.

'_More spawns,' _Kagura thought, disgusted. The wind sorceress then looked at her little sister, Kanna, who held the mirror. _'That girl is running right into the trap. She already got rid of her little team.' _

* * *

"Woof," Keiko whimpered sadly as she took a step forward, attempting to follow the priestess.

"Wh…What happened?" Sango asked quietly as a wind blew through the group. Inuyasha suddenly growled viciously as he untransformed his sword and placed it in its sheath.

"What is it, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he looked at the half demon in the corner of his eye.

"That damn girl has something wrong with her brain." Inuyasha scoffed cruelly. "She's being selfish."

"What's your problem?" Sango yelled to the half demon.

"_My _problem? I'm not the one who just screamed out of here!" Inuyasha retorted.

"She was only angry because of you!" Sango yelled, defending their friend.

"She got angry at me before! Nothing like this ever happened! Obviously there's something wrong with her head!" Inuyasha yelled.

"And do you ever consider her feelings?" Miroku asked.

"Of course I do!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Then tell me why she took the mating mark off!?" Sango demanded.

"Because she's psychotic!" Inuyasha yelled.

"How can you say that?" Shippo yelled with tears in his eyes.

"Everything that happened is because of you!" Avion joined.

"Why is everyone blaming me when Kagome was the one telling us to leave her alone?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because you pushed her too far!" Sango yelled. "If I was Kagome, you'd be dead by now!"

"What? How is it my fault?" Inuyasha growled out.

"She only did what she thought that would make you happy, Inuyasha!" Sango yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked.

"She saw you!" Sango yelled.

"Saw me what?" Inuyasha demanded.

"She saw you flirting with that half demon girl." Miroku supplied.

"And she probably sensed Kikyo," Sango added.

"I do didn't do anything with either of them!" Inuyasha defended.

"In her eyes, it looked like you didn't even care!" Sango yelled with tears of anger in her eyes. "Hell, in _my _eyes it looked like you didn't care!"

"You don't know what she saw, Inuyasha!" Avion yelled. "Since I'm her spiritual helper, I can see all of her memories. Do you want to know?"

"Yes, please enlighten me!" Inuyasha said sarcastically.

"She saw you opening your whole heart to that half demon girl." Avion said as she had an aura of sorrow around her. "And she felt like she couldn't live up to Kikyo or her. It took her all the time you were together to get a glimpse of your life, but to Kikyo _and _that half demon girl you just opened up and didn't care what you said." Inuyasha stood still, listening.

"You get it now?" Sango demanded angrily.

"And on top of all of this, she already had that secret to worry about, whatever it is." Miroku said.

"I can't believe she even stayed this long." Shippo said. Inuyasha looked away while staring at the ground.

"She feels like she can't live up to your expectations," Sango said calmly this time. "She feels like she's not good enough."

"And if she feels like you're going to be happier without her," Miroku continued. "Then she's going to let you go."

"She also feels like you'd rather be with someone of your own kind than someone like her." Avion said, going through the emotions she received from Kagome.

"_Even if it makes her sad or angry," _Keiko barked softly. _"She'll do it for the good of you."_

"_And Kagome's been dealing with a lot of stress lately," _Kirara informed.

"She was counting on you to back her up," Sango reasoned as she took a step forward towards the silent half demon. "When you weren't there at all, she thought she was alone," Tears of sadness ran down the demon slayers cheek. "No matter how much I, or Miroku, or anyone else is there with her, your presence means more to her."

"We might've helped her, but all she was thinking about is you." Miroku said as he put an arm around Sango.

"Why are you such an idiot!?" Shippo yelled angrily.

"She just went after Naraku and she doesn't have a chance." Avion informed. "Her powers became too weak."

"What?" Inuyasha finally asked, shocked.

"Her powers," Avion repeated. "They run with emotions. Right now, Kagome isn't in the best of emotions, all she feels is sadness, confusion, anger… a lot more, but…"

"_Now she's going to do things _alone._" _Keiko barked as she stood up from her sitting position.

'_I didn't want this to happen.' _Inuyasha thought as he lifted up his head and looked into the forest. The half demon then started walking into the dark depths.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked, shocked.

"I'm going to find my mate." Inuyasha said softly, though he knew they weren't mates anymore. "Are you guys coming?" The group nodded as they started to trot off.

* * *

'_Forgive me,' _Kagome thought with tears running down her face as she ran through the forest. _'I have to do this alone. And if I don't… I'll be alone anyways. Inuyasha doesn't want me and the others probably hate me now. And even if they didn't, once Naraku tells them… they will. Even I hate myself for it, but nothing can be done.' _Kagome ran faster through the trees as she traced Naraku's miasma. _'I don't have a chance against Naraku on my own. But I guess it's a price to pay.' _

* * *

...Five Days Later…

"Sango, we've been looking for five days, where is she?" Shippo whispered into the demon slayer's ear as they rode on Kirara.

"I don't know, Shippo," Sango whispered back as she looked down to the ground to see Inuyasha running faster than normal. _'But I hope she's alright,' _the demon slayer thought solemnly.

"You don't think she's going to give in to Naraku's black mailing, do you?" Shippo asked.

"At this point," Miroku answered instead. "We can only hope." The fox demon nodded as they continue to search for the missing priestess.

'_Kagome, where did you go?' _Inuyasha thought as he ran at demonic speed. _'How are you avoiding us? I hope you're okay.' _

"Inuyasha," Miroku called down.

"What?" Inuyasha asked while he kept running.

"Over there!" Sango yelled as she spotted a stream of smoke coming from the ground.

"Are you sure it's not just someone camping out?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's too big to be just someone camping out." Miroku said.

"Maybe it's a village." Shippo suggested.

"There are too many trees there to be a village, Shippo." Sango said while Kirara roared and sped up.

"Then what's going on?" Miroku asked.

* * *

'_Okay, maybe they won't hate me if I tell them the truth,' _Kagome thought as she stared ahead of her. _'But if that's what I have to tell myself to leave like this, then I have no choice.' _She then jumped back a few feet as something crashed into the ground in front of her. _'Please, don't come for me this time.'_

* * *

'_That's right, priestess,' _Naraku thought as he stared into Kanna's silver mirror. _'Fight to the death.' _

* * *

"There!" Sango yelled as they got closer to a deserted field that lacked any life, not even plants. The group landed in the middle of the barren land and scanned the grounds.

"What do you think happened here?" Miroku asked as he stood back to back with the demon slayer.

"I don't know, but the smoke is fresh." Inuyasha announced as he took out his faithful sword and transformed it with a flash of gold.

"Over there," Avion said from slightly above them. The group looked towards the direction where the spiritual bird was looking at and saw a small explosion go off.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she transformed herself. _"This place reeks of miasma."_

"You're right," Inuyasha said. Miroku looked confused but kept his questions to himself.

"Let's go towards the explosion." Sango suggested.

"Yes, the miasma here is definitely Naraku's," Miroku said with a nod.

"Wait, over there!" Shippo said as he looked the opposite direction the group was going to head to.

"A palace," Miroku said softly.

"Most likely Naraku's," Sango said as she looked at it closely.

"Yes, the barrier surrounding the building just disappeared." Miroku announced.

"What should we do now?" Avion asked as she flew lower towards the group.

"Best chance we got is to split up." Inuyasha said as he flicked his eyes from one direction to the next.

"Alright," Sango and Miroku said at the same time.

"Well, you're the leader, what are your orders?" Sango said, still angry with the half demon. Inuyasha, sensing the anger off of the demon slayer, quirked his eyebrow before looking both directions then back at the group in front of him.

"I'll go with Keiko and Shippo to the explosion that way. You guys go to the castle and get Naraku." Inuyasha ordered. The group nodded as they started to take off to perform their roles.

"Inuyasha," Sango said in a slightly commanding voice. Inuyasha turned around to look at the demon slayer. The two stared at each other as Kirara took the group slightly to the skies. "Be careful," The half demon nodded.

"You guys too," Inuyasha said before turning around and running into the dead forest with Shippo on his shoulder and Keiko running next to him.

"Avion, Kirara, let's go," Sango said as they flew off towards the castle.

* * *

"Naraku," Kagura called as she flipped open her fan and put it in front of her face.

"Yes, Kagura?" Naraku asked, irritated.

"Inuyasha and his little group are here. They split up." Kagura informed, silently sneering at the man. Kanna remained impassive as she held the mirror in front of her.

"Good," Naraku said with a smirk.

"So there was a reason why you put down the barrier?" Kagura asked with a raised eyebrow. Naraku didn't answer immediately as he kept staring into the mirror showing a fighting scene between a priestess in white and two men.

"Kagura, keep our guest entertained." Naraku ordered. Kagura rolled her eyes as she walked out.

'_And I, once again, get stuck with the dirty work.' _Kagura thought as she made her way out of the palace.

* * *

"Priestess," a man said in a monotone voice as he landed after attempting to kick the priestess who dodged backwards. "You're powers are weak."

"Don't you think I know that!?" she yelled, irritated.

"Then brother, this will be easy," a second man said, also in a monotone voice as he appeared suddenly behind the priestess. Gasping, the girl quickly jumped high into the air as she narrowly avoided a sword.

'_Damn it,' _the girl thought as she did a flip in the air to get slightly away from the man. _'I've been fighting for two days. I'm going to collapse soon.' _She thought as she wiped blood away from the corner of her mouth.

"Prepare to get blown to bits," the first man said as he used his demonic power to create a bomb in his hand then threw it at the girl.

"Kagome!" a man yelled as he came out of the bush and grabbed the girl, carrying her away from the frightful bomb.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered as she pressed her face into his chest so any bits of dirt wouldn't get into her eyes. Growling was heard behind them as the two men held more bombs in their hands.

"Naraku did not tell us about him, brother," the second man with black hair and red eyes said.

"But he ordered us to kill anyone who interferes with his direct orders," the first man with red hair and red eyes said. "That includes them."

"Yes," The other brother said before launching his body towards the half demon with his sword out. "Get out of our way." Inuyasha quickly jumped away with Kagome still in his arms as Keiko distracted the man with black hair.

"What are you doing here?" Kagome finally asked as they landed a distance away.

"We're here to help you." Shippo said from Inuyasha's shoulder. Kagome wiggled her way out of Inuyasha's arms and looked at him in the eye.

"Get out of here," Kagome said as she turned her back to them and looked at the brothers. "This doesn't concern you."

"Yes it does!" Inuyasha yelled, getting fed up with the girl.

"If you want to know the secret," Kagome said without looking away from the demon with black hair. "Naraku is more than willing to tell you."

"Then why are you fighting them?" Inuyasha asked.

"He sent them after me," Kagome said. "What was I suppose to do? Let them kill me?" Inuyasha stayed silent before gripping his sword tighter.

"I'm staying." Inuyasha said as he suddenly jumped above the priestess and came down on the demon who wasn't fighting the two tail dog demon. Kagome sighed.

'_He came…' _Kagome sighed in her mind as she pointed her finger at the demon fighting Inuyasha. Kagome then charged up some energy and released it in a stream of light as it hit the demon.

"Kagome," Shippo said from the priestess's feet.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked while a little preoccupied with watching the battle.

"Who are they?" Shippo asked as he saw Kagome shoot another beam of spiritual power towards the man Keiko was fighting.

"They're more of Naraku's lackeys that he created." Kagome said. "The one with black hair is Goro, and the other is Junichi, they are bomb demons." The priestess then looked down at the fox demon. "Stay here." She then ran up to the fight and took out her sword as she sliced into Junichi's shoulder. Keiko growled as she took her chance and sunk her fangs into the man while he twitched in pain.

'_But we're close to a cliff,' _Shippo thought as he looked behind him and towards where the ground ended.

* * *

"Come out here, Naraku!" Miroku yelled into the palace walls as the group landed just outside the door.

"Well, look who's here." Kagura said behind the screen door.

"Kagura," Sango hissed as she got off Kirara and raised her weapon.

"Let's just get this over with," Kagura whispered to herself. "Die!" The group jumped away as they saw the wind sorceress wave her open fan at them, creating blades of white wind. _'Hm, I'll just stall for a while.' _She thought.

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku asked as he landed after his jump.

"You're friend is about to die," Kagura said calmly as she waved her fan again.

"What?" Sango yelled, shocked.

"Sango," A voice said from everywhere at one.

"Who's that?" Avion asked as she flew down to the two humans.

"Naraku," Miroku seethed as he flicked his eyes from left to right.

"Would you like to see an old friend?" Naraku's voice said from the sky as a silhouette was seen at the corner of the palace.

'_Who…?' _The demon slayer thought as she kept a wary eye on the figure.

"Aren't you even going to help me?" Kagura asked, though she knew the half demon wouldn't. When the dark half demon didn't respond, Kagura scoffed before looking to the hidden figure.

"Kohaku," Sango whispered as she trembled slightly. Kirara growled sadly as she looked at the boy.

'Oh no,' Kirara thought as she looked at the young boy. His eyes were lifeless brown as he stared ahead at them. 'What do we do now?' Miroku put a comforting hand on Sango's arm while he eyed Kagura with curiosity.

"Well, Kagura?" Miroku asked. The wind sorceress lifted an eyebrow while closing her fan.

"I don't think I'm needed here," Kagura said nonchalantly. "Kohaku, you can handle them."

"You coward!" Sango yelled suddenly, stopping all time and motion. "You're all cowards!"

"Sango," Avion said soothingly.

"You're using people we care about so you could get away." Sango continued as a tear formed in the corner of her eye. "You used Kikyo, then Kagome, and Kohaku! And you placed a curse on Miroku's family! And don't you even care about the families that you hurt by using someone and promising a jewel shard but then just killing them?"

'_Sango, what are you doing? Telling Naraku off, sure, but is now a good time?' _Miroku thought as he blocked a scythe with his staff.

"You bastard!" Sango yelled as she violently threw her Hiraikotsu towards Kagura. Eyes widening, Kagura quickly leaped up into the air and plucked a feather from her hair and enlarged it.

"Oh, pity," Naraku's voice rang through the forest. "You just hit someone."

"I hope it was you." Sango hissed as she saw her weapon come back. She expertly caught the large weapon as she stared into the ruins of the palace's front door and half of the wall.

"Oh no," Naraku said sinisterly as his outline was seen in the dust of the falling wall. "You hit the poor priestess," Just then, a girl appeared in his arms as he held her.

'_Kagome,' _Sango gasped as she put her hands up to her mouth.

"Sango," Miroku whispered as he motioned for Kirara and Avion to take over his job of blocking the smaller male demon slayer. "Look carefully,"

Sango studied the figure in Naraku's arms as blood dripped from her head and onto the ground. Kagome's eyes were closed as her skinned paled and her body stayed still, not even breathing.

"I can't, Miroku," Sango said in a horrified whisper.

"She's not real." Miroku informed. "It's just a puppet."

"I still can't," Sango said as she took a step back. "That's her image, Miroku! Even if it's not her, I can picture it now."

"How touching," Naraku said with a smirk. "Even if she's not dead now, she will be soon."

"What makes you so sure?" Avion growled as she left Kirara to fight Kohaku. Kagura stood against a post of the palace as she flipped open and closed her fan while watching in entertainment.

"My new incarnations are too strong for even her weakened powers." Naraku said as he dropped the dummy to the ground as he grew in size. Masses of tentacles came up from under the half demon as he stared at them with red eyes.

* * *

"Get out of here!" Kagome yelled as she blocked a sword with the sword in her forearm protector.

"And leave you alone to fight? Yeah, right." Inuyasha scoffed as he sliced diagonally with his own sword, but missed as the demon with red hair and red eyes, Junichi, jumped backwards and did a flip.

"You never listen to me!" Kagome complained as she pushed her body weight into the clashing swords and pushed the demon with black hair and red eyes, Goro, back. Keiko, who was transformed, sunk her six inch fangs into Goro's shoulder as he backed up near her. Goro growled in pain before punching the two tail dog demon in the head with his free hand. Keiko whimpered as she dropped to the floor. "Keiko," Kagome said, worried.

"Fox Fire!" Shippo yelled as he shot green flames at Junichi as he landed from dodging Inuyasha's attack.

"You think petty flames like that could hurt me?" Junichi said in a low voice as he turned towards the fox demon. Shippo gulped down a lump in his throat as he saw the demon raise his sword and exert flames onto the blade.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha yelled as he struggled to get up. _'Damn it. If Goro didn't knock me off balance when I was jumping, I wouldn't have landed on my ankle and broken it.' _Inuyasha growled in his mind.

"Keiko, keep Goro busy!" Kagome ordered as she ran to the fox demon. _'No, don't fire. Please don't fire.' _Kagome pleaded in her mind as Junichi launched the attack like a fire bullet. "No!"

* * *

"You're disgusting, Naraku!" Sango yelled. "You use dirty tricks so people have no other choice _but _to work for you!"

"Ah, but dear demon slayer, they had a choice." Naraku said sinisterly. The sound of Sango's human growl made the half demon laugh as he sent tentacles towards her and the monk.

"Damn you!" Sango yelled as she threw her boomerang weapon at the tentacles, effectively cutting them in half, then quickly put up her forearm with the small blade to block Kohaku's scythe.

"Quick, Miroku," Avion said as she weaved through the oncoming tentacles. "Suck the disconnected tentacles into your wind tunnel before they reattach themselves back."

"Right," Miroku said as he unwrap the beads around his hand. A sudden wind became known to the battle field as the extra tentacles flew into it.

"Wait, Miroku, Saimyosho!" Sango yelled as her weapon pinned itself into the ground while she kicked her brother in the stomach. Miroku quickly covered back his hand as he saw Avion purify the rest of them. "Kohaku, I'm sorry." Kirara roared loudly as she weaved through the many wind blades that were sent to her by Kagura.

"Damn," Kagura whispered behind her fan. _'I have to at least make it look like I'm trying.' _She thought.

'_I can't purify these forever. Kagome's powers are weakened, that means so am I.' _Avion thought as she landed on a tree branch.

Without warning, the ground started shaking violently as a loud explosion was heard from a distance. Everyone stopped their fighting before looking at the source of the explosion. Over the tree lines, red and orange flames were seen floating around while some of the dead forest trees caught on fire.

"No!" Miroku yelled. "Inuyasha!"

"Kagome!" Sango yelled, worriedly. _'Shippo, Keiko. Oh no.' _

"Your little friends are dead now." Naraku said with a dark tone.

"Then we're taking you down!" Sango yelled as she picked up Hiraikotsu and ran towards the dark half demon. With a battle cry, Sango quickly jumped over all the tentacles and smashed the tip of her weapon directly into Naraku's chest. Without so much as a sound, Naraku smirked as his body slowly disappeared. "Damn it!" Sango yelled before throwing her weapon blindly at the wind sorceress. Kagura quickly side stepped the attack while also jumping away from it.

"Another demon puppet." Miroku said as he saw the wooden figure.

"Kagura," Naraku's voice rang through the forest. Kagura rolled her eyes as she took out a feather from her hair and grew it to a size so she could sit.

"Come on, kid." Kagura said as she flew over him and grabbed his hand. Kirara whimpered as the boy was taken away from them.

"Kohaku!" Sango yelled while a thud was heard when her weapon landed a few feet away from her. _'Come back.' _She thought.

"Avion!" Miroku gasped as he looked at the bird who was standing on the floor.

"My times up." Avion said in a last whisper. "Good bye." The spiritual bird then slowly disappeared into the air as she turned into a ball of light that exploded like fireworks.

"What?" Sango gasped as she turned around. "No! Miroku, what happened?" She demanded.

"I don't know," Miroku said with a shake of his head. Kirara flew to them as nudged the demon slayer with her head, signaling her to climb onto her back. Sango nodded as she ran and grabbed her weapon and got onto Kirara.

"Let's go, Miroku. We have friends to find." Sango said as she watched the castle disappear in a cloud of purple miasma with Kagura following behind it. _'Kohaku, stay safe, just for a little while longer until I get to you.' _

* * *

"No!" Kagome yelled as she stood in front of the fox demon and put her two hands up in front of her.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha gasped as he saw her. Kagome quickly shot her spiritual power out of her hands as she blocked the power of the flames. After a minute, the flash of lights from the contact disappeared while Kagome fell to her knees.

'_I don't have much more power left in me.' _Kagome thought as she looked up between her bangs.

"That's it," Inuyasha said in a finalized voice. "Wind Scar!"

"Ready, brother?" Goro asked.

"Yes," Junichi answered as the held one of each other's hands then put the other hand out towards the golden wind.

"Explosion!" The brothers yelled as both of them glowed red. Kagome gasped as she watched the brothers glow together.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked in a tremble.

"Ah!" Kagome gasped as she was pulled by the neck by a rope and held firmly to the two brothers.

"Let go of her!" Inuyasha yelled. The brothers' glow brightened as they charged up their bodies with the demonic energy. Kagome pulled one of her hands away from the rope around her neck and put it out in front of her with her palm open.

'_I only have enough power to do this once.' _Kagome thought as pink energy surrounded her hand. With a battle cry, Kagome released her remaining energy into three steams.

'_Kagome?' _Inuyasha thought, shocked, as he saw the beam come towards him and hit him in the chest. The beam pushed him back over the edge of the cliff. With a groan, Inuyasha started to fall, still in a slight shock. A yelp was heard as Keiko was knocked over while struggling to get back onto land, but failed.

"_Kagome!" _Keiko barked as she fell.

"Ah!" Shippo yelled while he plummeted down with is head first. "Inuyasha, help!"

"Gotcha," Inuyasha said as he turned around so his back was facing the ground as Shippo landed on his stomach. "Keiko, come here," The two tail dog demon nodded her head as she made a swimming motion and went to the half demon.

"What about Kagome?" Shippo asked.

_**BOOM**_

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as intense wind and heat erupted from above them.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled as they continue falling.

"_No!" _Keiko barked.

'_I can't get a hold of the cliff wall.' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at the rocks. _'Please, no,'_

* * *

'_Hey, buddy, if I'm going down, you're going down with me.' _Kagome thought as she dropped her hand.

"Brother and I will combine our powers and create a bomb that will destroy you." Goro said as he held onto the rope that was around her neck.

"It'll kill both of you." Kagome said with a sad smile.

"That is our purpose." Junichi said.

"What if you had a normal life of a demon?" Kagome asked before the brothers glowed an even darker red.

"That is not a possibility." Goro answered. With that, the two brothers burst into lights that enveloped the battle field.

'_This is it… for me.' _Kagome thought with a tear running down her cheek as the light ran over her. _'Even if you don't love me… I'll still protect your life with my own.'_

* * *

_*_

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**I HOPED YOU LIKED IT!**


	57. One Last Secret

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

One Last Secret

"Come on, Sango, we have to find the others." Miroku said as they rode on Kirara. "We have to find out what happened."

"Yes," Sango agreed with a nod of her head. "Especially what happened to Avion, which means something happened to Kagome." Kirara roared as she flew down next to a large tree. "Kirara, what is it?" Circling the tree, Kirara stopped near the top branches.

"There," Miroku said as he pointed his staff at an object.

"What's that?" Sango asked as she put her legs to one side of Kirara before jumping onto a limb.

"Careful," Miroku said as he watched the demon slayer steady herself.

"I know," Sango said softly as she kneeled down and put her hands on the branch. "I'm going to go check it out." Miroku nodded his head as he watched the demon slayer slowly crawl through the leaves.

* * *

"So, the priestess sacrificed her life," Naraku said as he looked into the silver mirror held by his pawn, Kanna. The mirror reflected a scene of a charred battle field with three people laying face down. "The brothers were successful."

"I hope you're proud of yourself," Kagura said sarcastically as she leaned against the door frame.

* * *

"Miroku, come here!" Sango yelled from inside the tree. The monk looked confused but carefully got off of the floating Kirara and onto the branch.

"What is it?" Miroku asked as he slowly walked over to his fiancé.

"Inuyasha," Sango whispered as she looked at the man tangled in tree limbs and leaves. She then pointed to an unconscious fox demon and a two tail dog demon in its smaller form.

"How did they get here?" Miroku asked as he slowly untangled Shippo and Keiko from their perches.

"I don't know," Sango said worriedly as she looked straight up. "But I think they fell from up there." She said as she raised her hand above her head and pointed straight up.

"Here," Miroku said as he handed the two smaller beings to the demon slayer. "I'll get Inuyasha."

"What about Kagome?" Sango asked as she took their smaller friends.

"She has to be somewhere." Miroku said as him and Sango slowly switched places on the branch.

"I hope so," Sango said as she carefully walked one foot after another towards the flying two tail cat demon. Kirara growled questioningly as she flew closer to the tree. Sango then hopped on carefully, situating herself and her Hiraikotsu on her back as she got up. "Don't worry, they're just unconscious." Sango reassured. The two tail nodded her head as she saw Miroku come back slowly with the half demon on his back.

"Inuyasha's heavier than you think he is," Miroku groaned as he slid Inuyasha onto Kirara's back before getting on behind the half demon. The said half demon groaned slightly and squinted his eyes before opening them. "So you're awake."

"Wha…?" Inuyasha asked as he slowly got up. "What happened?"

"That's what we want to ask you." Miroku said as he helped the half demon sit up before having Kirara fly further. Inuyasha looked around briefly before looking at the unconscious Shippo and Keiko in Sango's arms.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha suddenly screamed. Keiko slowly opened her eyes from the loud outburst.

"What about her?" Sango asked as she looked behind her.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha said frantically.

"We don't know, we just found you three." Miroku said, concerned. "Did something happen?"

"Kirara, go up to the cliff," Inuyasha ordered as he looked up to the ledge he got pushed off of.

"Alright," Sango agreed as she signaled the cat demon to fly up. Once there, the group gasped as they landed on the charred ground.

"What happened here?" Miroku asked in a whispered tone.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled as she quickly placed Shippo and the disgruntled Keiko on the ground before running towards the priestess who was face down on the ground with her head resting on her right cheek.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered in a shocked tone before running towards her. "No!" Miroku followed quickly behind while Kirara stayed with Keiko and Shippo. Whimpering, Kirara lowered her ears as she slowly sat down and put her head on her front paws.

"Oh god, Kagome," Sango said as she fell to her knees before touching the priestess's cold back. "Wake up… please." Inuyasha growled as he saw the burning rope that still attached itself onto Kagome's neck.

"Stupid thing," Inuyasha growled as he sliced the rope carefully away from the girl's neck then turning to her over so she lay on her back. "Okay, Kagome, don't play games, you can focus your eyes now." He said as he stared into lifeless brown eyes. "I'm not kidding, Kagome," Inuyasha said shakily.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said softly as he kneeled next to the half demon. Inuyasha put one arm around Kagome's shoulder, slowly lifting her to a sitting position as her head fell back. Sango wiped her silent tears away from her cheek before more fell.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said as he shook her slightly. "Wake up. Kagome!" Sango gulped as she slowly touched one of the girl's cold hands while Miroku took another and put his thumb on the underside of her wrist. A pained looked crossed Miroku's face as he lowered his head so his eyes weren't seen.

"No," Sango whispered. "No!"

"What are you yelling about?" Inuyasha yelled back as salt water gathered in his eyes, though he refused them to fall. "She's still alive!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku whispered as he slowly put the priestess's hand down. "She-"

"No! She's not! We can still save her." Inuyasha said as he clenched his eye lids together. "I promised to protect her." Suddenly, a whimpered sounded as a shaky Keiko walked up to the priestess's lap and placed her to front paws on her thigh, waiting to be petted by her master.

"Keiko," Sango said shakily as she finally broke down on her hands and knees and cried. The two tail dog demon barked softly as she laid her head down and nuzzled her fur into Kagome's thigh.

"Kagome, you're going to wake up!" Inuyasha yelled as he shook her slightly harder.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said as he put his hand on the half demon's to stop him. The monk then shook his head from side to side before dropping his hand. A single tear leaked from Miroku's own violet eyes as he turned away.

"Miroku," Sango said as she gasped for breath. "Tell me… Tell me this is a nightmare." Miroku looked at the demon slayer before going over to her and pulling her into his arms.

"I wish I could." Miroku whispered back as Sango continue to cry on his shoulder. Inuyasha suddenly moved so Kagome's dead body was pressed against his tightly.

'_I'm sorry,' _Inuyasha thought desperately as he himself cried. _'I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, Kagome. I'm sorry. I should've been there, I should've… I…' _Inuyasha let out a strangled breath as he placed a hand behind Kagome's head. _'I should've died, not you.' _

Just then a blue light emitted from the dead priestess's body briefly before a floating blue ball came out of her chest. The blue orb floated briefly as they others seem to stop their crying and look. The orb circled the group before going through one chest after another, appearing again on the other side of the person. The orb then circled the group again, including Kirara and Shippo, and then headed up towards the cloudy blue sky.

"Did anyone just-" Sango said in a shocked whisper as she still clung to the monk's robes.

"Yeah," Miroku cut in with a nod.

"Kagome," Inuyasha choked out before burying his head into the girl's hair and neck and silently crying. _'This can't be happening. Tell me this isn't happening!' _

An image appeared inside each of the groups member minds as the blue orb went through their bodies. The person it showed smile and cocked her head to the side while closing her eyes in happiness and putting up two fingers in a peace sign.

"_Don't cry, we'll be together again one day. For your sake, let's hope it's a long way from now, huh?" _Kagome's voice said as she giggled slightly before fading away.

* * *

"The clouds are darkening." Kaede said to herself as she looked up into the sky. _'Has something happened?' _She thought curiously as a drizzle of rain started.

* * *

…One Hour Later…

"Inuyasha," Miroku whispered as they silently walked.

"What?" Inuyasha asked emotionlessly.

"It's raining; we should probably find someplace to stay." Miroku said.

"And where do you think will let us in with someone who is dead!?" Inuyasha yelled. Miroku looked down while Sango looked at the half demon sympathetically. "I'll tell you where! No where!"

"Inuyasha," Sango said as she jogged up to the half demon and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We can't change what is already done."

"Says who?!" Inuyasha yelled back. "Kikyo was brought back that was reversing her death."

"But do you want Kagome to live like that? Stealing souls of young maidens?" Miroku asked.

"And there you go comparing her to Kikyo again." Shippo said as he cried. "No wonder Kagome didn't want to be around you!"

"Shut up fox! You don't know anything!" Inuyasha said as air caught in his throat. Suddenly, it was like a bucket of water was poured on the group as the rain reflected the group's moods.

"Look, fighting isn't going to help anyone." Miroku said as he tried to gain control over the situation. Kirara roared as she transformed and headed into the forest.

"Kirara!" Sango yelled after her beloved cat friend as she ran after her but stopped as she felt a small tug on the bottom of her skirt.

"Woof," Keiko barked softly, still shaken by Kagome's death. _"She's finding shelter."_

"Alright," Sango said with a nod before looking back at the half demon. Now, that no one could tell, Inuyasha let his tears fall freely as he stared into the pale face of the priestess. Miroku walked towards the demon slayer as he took her in a hug. "It doesn't seem real, Miroku."

"I know, Sango," Miroku said as the couple both let tears fall.

"She was… she was so strong," Sango said as she talked about Kagome's pure heart. "She doesn't deserve this!"

"Shh," Miroku hushed as he held her tighter to him.

* * *

"You want me to what?" Kagura asked, incredulously. _'Killing the girl isn't enough for you, is it?' _The wind sorceress thought.

"On the day of her funeral," Naraku repeated, irritated. "You and Kanna will show her little group what made her death possible."

"And Kohaku?" Kagura asked as she looked at the boy with the corner of her eye.

"He will keep the half demon away from Kanna." Naraku said with a smirk. "And so will you."

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi gasped as she dropped an empty plate onto the floor, making it crack into many pieces.

"Mom? Are you okay?' Souta asked as he walked up to his mom.

"Yeah," Mrs. Higurashi said, uneasily, before going towards a hall closet and taking out a dust pan and a broom. _'It just feels like something in my heart vanished.' _She thought.

"Are you sure?" Souta asked as he looked at his mother before turning his eyes to his concerned grandfather.

"Y-yeah," Mrs. Higurashi said as she continues to sweep up the plate bits and pieces.

* * *

The pitter patter of rain fell on a solid spiritual barrier as a group of warriors sat inside with a small fire in the middle and a small meal of plants and vegetations that they could gather up for the night. Just at the edge of the barrier's circular form, a dead body lay, unmoving.

"Miroku, are you sure you could keep up this barrier?" Sango asked worriedly.

"I should be able to keep it up for the night." Miroku said as he held a sutra in between his middle and pointing finger. "Why don't you guys gets some rest? It's been a long day."

"Alright," Sango said quietly as she scooted closer to the monk and leaned on his shoulder for comfort as she stared at the pale priestess on the ground. The half demon on the other side of the couple stared into the fire as he sat near Kagome's head. Kirara and Keiko curled up around Shippo as they lay to the side of the camp, the smell of death permeating their sensitive sense of smell.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said.

"Hm?" Inuyasha hummed without taking his eyes off of the burning fire.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Sango asked as she leaned her head on the monk's shoulder.

"Why don't you just worry about yourself?" Inuyasha asked softly, not meaning to be rude.

"Because you're our friend, a fellow group member," Sango said with a soft smile before it vanished.

"Some group member I am," Inuyasha said mostly to himself. "I can't even protect someone."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said as he leaned his weight more onto the tree trunk behind him. "What happened?" Inuyasha stayed quiet as the flames reflected off his golden eyes.

"Two of Naraku's incarnations," Inuyasha finally said. "They were attacking Kagome."

"Okay, but how did you end up in the tree below the cliff we found you at?" Sango asked.

"The two brothers were using their powers to make themselves into a self destructing bomb. Kagome already used her spare energy to save Shippo… she used the last of it to send the three of us off the cliff where we couldn't… where we couldn't get hurt by the explosion." Inuyasha said shakily as he lowered his head.

"Why didn't she jump off too?" Miroku asked softly, feeling his throat tighten holding back more tears for his substitute sister.

"Before I could get to her, the demon took her by the neck with a rope. She pushed me off with her spiritual power before I could get to her." Inuyasha said as he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked with silent tears going down her cheek.

"For a walk." Inuyasha said as he turned towards a wall of the barrier. "Miroku, let me out."

"It's raining pretty hard out there." Miroku said. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Monk," Inuyasha warned. The monk sighed but he let the barrier open slightly to let the half demon out of it.

"Oh, Miroku," Sango strained out as more tears came to her eyes.

"I know," Miroku said as he leaned his own head on Sango's. "Kagome's in a better place. She won't have to fight anymore, just like she wanted." Sango nodded into his should before closing her eyes and squeezing the tears out of her eyes.

…Few Days Later… Mid-Afternoon…

"Look, the village," Sango said as she sat on Kirara's back as they flew through the air.

"Finally back," Miroku whispered as he stared absently at the bustling village. "We can finally put Kagome to rest." Inuyasha, who was holding the priestess, tightened his grip on her shoulders and under her knees as he held her bridal style.

'_Kagome, forgive me for not being able to protect you. Instead, you protected me. I'm sorry for not fulfilling my promise.' _Inuyasha thought as he slowly walked towards the village with the others by him. Kirara flew slowly as she watched the half demon cover his eyes with the shadow of his bangs. Keiko and Shippo nestled themselves further into Kirara's fur around her neck as they sat, sadly looking towards the ground. _'I'm sorry it took so long to lay you to rest. But you'll find peace soon, instead of being stuck with someone who can't even protect you. I… I-I love you. I will always… love you.' _

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she saw the half demon stop.

"You go ahead. Tell Kaede we need a b-burial." Inuyasha said softly. Miroku and Sango nodded as they understood what the half demon really wanted, time alone with his loved one, before the inevitable. Once the others were gone, Inuyasha slowly started his pace as a steady turtle.

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as yet another tear slipped through his eyes. He then stopped and slowly lowered his head to her lips, stopping just a centimeter away from his destination. The half demon hesitated before moving his head up and kissing the priestess's forehead. _'I know you're mad at me, I'm sorry for that too. I-I wasn't thinking, is all. I'm sorry I'm such an idiot. I guess I am what you accuse me of being, huh?' _Inuyasha thought with a bitter chuckle. He then began his slow pace again until he saw a glimmer of something shiny around the girl's neck. _'The necklace I gave you.' _Inuyasha thought as he stared at it. _'You kept it on. Even after our big fight. I'm sorry we had that, it's my fault. Happy now, Kagome?' _Inuyasha thought as he fell to his knees. "I'm wrong, alright!? Are you happy now!? I messed up big time!" Inuyasha yelled into the sky. "Please… come back." Inuyasha whispered desperately as he held the girl tighter. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Kaede," Shippo whispered as he slowly crept into the old priestess's hut.

"Ai, I see ye have returned," Kaede said with a soft smile before it disappeared as she saw the forlorn look on the fox demon's face. "Has something happened?" The fox demon nodded as he signaled for her to go outside with him. The priestess slowly got up, due to old age, and went outside to see the demon slayer and monk looking to the ground while the two two-tails took comfort in each other.

"Kaede," Miroku said as he bowed slightly.

"Where are Kagome and Inuyasha?" Kaede asked, noticing the couple missing. Sango winced slightly before looking up to the old priestess.

"W-we need… um…" Sango struggled to say as even more sobs were torn from her.

"What is wrong, child?" Kaede asked, remembering the premonition she had a few days before. "Has something happened to the two of them?"

"Just one," Sango strained out. Miroku put his arm around her shoulder.

"We need a burial," Miroku said. Kaede's face held shock as she heard the demon slayer and the fox demon cry.

"For who, I'm afraid to ask." Kaede said quietly.

"Kagome," Miroku answered. Kaede looked down as her one eye started to gather tears.

"I see," Kaede said. "I shall alert the villagers. Ye have her body?"

"Yes," Miroku said, seeing no one else willing to speak.

"Are ye sure ye don't want to put her with her family on the other side of the well?" Kaede asked.

"We think this is a better place. She loved it here." Sango choked out. "She once told me if the decision came one day that she'd have to choose, she'd stay here." Kaede nodded.

"If she will be happy here," Kaede said sadly. "I shall get the villagers to help and attend the funeral."

"Thank you." Miroku said softly as the old priestess slowly walked towards the heart of the village.

* * *

"Inuyasha," Kaede said softly as she, the group, and the villagers stood in front of a hole next to a small shrine that was made for the previous priestess, Kikyo. "Ye may put Kagome in." Inuyasha tightened his hold on the girl in his arms before kneeling down and gently putting the girl inside the human sized hole.

"May she rest in peace," A village woman said softly as she held onto her husband's arm.

"She will be missed." The husband said softly as he felt wetness drizzle on his arm.

"Miroku," Kaede called to the monk. Miroku stepped forward with a nod of his head as he and the old priestess chanted so the soul will rest in peace.

"You okay?" Sango asked softly as she walked up to the half demon.

"Should I be?" Inuyasha asked in a monotone voice as he saw some village men start to pile dirt into the hole. Sango shook her head negatively. The women in the village started to cry as one of their protectors fell to an enemy. They then offered their prayers and lined flowers with their families onto the newly covered ground. Little children stood next to their parents as they watched silently, not knowing exactly what was going on. Finished with their prayer, Kaede and Miroku stepped to the side as they watched the villagers start to go down the shrine steps and back to the village.

The sunset was imminent as the sky turned from a sad blue to a radiant orange as a soul escaped the living world to a peaceful death up in the afterlife. Speckles of blue came out of the ground, like glitter, as it covered Kagome's new grave site and around the group.

"What's this?" Shippo asked as tears streamed down his face.

"The last of her soul is leaving," Kaede said softly as she watched the glittering specks float into the sky. "She is at peace now."

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as he looked up into the orange sky. _'Have a safe journey up there. I can't protect you, but I'll be damned if the same thing happened to you that happened to Kikyo.' _

"_Father, I'll be with you soon." _The remaining soul of the young priestess said as it gathered up into the sky.

"Did anyone hear something?" Sango asked with tears staining her face.

"Yeah," Miroku answered as he looked down from the heaven above. "But I don't know what it was."

"Kagome," Inuyasha said softly as he crossed his arms and looked down at the grave stone.

"A parting message, perhaps?" Kaede asked.

"No," Inuyasha said. "She already said a parting message when a bigger part of her soul left her body."

"I believe this is a message to someone else." Miroku said while looking down at the three smaller creatures in their group. Shippo sat crying next to where Kagome's head should be while Keiko curled herself next to the grave stone above Kagome's head and Kirara sat next to the two tail dog demon, trying to comfort her.

"I shall place a mini shrine here tomorrow when it is made." Kaede said sadly as she looked one last time at the burial site. "I shall leave ye be." With that, the old priestess started walking back down the steps. _'I never thought that I would out live ye, Kagome. I had hopes that ye would be the village's new priestess, but it is not to be.' _Kaede thought solemnly as she stepped down the last steps.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said gently. "Do you want to be left alone?"

"No, I'm going," Inuyasha said as he turned and started walking down the stairs.

"Inuyasha," Sango called back. "You're not serious, right?"

"What do you mean, Sango?" Inuyasha asked.

"Nothing, never mind." Sango said quietly before looking back at Miroku.

"Hm," Inuyasha hummed as he continued to walk down the stairs.

"Sango, let's leave him alone for a while. It's probably just a shock to him." Miroku said.

"Okay," Sango relented then looked at Shippo and the two two-tail demons. "Why don't we get going? It's about time for dinner, huh?"

"But Sango-" Shippo cried softly.

"We'll visit her tomorrow. Let's leave her rest in peace for the night without us towering over here, ne?" Sango asked, trying to lighten the tension, if only a little.

"That's a good idea, Sango." Miroku said as he picked up the fox demon. "Let's go."

"Kirara," Sango called as she started walking away with Miroku who had Shippo in his arms.

"Mew?" Kirara meowed in a questioning tone as she stood up. _"You coming?" _

"_Yeah," _Keiko barked sadly as she slowly got up from her lying position and started following the cat demon in a slower pace.

* * *

'_Oops, did I miss it?' _Kagura thought as she looked at the departing half demon. _'Oh well, I'll just have to do it now.' _

"Kagura," Kanna called in her quiet monotone voice as the half demon neared them.

"Yeah," Kagura answered her silent question as she opened her fan and waved it down, sending white blades towards the half demon.

"What the-" Kagura heard him asked, stunned, before leaping up into the air to avoid the attack.

"Even caught by surprise, you manage to only get a knick." Kagura said evenly as she stepped out from behind the tree.

"Kagura!" He yelled as he unsheathed his sword and transformed it. "What are you doing here?"

"Naraku's orders." Kagura sneered. She then saw the rest of the group come down the shrine steps.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled as he saw the half demon being attacked. Sango gasped but quickly went inside to get her weapon.

"We are not here to fight," Kanna said quietly as she lifted up her mirror.

"Then what are you here for?" Shippo asked bravely.

"Hmph, like I know." Kagura scoffed. "We're supposed to tell you what caused Kagome's demise."

"We know what happened!" Inuyasha yelled angrily. "So go to hell!" With that, the half demon started to run forward with his sword raised. "Wind Scar!" Kagura lifted an eyebrow as a barrier blocked the attack.

"Why don't you leave us alone?" Sango asked as she threw her weapon at the barrier, only to have it bounce back before she caught it. "Damn," Suddenly, a white light shot out of Kanna's mirror and went into the eyes of the six group members.

_Image/Flashback_

"_Daddy, come on," A little girl, around seven years old, with black hair said excitedly as she held onto an older man's, her father, hand and started to pull him._

"_Kagome, we'll get there soon enough. Slow down, speedy." The older man said with a soft smile._

"_But I want to see grampa, daddy." The seven year old Kagome whined._

"_Now don't whine," her father warned as they continue walking on the sidewalk under the light of the streetlights._

"_Oh, look!" Kagome said excitedly as she pointed in front of them. "Grampa's shrine!"_

"_That's about five blocks away, sweetie, we still have a far way to go." the man said softly. "You remember the story of when the turtle was racing the rabbit?"_

"_Yeah," Kagome said innocently._

"_Well remember this; slow and steady wins the race." He said with a wink._

"_How about fast and crazy gets there faster?" Kagome asked before letting go of his hand and running in front of him._

"_Kagome, don't go too far." He warned as he kept an eye on the girl. "Kagome, get back here, please."_

"_But daddy, gramps said he had something for me. I want to kno- AH!" Kagome started to say but was suddenly pulled by someone from behind her._

"_Kagome!" her father yelled in horror as he ran up to where it happened._

"_So, Kagome is the little girl's name?" A man whispered inside a dark alley._

"_Let her go," Kagome's father warned as he slowly went into the alley. "Don't you dare hurt her."_

"_We'll do what we want with this one." Another man said evilly. A mumbled scream was heard from the side as her father looked there only to see Kagome in a head lock with a guy who was covering her mouth._

"_Stop it!" her father said as he started running to her but was blocked by two other men._

"_She'll become our little whore, and you can't do anything about it." A man with greasy black hair said as he shoved Kagome's father away._

"_Give her back!" her father yelled as he punched the two men back, startling them, then launching forward and kicking the man holding his daughter in the gut. The guy holding his daughter let go of the little girl and stumbled back into the wall before regaining his balance._

"_Daddy!" Kagome yelled, scared, as she scrambled to her father's arms._

"_Kagome, listen, you run to grampa's shrine as fast as you can, okay?" Kagome's father whispered into her ear as they hugged each other while the men around them started to get up._

"_But-" Kagome said but was cut off._

"_I bet that gift is really exciting. You go and get it as fast as you can, okay? I'll be right behind you." He said softly as he kissed Kagome on the forehead then let her go and giving her a slight push._

"_Damn you." The man with greasy black hair cursed as he kicked with all his might so the father would go flying into the alley wall. With a grunt, Kagome's father hit the brick wall before sliding down it and plopping on his butt._

"_Kagome, go," Her father said as he tried to get some air back into his lungs. At a lost, little Kagome decided to listen to her father and turn around, only to run into the third man._

"_Hey there, little girl," the man with brown hair said. The little girl whimpered as he grabbed her hands and placed something in it. "Take this and point it that way."_

"_Kagome, put that down," Her father warned. Kagome struggled slightly but couldn't get it out of her grip as the man put his hand around hers and held it where he wanted it to be._

"_That a girl," the man with brown hair said as he put her little finger on the trigger. "And point."_

"_No, let me go," Kagome said softly as she started to struggle._

"_You're not going anywhere," the man with greasy hair said as he kicked the father in the head while the other man kicked him in the gut, affectively stopping him from getting up._

"_-Ome," Her father struggled to say as he saw her pull back and heard a click as she did, pressing the trigger. _

_A gunshot sound rung through the silent night as the struggle was over momentarily. Blood gushed out of the wound that the bullet created in the father's abdomen area. The man with brown hair took the gun from the girl and stood up._

"_Too easy," the man who took Kagome in the first place said._

"_Run, Kagome," Kagome's father said with his lasts breath as he used the wall to stand up._

"_Damn, you just won't die, will you?" the man with greasy black hair said as he ran towards the man. Kagome's father then used his last strength to punch the man in the temple before doing the same to the guy next to him, making them unconscious._

"_Run!" Her father yelled at her. Nodding her head, Kagome started to run the last blocks towards the shrine._

"_Get back here!" the man with brown hair yelled as he stared to run after her, but got tripped by her father._

"_You won't go after my daughter." Kagome's father said as he used his last strength in his body to hit the man in the head. _'Kagome, I hope you get there okay. I can't help you now. I love you, be safe. I'm sorry.' _With that, he took his last breath and let a tear slip down his face._

_

* * *

_

…_Five Years Later…_

_A twelve year old Kagome sat on her bed with a picture frame in her arms while looking at a calendar pinned above the head bored._

'Today is the fifth anniversary of his death and yet, I could still remember it like it was yesterday.' _She thought as she sat alone in her room. Kagome then hugged the picture frame closer to her heart and cried silently. _'And all this time, it's been my fault. If only I didn't… If only I wasn't so stupid!' _Her face was quickly covered by more tears. _'If only I didn't run off. If only I didn't pull that trigger… father would be here right now.' _She thought sadly as she fell sideways onto her bed and sobbed. _'Dad, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry… Mom, Souta, I'm sorry I messed everything up. It's all my fault! Why am I so stupid?!' _Kagome then sobbed loudly in the fetal position on her bed as she clutched the picture tighter._

_Flashback End_

"Wha-what was that?" Sango asked, shocked as her eyes started to focus on something except the image that was forced into her mind by the void demon.

"That, demon slayer, was Kagome's demise," Kagura said before disappearing with Kanna into the air on a white feather.

"Was that the secret she cried about?" Miroku asked, regaining his mind.

"Inuyasha?" Sango asked as she looked at the half demon. He seemed to be in a daze as he looked at the previous place the void demon was standing.

"I never asked her where her father was." Inuyasha admitted softly. "Whenever I went to her time, he wasn't there, I didn't want to pry."

"What was that thing in her hand that hurt her father?" Shippo asked.

"It's some kind of modern weapon. Even we have it, ours is just inferior to what the one we saw could do." Miroku said, putting the pieces together.

"Damn it," Inuyasha growled. "And she thought it was her fault, that's why everything happened."

"In a way, it was her demise," Sango choked out as she started to cry again.

"_But she didn't know at her age. I could tell she was confused. It's not her fault!" _Keiko defended with loud barks.

"Yeah! Kagome wouldn't do anything like that on purpose!" Shippo joined in.

"I don't know exactly what Keiko said, but Shippo's right." Miroku said as the tension started to build again. "If this is what she was worrying over,"

"We'll get Naraku back for bringing this back up. It's been roughly seven years of healing for Kagome," Sango growled. "Same thing happened with Kohaku,"

"Sango," Miroku said softly.

"Both of them, killing someone they loved." Sango continued through clenched teeth as she held back a sob. "Because they didn't know better. Kagome was so young and Kohaku didn't know he was being controlled."

"Mew," Kirara meowed softly, trying to give comfort to the demon slayer at her ankles.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha growled loudly as he punched a tree next to him. "Damn it all. I wish that girl was still alive so I could knock some sense into that dead brain of hers."

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, stunned.

"If only I could punch her in the head so her brain could finally turn on." Inuyasha growled out again. "If only she knew that one mistake like that wouldn't make us turn on her."

"_Shut up! She did what she had to! You can't accuse her of anything! She had more of a brain than you did!" _Keiko barked, angry that the half demon would say something like that to her master…former master. _"Besides, it already looked like you turned on her when you flirted with that half breed in the village!"_

"What?" Inuyasha growled harshly at the two tail dog demon. Keiko stood up and growled back just as hard.

"_It's your fault! Everything that happens to her is your fault!" _Keiko barked angrily.

"And where were you, huh?" Inuyasha asked. The group around them stayed silent as they listened.

"_I was always there for her! And I did what I could! I was more loyal to her than you ever were! What about Kikyo then, huh?" _Keiko asked.

"Why you," Inuyasha growled before taking out his claws and swiping at the little dog demon. Keiko quickly jumped back and flipped in the air before landing.

"Inuyasha!" Sango yelled as she went over and stood between the two. "Stop it!"

"I don't know what you two said to each other," Miroku said as he went and stood by the demon slayer. "But I bet it hardly called for violence."

"_He doesn't like Kagome. It's only natural he doesn't like me either." _Keiko barked before running back up the steps to protect Kagome's grave site.

"_Keiko!" _Kirara meowed, about to go after the dog demon but was stopped by the demon slayer.

"Let's let her cool off a little," Sango said as she kept her eye on the half demon. Huffing, Inuyasha turned around and walked into the forest.

* * *

"I see," Kaede said softly as she ate dinner with the remaining group inside her hut while Sango replayed the story from when Kagura and Kanna came to the fight with Inuyasha and Keiko.

"Is that what Keiko said?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Shippo said with a nod.

"I wonder if things will ever patch up again." Sango wondered out loud.

* * *

Lying near the grave stone, Keiko put her head down on her front paws as she fumed at the half demon that dare say anything about her master. Slightly shaking from the gust of wind that went through the night, Keiko curled herself tighter into a ball as she stood guard over Kagome's grave. Suddenly, the aroma of fresh stew went through the air.

'Probably from down below.' Keiko thought as she stared at the stairs leading from down below.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she got up to the last steps.

"_Kirara?" _Keiko barked in a questioning tone as she lifted her head. _"What are you doing?"_

"_Feeding a friend," _Kirara meowed back as she balanced a bowl of stew on her head and walked towards the grave stone.

"_Oh," _Keiko said as she stood up and helped Kirara put the cup from her head onto the ground. _"Thanks, Kirara."_

"_What are friends for?" _Kirara meowed as she sat down. _"Eat before it gets cold."_

"_Are you hungry?" _Keiko asked as she sat in front of the warm stew.

"_Nah, I ate. Now hurry and eat. I'll stay here with you tonight. For you and Kagome." _Kirara meowed as she nudged Keiko towards the stew.

"_Thanks," _Keiko barked softly as she started to eat the stew.

* * *

'_Damn it, damn it, damn it!' _Inuyasha thought as he repeatedly punched a tree. _'Not only was Keiko right, but now I know what I did.' _The anger built up in the half demon finally released itself as he swung his red fist into the tree trunk again, causing the defenseless tree to topple over. "Kagome, I'm sorry."

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**Did you hate that she died?**

**Well as we all know, fairytales end in a happily ever after ;)**


	58. Just One Day, Let's Forget

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha and co.**

* * *

Just One Day, Let's Forget

…Three Days Later…

"Inuyasha, look out!" Sango yelled as she flew over head on Kirara's back.

"Tetsusaiga!" Inuyasha yelled as he slammed the sword into the demon's arm that was trying to grab him. He then grunted as the other arm smashed into his side and knocked him into a tree.

"Inuyasha," Miroku gasped as he stood on the ground right next to the tree the half demon hit. _'He really can't fight without Kagome by his side.' _Miroku thought as he took out some sutras and threw them at the demon. "Sango, now!"

"Hiraikotsu!" The demon slayer yelled as she threw the heavy weapon at the demon, severing its whole body in half.

"That's the tenth one for the past three days," Miroku sighed as he saw the demon fall.

"I don't understand this," Sango said as she flew down to the ground.

"The jewel doesn't have its guardian anymore." Inuyasha groaned as he lifted himself up. "They're after this," The half demon then pulled out a jewel that was attached to a chain, acting like a necklace.

"They felt the change already," Miroku said, more to himself, as he looked back at the dead demon."

"I wish Kagome were here." Shippo whimpered.

"Well she's not," Inuyasha said harshly. "Not even Keiko's here anymore."

"That's because you keep yelling at her." Sango accused. "We all miss her, Inuyasha. It's not just you." The half demon stayed quiet as he sheathed his sword in its scabbard and watched as Miroku went up to the dead demon and said a prayer.

"What should we do now?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Without someone as its chosen protector, the jewel won't have its purity retained for much longer." Sango said as she eyed the glowing orb in the half demon's palm. "We can't purify it, Miroku already tried."

"We'll just have to find someone else to do it." Inuyasha said softly.

"I hate to say this," Miroku said as he walked back to the main group. "But I think we have to go to Kikyo." The group stayed silent as they thought of their options.

"Kagome won't be too happy about this," Shippo said.

"I know, but what choice do we have?" Sango asked.

'_Kagome, please forgive me. I know you always accused me of going to her. But I don't think we have an option now.' _Inuyasha thought as he gripped the jewel tighter in his hand.

"Shall we look for her, then?" Miroku asked as he saw the faces of their group admit defeat.

"I have to go to Kagome's world first." Inuyasha said without looking at anyone.

"Right," Miroku said as he and Sango nodded their understanding. Kagome's family needed to know what happened.

"_Are you taking the jewel with you?" _Kirara meowed.

"The jewel won't stay pure if it's left with me," Inuyasha said before tossing it to the monk. The half demon then silently turned around and started walking to the well.

"Why don't we hold off on the search for now?" Sango asked. "I think we all need a little rest. And maybe, just for a day, let's forget about everything."

"I'm going to go see Keiko," Shippo said as he and Kirara started sniffing out where their friend went.

"Good idea." Miroku said. "Shall we go to our home?"

"Sure," Sango said with a soft smile as she lifted her weapon higher. The monk then grabbed her free hand as they started walking away.

* * *

'_Here it is,' _Inuyasha thought as he stared down into the dark depths of the dry well. _'This is where everything started.' _He then jumped down and was quickly engulfed in a blue light as he passed through time, landing in the bustling city of Tokyo, Japan. The half demon then got out and slowly made his way to the house the held the family of his loved one.

"Inuyasha," a young boy said as he saw the half demon. "Where's sis?"

"Uhn," Inuyasha mumbled as he looked towards the ground. "Is your mother here?"

"Uh, yeah," Souta said, unsure. "Is something wrong?"

"Maybe you should hear it from your mom first." Inuyasha said as he started to slowly walk pass the confused boy and into the kitchen.

"Inuyasha," the woman at the sink said without turning around. "Nice to finally see you."

"H-hi," Inuyasha said nervously as he stopped at the door way.

"Something the matter?" She asked, still not turning around.

"Um," Inuyasha said but paused as a lump formed in his throat. "You see, Kagome…"

"Is gone?" Mrs. Higurashi finished in a question.

"How-"

"A mother's intuition," Mrs. Higurashi said, finally turning around. "How did it happen?"

"We were fighting two demons near a cliff, but then the demons were going to self destruct themselves. Their goal was to kill Kagome because her powers were weakened. She used the last of them to push me, Keiko, and the fox demon, Shippo, off the cliff while the two demons were holding her to them." Inuyasha said softly. "I'm sorry I couldn't-"

"Don't worry, Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi said with a soft smile as she leaned against the counter. "At least her death wasn't in vain."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, lifting his head to look at the woman.

"She saved three other lives. She always thought of others before herself." Mrs. Higurashi said, thinking about her daughter. "Especially after the incident of my husband's death."

"I'm sorry about that too." Inuyasha said, not really sure what to say. "Kagome never told us about it, but someone went through her memories and showed it to us. I-I-"

"Don't say another word," She said softly. "It's alright. When did she pass?"

"Um, well around nine days ago. We had to travel back from the spot to the village."

"And her body?"

"Well, I hope you don't mind, but we buried her on our side of the well." Inuyasha said, acting out of character. Truthfully, he thought she would be mad at him for not protecting her daughter. "But I have a lock of her hair, if you want to burn it or something." He said as he pulled out a fair amount of black hair from his kimono that was tied together with string.

"No, Kagome is happier on the other side." Her mother said kindly as she walked over and took the hair. "But this is thoughtful of you."

"That's the least I could do." Inuyasha said. The room stayed quiet. "Well, I think I should leave."

"Alright," Mrs. Higurashi said. "Come back if you need anything, Inuyasha. Maybe bring Keiko back sometime to visit too?"

"I'll be sure to take her here to visit sometime." Inuyasha said as a goodbye while he walked back down the hall and out the door.

"Mom?" Souta asked once he saw the half demon leave.

"Oh, Souta," Mrs. Higurashi sighed as she gripped the hair tighter. _'I have to be strong, for Souta.' _She thought as she held back tears.

* * *

"Miroku, shouldn't we tell Inuyasha we're here?" Sango asked as she looked towards the trees surrounding their hut.

"He'll come sniff us out if he wants to see us. But I think we should leave him alone." Miroku said as he came out of the hut and stood next to the demon slayer. Sango nodded as wind blew her hair to the side.

"No matter how hard I try, my mind just goes back to Kagome." Sango whispered as she leaned on the monk for support. "She's been through so much, only to cut her life short." She sobbed slightly.

"In this day and age," Miroku started. "It's tough to survive."

"But Kagome was so strong. Not power strong, but mentally." Sango whispered as the monk wrapped his arms around the girl.

"I know, but she's happier now. Nothing can get to her."

"But what about what happened to Kikyo?"

"Inuyasha won't let that happen. He and Kagome may have had a horrible fight, but Inuyasha wouldn't let that fate fall upon Kagome."

"I guess," Sango whispered.

* * *

"Keiko!" Shippo yelled as he ran up the stairs to the shrine. "She's not here."

"Mew," Kirara meowed in confusion as she looked around. _"She usually is."_

"I wonder where she went." Shippo thought out loud. "You don't think she'll leave, do you, Kirara?"

"_No," _Kirara meowed as she turned back around. _"Come on," _She said before transforming.

"Where are we going?" Shippo asked as he sat on top of Kirara's head.

"_Finding Keiko, what else?" _Kirara said in a deep roar before flying off. The duo circled the village a few times before venturing farther away. After about fifteen minutes of searching, they saw a small and furry creature lying on the ground.

"Kirara, there!" Shippo yelled excitedly as he pointed down towards a cliff, which was two feet above ground, and was connected to a sloping hill on the side. Kirara roared her understanding and flew down towards the creature. "Keiko!" The two tail dog demon looked up in confusion before shaking the sleepiness away from her mind.

"_What are you guys doing here?" _Keiko barked out in confusion as she still lay on the ground, resting.

"_Looking for you," _Keiko meowed as she transformed back into her kitten form. _"Why'd you come here? We've been looking for you for a while."_

"_I don't know, just felt like getting fresh air and green grass away from people." _Keiko barked as she rested her head back onto her front paws.

"Oh," Shippo said as he sat down. "Do you still miss her?"

"_Of course." _Keiko barked softly. _"I'll never stop missing her. But like she always says, you'll never get over a death; you'll just cope without the person." _

"_That's true," _Kirara meowed softly before also lying down.

"Well, seems like you guys want to sleep." Shippo said as he saw the two curls themselves up into balls.

"_Why don't you rest some?" _Keiko barked quietly. _"We all need a little rest."_

"_Besides, Sango said we could take a break." _Kirara meowed. _"Until another demon comes after the jewel, we're safe here under the nice warm sun."_

"Now that you mention it, the sun feels nice." Shippo said as he put his head near the two and lay on the green grass. He then slowly drifted off to sleep with the two two-tail demons near him.

* * *

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as he entered the hut that he once shared with the priestess. _'Your scent still lingers here. It's like you just went for a bath or something.' _He then walked into the back room where their bed lay, untouched. The half demon walked slowly towards the bed then sat down and lightly touched the pillow Kagome had used last. He then slowly reached into his kimono and pulled out a picture. _'This is the one I stole from your room in a panic,' _Inuyasha thought as he chuckled lightly. _'I broke that glass thing and thought you would kill me if you saw, so I just left with this in my hands.' _His golden eyes stared at the picture of the girl of his dreams, leaning against a wall with amazing posture. "I will get revenge, I swear on my life. I'll kill Naraku and finish the job you couldn't because of me. I'll do anything for you. I just wish you were here to tell me what to do." Inuyasha said softly as he continues to look at the picture. "Miroku has the jewel now. I know that I can't touch it for too long without being corrupted by it. If only you were here, I would ask for forgiveness and do whatever it takes for you to accept it." He then slowly leaned down and placed his head on the pillow while still looking at the picture. "I hope you rest in peace. I'll join you once I finish the task you left unfinished. Until then, wait for me." He then slowly drifted off to sleep as fatigue caught up with him.

* * *

An eerie wind blew through the area as it swept the long black hair of a woman up towards the side of her body while she stood in the middle of a field of grass. Staring idly into the distance, Kikyo put her hand up as a serpent flew under it, rubbing its back against her palm. The clouds were a blinding white as the sky appeared a light blue.

'_So, she pasted on to the afterlife.' _Kikyo thought while staring into the sky. _'Kagome, you were brought down by Naraku's incarnations. Maybe it was your own fault; Inuyasha really didn't mean anything back at that village he was just trying to get that girl off his back. I guess we walked the same path. You being my reincarnation, we are bound to have similar lives.' _She thought before turning her head towards the village. _'Who's the next protector if the jewel is still in this world?' _

* * *

"Inuyasha," Sango whispered as she peek her head into the seemingly deserted hut. "Come out wherever you are."

"I don't think Inuyasha will respond to something like that." Miroku said as he followed the demon slayer into the hut. "Should we really be in here without permission?"

"Probably not, but who knows what's going on in that head of his." Sango said as she crept deeper into the hut's complex. "Besides, Kagome wouldn't have minded."

"But Sango-"

"Shh," Sango hushed before more words were said. "I'm doing this for Kagome. Her death would be in vain if we let Inuyasha die because he refused to eat and sleep."

"I know, but we should really leave him alone." Miroku said worriedly. "He needs to think things over."

"Look," Sango said as she stopped just outside the last door. Miroku slowly tip toed his way to the end of the hall then looked in.

"He's peaceful now, let's not bother him." Miroku whispered as he saw the half demon sleeping in the futon.

"What's in his hand?" Sango asked, noticing paper in the half demon's clutches.

"I don't know, but it's better to not get into his business." Miroku said as he grabbed the demon slayer's arm and slightly tugged on it. Sango nodded before following the monk out of the hut.

"Shouldn't we keep a watch out here incase another demon decides to attack?" Sango asked once they were out of the hut's interior.

"That's probably the best," Miroku said. "But I have the jewel now."

"Right," Sango said with a nod. "We'll have our weapons with us at all times."

"But for right now," Miroku said as he looked back at his friends hut's door. "Let's just rest."

"I'm going to go visit Kagome," Sango whispered as she hung her head and started walking towards the village.

"Be careful,"

"I'm going to Kagome, nothing's going to happen." Sango said with a small smile as she continues walking.

"I'm sure Kagome's spirit won't let anything happen to you." Miroku said. "I'll stay here."

"See you later." Sango said before disappearing into the forest trees.

* * *

"Keiko," Shippo whispered into the trees right on the edge of the village. "Where are you?" Suddenly, a rustling in one of the many bushes were heard. The fox demon quickly leaped towards the sound. "Gotcha!"

"Woof!" Keiko barked before jumping onto the fox demon's back from behind him.

"Hey!" Shippo squealed as he was pushed to the ground. "How'd you get there?"

"_Skill," _Keiko barked, a tad sarcastically.

"Mew," Kirara meowed in happiness as she joined the other two in a wrestling match.

"Stop it!" Shippo said as he laughed while Keiko started to lick at his face. "Keiko!" The fox demon then sat up and brought his two two-tail friends near his sides as he hugged them both.

"_What's up?" _Kirara meowed as her head was squished in the fox demon's embrace.

"_Yeah, is something wrong?" _Keiko barked softly as Shippo let go and shook his head from side to side.

"No, nothing's wrong." Shippo said. "I'm just glad we're together again."

"_Shippo, I'm sorry," _Keiko barked as she placed her head on the fox demon's shoulder.

"It's alright," Shippo said. "I just wish… I just wish Kagome and Avion were here."

"_So does everyone else. Hey, the whole village wants them back." _Kirara said. _"But we can't go back."_

"If only I wasn't so stupid," Shippo said as tears threatened to fall.

"_What do you mean?" _Keiko asked.

"I should've gotten that chain off of her neck and made her jump off with us." Shippo said.

"_I feel that guilt too." _Keiko said softly. _"And no doubt, Inuyasha. He's probably worst than us."_

"_That's probably why he's been yelling at you, Keiko." _Kirara meowed as she looked at the purple eyes while her red eyes shone with understanding. _"You probably remind him of Kagome the most. He's mad at himself and at her. But without her physical body to yell at, he kept his anger inside and released it on the one who reminds him of her." _Kirara said sadly.

"If she were still here… If we weren't so stupid. None of this would've happened." Shippo said. Keiko pushed her head into the fox demon's check before softly growling.

"_Kagome's happy now. She doesn't have to worry about everything we do." _Keiko said. _"She's the second master that has left me. The only thing I could think of is that they're happier where their souls are now."_

"_Keiko's right," _Kirara meowed. _"Sango wasn't my first master either. Sometimes, people do things that will help others but won't help themselves at all." _

"I know," Shippo said as rubbed his green eyes with his tiny fisted hand. "But I'll always miss her."

"_Us too," _Keiko barked sadly.

* * *

"Hey," Sango said softly as she sat in front of freshly buried dirt and a stone. "I hope you're doing better now that you're free from everything." She paused as she let the breeze cool her face and lift her hair. "You know, Inuyasha really didn't mean anything by what he did. You and I both over reacted. He told us that he was just trying to make the girl happy and leave him alone. He didn't go into detail about his past. Hell, he doesn't even do that with me and Miroku. It's just you. But anyways, I hope your soul made it to the afterlife alright. With all this stuff with demons, I hope your soul didn't get stolen, like Kikyo. But one thing I promise you, Kagome, we'll protect your grave so you won't have to come back and live a life you weren't meant to have. Like Kohaku," Sango said shakily as a tear slipped down her right eye.

* * *

"_What? Where am I?" Kagome said as it echoed in her mind and in the surrounding area. "Its pitch black here, I know I'm dead, but I didn't think it would look like this."_

"_That's because you are not in the afterlife, dear Kagome." A female voice said._

"_Then where am I? Who are you?" Kagome asked, getting scared._

"_You, Kagome, are inside the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls. And I'm Midoriko," the woman said as her form appeared from the darkness._

"_Priestess Midoriko," Kagome gasped slightly before kneeling down on one knee while the other was bent and the front of her foot was supporting her. She then bowed slightly._

"_Come, you have much to learn." Midoriko said kindly._

"_About what?" Kagome asked, confused._

"_Let's start with your death, shall we?" Midoriko asked._

"_Alright,"_

"_Well, it is true that you died, and it is true that your soul past on. But, since you are protector of the jewel, your soul was sent here to help me." Midoriko said before sending a jolt of spiritual power into the darkness. "Beyond this darkness are the demons we are here to fight."_

"_So was Kikyo sent here as well?" Kagome asked._

"_Yes, you share the same soul, but not the same spirit. But now that Kikyo is amongst the walking dead, her spirit has disappeared."_

"_Oh," Kagome said as she stood up. "Then when we die, we still have to fight until the jewel is completely out of this world?"_

"_Yes, then and only then, we can rest in peace." Midoriko said softly. "But for now, we must fight and let purity encase the jewel,"_

"_Alright," Kagome said with a nod as she felt her spiritual power coursing through her body again. _'My soul is gone, but my spirit is fighting.' _She thought._

"_But Kagome, you still have lots to learn."_

"_What do you mean?" Kagome asked._

"_About the life of a protector of the jewel."_

"_If this is about me failing, I'm really sorry," Kagome said frantically._

"_No, no," Midoriko said with a slight chuckle before she saw hordes of demons charging their way. "It is okay that you failed, but there are other things."_

"_Okay, then I am prepared to learn them," Kagome said. _'I have all the time to learn now. None of us can escape here until the jewel is purified.'

* * *

…Sunset…

"Miroku," Sango called.

"Sango, you're back," Miroku said as he lifted up his head from his light sleep. The monk then picked up his staff and stood up from his sitting position.

"Yeah, we're going to have dinner at Kaede's hut. Has Inuyasha come out at all?" Sango asked.

"Not that I have noticed," Miroku said.

"I'm going to wake him up. He needs to eat." Sango said. "And nothing you say will change my mind. I might be mad at him, but I'm not letting him do this to himself."

"I wasn't going to stop you." Miroku said as he put his hands up in surrender.

"Good," Sango said with a soft smile. "Inuyasha," She said as she quietly made her way to the back room. The demon slayer found the half demon sitting on the bed while he looked at his hands. "Inuyasha, what are you doing?"

"Hm?" Inuyasha mumbled before looking up. "Oh, nothing,"

"Alright," Sango sighed.

"You here to yell at me?" Inuyasha asked.

"No," Sango said. "Maybe it was all of our faults, but that's not why I'm here."

"Oh? Then why are you here?"

"Inuyasha, you're my friend and I'm worried about you." Sango said as she stepped into the room. "You haven't gotten a good meal in your stomach. I'm sure Kagome wouldn't-"

"What would you know about Kagome?" Inuyasha cut in.

"I know she's a kind person that doesn't want to see someone she cares deeply for suffering." Sango answered instantly. "Now come on, we're having dinner in Kaede's hut."

"Feh," Inuyasha huffed. Sango stomped her way through the room and roughly grabbed onto Inuyasha's forearm.

"You're coming!" Sango hissed as she yanked him up.

"Ow, what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked as he felt her vise grip on his arm.

"I'm going to force you to eat," Sango said. "Because I can't watch you do this to yourself."

"Let me do what I want." Inuyasha said before yanking his arm back.

"Why are you mad at me?" Sango asked suddenly.

"I'm not,"

"You seem to be mad at everyone lately," Miroku said as he stepped into the room.

"And who invited you in?" Inuyasha asked.

"See, Miroku didn't do a thing and you're snapping at him." Sango accused.

"Don't accuse me of something I didn't do." Inuyasha said, getting angry and standing from the futon.

"Okay, stop." Miroku said. "Inuyasha, you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Inuyasha," a voice said from behind Miroku.

"Yuri," Sango whispered.

"Stop it, Inuyasha. Don't you see what you're doing?" Yuri asked as she walked up to her half brother. "Your friends are hurting just as bad as you are."

"Why are you here?" Inuyasha asked.

"I know Kagome is gone. That's why I'm here." Yuri said as she looked into the golden eyes of her brother. Inuyasha stood stiff still as he heard the words coming out of the dog demon's mouth. "I talked to Keiko earlier; she said that you've been yelling at her. Well guess what? You are losing a lot more than just Kagome if you keep this up."

"Yuri," Inuyasha growled angrily.

"No, you listen to me, _little brother,_" Yuri said, adding a slight growl to her voice herself. "Kagome did what she did so you and the others could live. If you kill yourself like the way you've been doing, then everything she did will go in vain. It will mean nothing, and that's wasting a life. Inuyasha, stop what you're doing and let your emotions out. Please," She begged.

'_Tough love,' _Miroku thought as he watched the scene.

"I know it hurts," Yuri continued, more quietly. "But if you let it out, you'll feel better." Inuyasha whimpered slightly before falling back onto the bed.

"Miroku," Sango whispered as she ushered the monk out of the hut.

"Right," Miroku whispered back before leaving.

"She still loves you, and I know you love her too." Yuri said as she sat next to him. The female dog demon then put her hand on his back and rubbed soothing circles.

"But-" Inuyasha started to say.

"Shh," Yuri hushed. "Don't think about anything."

* * *

"Do you think they're okay?" Sango asked as she and the monk started walking back to the village.

"I think they'll be fine." Miroku said. "Why don't we just put some dinner in the front room for them?"

"Alright," Sango said with a nod as they approached the old priestess's hut.

"You're back," Shippo said as he looked up to the opening flap of a door.

"_Where's Inuyasha?" _Keiko asked.

"Well he's with his sister in his hut." Sango said.

'_I guess she asked about Inuyasha.' _Miroku thought, and then something clicked in his mind. "Wait, did _you _just ask about Inuyasha?" Keiko and Kirara cocked their heads to the side as the rest of the occupants stared at the monk.

"Yeah, so?" Shippo asked.

"I thought you and him were having a spat," Miroku said.

"Woof," Keiko barked softly before going back to her dinner.

"Like I could really understand that." Miroku grumbled. The demon slayer rolled her eyes before walking over and sitting next to the fox demon.

"_She said, _that they were, but Kagome's relationship with him makes him Keiko's new master." Sango explained.

"I don't think so," Shippo said.

"Why so?" Kaede asked for the first time since the two came into the hut. Sango and Miroku took a bowl of stew before listening to the fox demon.

"Kagome and Inuyasha aren't mates anymore." Shippo said with a slight sniffle.

"Oh, that's right," Sango said quietly.

"_But if you look further into the demon law of assistant two tail demons, the last mate is your new guardian, despite who breaks it off. If we are not happy, then we are eligible to find a new master or live on our own. Or if family were involved, the eldest blood related family should be the new master." _Kirara explained.

"_But the mate always comes first."_ Keiko added.

"Yeah, nice explanation, now, can we please say that again in a language I understand?" Miroku asked softly. Sango sighed while Shippo just continue eating his food.

"Why don't ye take this to Inuyasha and his elder sister?" Kaede asked as she put two bowls of stew on the ground.

"That's a good idea," Sango said as she grabbed a bowl. "Come on, Miroku, I'll explain it on the way."

"Alright," Miroku said as the two got up and left the hut with the steaming bowls.

"_Aren't they hungry?" _Kirara asked as she looked at the bowls that were half way eaten.

* * *

"Would you like to come live on my lands for a while?" Yuri asked as she pulled her hand away from her half demon brother's back. "You could bring your friends."

"Yuri," Inuyasha whispered. "But should I really lea-"

"Do whatever you want," Yuri cut in. "But I think you need a little time away."

"But I want to mourn for her," Inuyasha whispered with his head down. Yuri got up from the bed and put her hands on her hips.

"Well then, let's go," Yuri said with a bright smile.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked as he looked up at his sister.

"We're going to find the best flower nature can provide," Yuri said, determined. She then put her hand out towards her brother. "You coming or am I on my own?" Inuyasha softly smiled before he took the hand and got hoisted up to his feet.

"Yeah, I'm coming," Inuyasha said before the two siblings left the room.

"Shall we tell the others?" Yuri asked as she walked to the main room.

"Tell the others what?" A female voice asked from ahead of them.

"Oh, Sango, Miroku," Yuri gasped slightly.

"We brought you food," Miroku said as he lifted the food bowl up slightly to show the pair.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said as he took the food. "I'm starved,"

"You're eating…" Sango said, awed.

"Yeah, so?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, nothing," Miroku said with a soft smile. The couple then looked at the female dog demon and gave her a thankful smile. Yuri nodded her head as she also took the bowl from the demon slayer's hand.

"Thanks," Yuri said.

"No problem," Sango said before leaning towards the demon's ear. "And thanks for getting Inuyasha back to normal." She whispered.

"That's part of my job," Yuri said as she winked slightly before eating her stew.

"Well, we're going to go back to have our own dinner." Sango said as she put her thumb over her shoulder, pointing it towards the door.

"We'll be right behind you," Yuri said as she watched the two leave. "Inuyasha, do you want them to come with?'

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he took the bowl away from his mouth. "It's the least we could do for her."

"I'm going to go see her um… grave." Yuri said carefully.

"Yeah, alright," Inuyasha said sadly.

"Here, have my share." Yuri said as she handed the half demon her bowl of stew. "I already ate."

"Thanks," Inuyasha whispered.

"Hey," Yuri said softly as she put a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright to be sad. No need to hide things."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he idly looks at the food.

"Well, eat up, okay?" Yuri said, taking her hand off of his shoulder. "I'll just leave you alone."

"Alright," Inuyasha said as he slowly sipped the water of the stew. Yuri looked at her half brother once more before leaving the hut and heading towards the shrine.

* * *

'_Kagome,' _Yuri thought as she stood in front of the fresh grave while looking down. The female dog demon then kneeled down with one knee on the ground while the other was slightly in the air. The wind then took her hair and swept it to the side of her body while Yuri closed her golden eyes and took in the breeze. _'I hope you're peaceful.' _

* * *

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	59. On the Move Again

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. Once again, it is owned by Rumiko Takahashi.**

* * *

On the Move Again

"Inuyasha, are you sure you want to leave?" Sango asked worriedly as they stood at the bottom of the many steps to the small shrine. The half demon stayed quiet as he looked up the steps longingly.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Inuyasha said as he slowly turned his head away. A whimper was heard from the half demon's feet before he stepped forward. "Keiko?"

"_Can I come?" _Keiko barked softly as she rubbed the head onto Inuyasha's ankle in submission.

"Why wouldn't you?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because you've been kind of harsh to her lately," Shippo mumbled but the half demon heard it anyways. Inuyasha winced slightly at the fox demon's accusation.

'_I guess I have been.' _Inuyasha thought before kneeling down and placing a gentle hand on the two tail dog demon's head, making her one pointed ear become pushed to the side. "You're still part of our group. Of course you're coming." Keiko nodded her head before feeling the half demon ruffle her fur slightly.

"'_Kay," _Keiko barked before jumping up Inuyasha's offered arm.

"Ready?" Yuri asked. The group nodded as they set off.

"Good luck on ye journey," Kaede said as she saw them off.

* * *

"Mom?" Souta whimpered as they stood behind the old priest who was chanting a spell.

"Yes?" Mrs. Higurashi asked with a clenched throat.

"Is Kagome going to be okay now?" Souta asked.

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Higurashi said as she kneeled down next to her son. "She's okay now," Their grandfather chanted an incantation as he closed his eyes while kneeling down before the burning hair that was in a small tray.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Shippo asked as he trotted along the dirt path.

"We're going to find a flower for Kagome," Inuyasha said in a quieter voice than normally.

"I know, but-" Shippo started to say but was cut off by a shake of the monk's head.

"Don't worry, Shippo," Yuri said, cutting into the silence. "We'll get there soon enough." The fox demon nodded his head as they continue to walk.

"This place looks quite familiar." Miroku commented as he looked around.

"Yeah, it does," Sango said.

"That's because we're getting closer to Kagome's favorite place." Yuri said softly as she veered off into the forest. "Come on, follow me." The group followed the dog demon as she led them deeper into the forest.

"_I remember this place now," _Kirara meowed as she looked at the waterfall in front of them.

"Yeah," Inuyasha whispered as he kneeled in front of the water and looked at his reflection. _'The brown ring in my eye is really gone.' _He thought forlornly.

"She loved it here," Sango sighed, referring to the deceased priestess.

"And I can see why," Miroku said softly.

"Here it is," Yuri said as she went to the water's edge and kneeled down. She then put her hands out and waited as a flower floated towards her.

"_What's that?" _Keiko barked as she walked up to the female dog demon.

"This," Yuri said as she cupped the water and took the flower in her palms. "Is a Lotus,"

"A Lotus flower?" Shippo asked.

"Yes," Yuri said with a nod as she got up. "This place is the only place we could find it so far. But it's no ordinary flower."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked.

"These flowers grow but then get floated down from who knows where and down this waterfall. Since waterfalls are pure in the priestess world, this Lotus will be able to live if you plant it without it having a chance of dying." Yuri explained. "It lives off the purity of the spiritual creatures around it,"

"I see," Miroku said as he looked at the white flower.

"A Lotus, in Buddhism, represents the awakening of the spiritual reality of life," Yuri said softly.

"What does that mean?" Shippo asked, confused. Yuri laughed softly.

"It means she'll be at peace," Yuri said before walking to her half demon brother and putting her two hands out. "Here,"

"Uh, thanks," Inuyasha said as he took the flower carefully.

"I'm sure Kagome would love it," Yuri said.

"Thanks, Yuri," Sango said.

"Not a problem at all," Yuri said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "Well, I think you should hurry back and plant that,"

"_Yeah, come on, before it dies," _Keiko barked as she ushered the others.

"Alright," Inuyasha said with a nod as the group turned away.

"Aren't you coming?" Sango asked as she noticed the female dog demon standing without moving.

"No, I have to get back to my pack." Yuri said. "But my prayers to you all and Kagome."

"Thanks," Miroku said.

"Bye," Shippo said before the group turned away and walked back into the forest.

'_Have a safe journey,' _Yuri thought as she turned the opposite direction towards her own home. _'Now only if I can defeat the person creating this weird aura,' _Yuri thought as she looked up into the sky. Using her senses, Yuri saw purple mist coating the skies as she continues walking. _'What is this?' _

* * *

…Sunset…

"Inuyasha," Miroku called.

"What?" Inuyasha asked quietly without taking his eyes away from looking in front of him.

"We should rest," Sango finished for the monk as she readjusted her Hiraikotsu strap.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked but stopped walking ahead.

"The sun's almost down," The monk said as he pointed towards the setting sun in the west.

"Fine," Inuyasha said as he went up to a tree, leaned back, then slid down to sit on the ground. The group looked at each other as they observed their half demon leader.

"_Are you alright?" _Keiko asked as she slowly walked up to the half demon.

"Fine," Inuyasha repeated as he put the back of his palm on his knee while the Lotus flower sat on his open palm.

"_I'll get dinner," _Kirara volunteered as she transformed then went into the surrounding trees.

"I'll get the fire," Sango said as she took off towards the opposite direction than her faithful two tail cat demon to gather some wood. Keiko sighed slightly before laying her head on Inuyasha's knee.

"I'll go with you," Miroku commented before scurrying off.

"Um," Shippo said as he frantically looked around for something to do to get out of the half demon's hair. "I'll go help… Kirara!" The fox demon said before running away.

"Seems like everyone wants to get away from me, huh, Keiko?" Inuyasha said, slightly amused, as he put his free hand on top of the two tail's head.

"Woof," Keiko barked softly as he head got added pressure. _"I'm sure they only want you to have some alone time."_

"Then why are you here?" Inuyasha asked with a slight smile.

"_It's your human night," _Keiko reminded before taking her head away from the half demon's hand and looked into the sky. _"Someone's got to stay to make sure you don't get into more trouble."_

'_New moon,' _Inuyasha thought as he realized the night. _'I didn't even remember.' _

"_You know, you don't have to hide everything all the time." _Keiko barked as she sat patiently.

…Morning…

"That was once in a life time chance," Miroku said as he stretched his arms above his head.

"What do you mean, monk?" Inuyasha asked as he carefully got up then picked up the flower.

"That was one of the only times when you turned human and nothing happened." Miroku said with a smirk.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed.

'_He seems to be doing a bit better.' _Sango thought as she observed the scene. _'Sure we shed a few tears every now and then, but at least we know she's okay now and nothing can hurt her.' _

* * *

"_Ah!" Kagome yelled as she was thrown back and onto the ground harshly. With a loud slam, Kagome's body hit the surface then bounced once before sliding further._

"_Kagome!" Midoriko yelled as she briefly looked behind her and then quickly blocked an attack with her sword. _

"_Ow," Kagome winced as she lifted herself up to a sitting position. Her arm was now bent awkwardly while streaks of torn flesh went down her entire arm. Blood came out of the wound while she slowly pushed herself out._

'Priestess's who are destined to be the jewel's bearer will have no after life until someone succeeds.' _Midoriko thought sadly. _'I'm sorry for all of this.'

* * *

The silver haired half demon slowly kneeled down in front of a grave stone as he carefully placed a pink flower on top of the lump of dirt covering what lay under the earth. The monk with black hair said a short prayer while the others followed suit.

'_Rest in peace, Kagome.' _Inuyasha thought as his golden eyes glistened in the broad daylight. _'One day, we'll be together again. Just like you said we would. I promise,' _

_Flashback_

_Just then a blue light emitted from the dead priestess's body briefly before a floating blue ball came out of her chest. The blue orb floated briefly as they others seem to stop their crying and look. The orb circled the group before going through one chest after another, appearing again on the other side of the person. The orb then circled the group again, including Kirara and Shippo, and then headed up towards the cloudy blue sky._

"_Did anyone just-" Sango said in a shocked whisper as she still clung to the monk's robes._

"_Yeah," Miroku cut in with a nod._

"_Kagome," Inuyasha choked out before burying his head into the girl's hair and neck and silently crying. _'This can't be happening. Tell me this isn't happening!'

_An image appeared inside each of the groups member minds as the blue orb went through their bodies. The person it showed smile and cocked her head to the side while closing her eyes in happiness and putting up two fingers in a peace sign. _

"Don't cry, we'll be together again one day. For your sake, let's hope it's a long way from now, huh?"_ Kagome's voice said as she giggled slightly before fading away._

_End Flashback_

'_Can you at least wait for me? Just until Naraku's dead and gone. Once he is… I'll…I'll say good bye to this land and meet you there. Please just wait for me.' _Inuyasha thought as he lifted his head to the skies and looked at the bright blue color and white clouds.

Ahead of him lay a stone with engravings on it:

_Kagome and Avion, you will always be remembered._

…One Month Later…

"Get your lazy asses out here!" Inuyasha yelled into the hut as he stood outside with his arms crossed. "We've been sitting here for a month fighting off stupid demons who think they can get to the jewel. Let's go!"

"Alright, alright," Sango sighed as she got out of the old priestess's hut with her bone boomerang strapped onto her back. "Sheesh,"

"We're coming," Miroku said as he followed the demon slayer out.

"Geez, Inuyasha, you're the one that didn't want to leave-" Shippo started to say before he was hit on the head by a large fist sent from the half demon himself.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha said as he got irritated.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she and Keiko came out of the hut after the old priestess walked out slowly.

"Ye have a safe journey," Kaede said kindly.

"Thank you," Miroku said as he slightly bowed.

"We'll try," Sango said, following the monk's example.

"We definitely will," Miroku said as a hint of mischievous laced into his voice. The demon slayer gasped before turning around and slapping the monk on the cheek, leaving a glowing red hand print on it.

"Pervert!"Sango yelled with a red face.

"_Miroku, you will never change." _Keiko said happily as she watched the two love birds argue. The two tail dog demon then looked towards the half demon and found him looking blankly into the forest. Slowly walking towards the half demon, Keiko jumped up and climbed up his back before resting herself on his shoulder.

"Keiko," Inuyasha whispered his greeting as he put a hand on her head and lightly petted her head.

"_I miss her too," _Keiko barked into his shirt as she put her head down.

"Hmph!" Sango harrumphed as she started to stomp off towards the dirt path leading out of the village.

"Sango," Miroku said as he measly touched the mark on his face. "My hand is cursed,"

"You bet it is!" Sango yelled over her shoulder as she got farther away from the group.

"Wait, Sango," Miroku said as he fast walked towards the demon slayer.

'Everything's almost back to normal.' Keiko thought as she felt the half demon start to slowly follow the other two.

"Mew," Kirara said to the fox demon, signaling that they were leaving.

"Kay," Shippo said happily as he started to run towards the departing group with the two tail cat demon following him.

'_I'll get revenge for you, Kagome. I promise. You and Kikyo fell into his trap… and so did I.' _Inuyasha thought as he walked forward. _'I'll get him back, for all of us.' _

* * *

"_In a way, I'm kind of envying Kikyo right now," Kagome puffed out as she breaths heavily. "She was pulled away from this place."_

"_Yes, but now her soul and spirit are lost on the realm of the living," Midoriko said._

"_That's true," Kagome said as she pushed back the demon in front of her then continued to fight. "But still…"_

"_I'm sorry for all of this," Midoriko said as she sent spiritual power into another demon._

"_Don't worry about it," Kagome said with a slight smile towards the more experienced priestess. "I can handle a lot more than I look like I can."_

* * *

"So, where are we headed?" Miroku asked with a curious look as the group continues to walk down the path.

"Keh, where else? We're going to find Naraku." Inuyasha huffed.

"Of course," Sango said softly with a gentle smile.

"But where's Naraku?" Shippo asked innocently as he walked side by side with the two two-tail demons. Inuyasha growled as he stopped walking. The two humans looked at him curiously. "Ow!" Shippo cried as he got hit on top of his head by the half demon's fist.

"Inuyasha," Sango gasped as she saw the fox demon start to shed tears. "He was just asking," Sango then reached down and picked up the small demon.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Let's just go," The group then set off into a steady pace towards the north once more.

"Oof," Sango grunted as she ran into the monk's back. "Miroku, what'd you stop for?"

"I sense a demonic aura," Miroku whispered.

"Is it Naraku?" Inuyasha asked as he turned around to face the humans and put his hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

"No," Miroku said. The half demon then sniffed the air carefully. Sango then put Shippo on the ground before putting a defensive hand on her weapon.

"It smells kind of weird here," Shippo said as he scrunched up his nose.

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed as he took out his sword, transforming the fang in a flash of yellow light. "Kind of like an animal."

"Careful," Miroku warned. "It has a strong demonic aura."

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as she threw her large bone boomerang into a medium sized bush that was growing brown. Kirara growled before covering herself in flames and enlarging her form while Keiko growled at the demon while her fangs and claws grew inch by inch.

"Sango," Miroku gasped as he saw the weapon beat its way into the foliage. Whizzing back, the bone boomerang came back without hitting anything but the leaves and branches of the dying plant.

"Sorry, I thought I saw something there," Sango said with a shrug.

"Give me the Sacred Jewel Shards," a low menacing voice said.

"Like hell we'd do that!" Inuyasha yelled as he raised his sword above his head with both of his hands on the handle.

"Give me the Sacred Jewel Shards," the voice repeating.

"Like I said, not going to happen!" Inuyasha said before bringing his hands down, making the sword collide with the dirt ground. "Wind Scar!" Kirara growled with Keiko as they both decided to follow right behind the wind attack and follow it to their attacker.

'_Is it me, or is everyone trying to get an attack on this demon?' _Miroku thought as he looked at his comrades.

'_They really need to get out more often,' _Shippo thought before making a small ball of green fire in his hand. _'Doesn't hurt,' _The fox demon thought nonchalantly as he threw his hand forward. "Fox Fire!"

Suddenly, many squeals were heard inside the forest as scurrying on the dirt ground created small dust clouds due to drought in the past month in Feudal Japan. Miroku, Inuyasha, and Sango blinked in confusion as more rustling was heard from the dead bush that got a direct hit from Hiraikotsu. The loud squeal of one creature grew louder and louder as the rustling came closer to the group. Preparing themselves, the members of the party held their weapons defensively as they got ready to strike the incoming creature.

"Let me go!" a high pitched squeal said in a baby voice. "Go pick on someone your own size!"

"Woof," Keiko barked as she emerged from the dried out, dying, bush. Kirara, still in her transformed form, jumped about the bush and landed. Looking closely, the group saw a small white monkey that could fit into a human palm squealing and wiggling, trying to get free of the cat demon's jaws.

"Kirara, what did you find?" Sango asked, confused.

"Unhand me you fiend!" the baby monkey yelled in his baby voice. "You'll regret it!"

"Aren't you a feisty thing?" Miroku said as he lowered his weapon.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he sheathed his sword. "What is that thing?"

"How rude!" the baby said. "I am the son of the leader of my troop, Saru!" the little white monkey said angrily, though it didn't have that affect due to his high pitched voice. "I am not a thing!"

"What are you?" Shippo asked as he walked up to the little demon who was still in Kirara's jaws.

"I am a Macaque monkey demon from the troop of Yamazaru." The little guy said angrily. "Now let me go!" The little monkey then struggled further, flinging his feet and arms about, while the two tail cat demon held him by the fur.

"You're kind of cute," Sango said as she walked up to her faithful cat demon and stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the small demon.

"Keh, as long as we caught him, let's just eat him." Inuyasha said with a smirk.

"What?" The little Macaque monkey demon, Saru, gasped. "Let me go! I don't taste good! Let me go!" Kirara cocked her head to the side, silently asking her master if she should let the monkey go.

"_There was a whole bunch of where he came from," _Keiko barked.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked.

"What did you say?" Miroku asked, but naturally got completely ignored.

"_There was a whole group of them, but the others ran away when we caught this guy," _Keiko explained.

"Let me go!" Saru yelled.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled as he grabbed the baby monkey by its long tail and hoisted up to his eye level. "You're voice is so high that you're making my ears bleed!" The half demon said, irritated. The small monkey whimpered before taking a deep breath.

"Ah!" Saru screamed in his highest voice.

"Fuck," Inuyasha hissed as he pinned his ears to his head and threw the small demon towards the demon slayer.

"Well don't throw him," Sango said over the scream. Twitching as the scream got louder as the small monkey landed into her arms; Sango gritted her teeth before clamping a hand over the demon's mouth.

"Mew," Kirara meowed painfully as she wiggled her ears from side to side.

"_I agree with that," _Keiko barked as she used a back paw to scratch on the inside of her ear.

"If you said that that hurt, I agree," Miroku said as he tried to get his ears to stop ringing.

"Ow," Sango gasped as the monkey in her hands bit her hand.

"Grampa!" Saru yelled into the forest in his high pitched baby voice.

"That's it!" Inuyasha growled as he prepared to hit the child.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said as he stopped the half demon.

"I'm Shippo," the fox demon said as he climbed up the demon slayers shoulder to look over the Macaque monkey demon in her arms.

"And I," Saru started to say calmly. "Want to be let go!"

"Not until you answer some of our questions," Miroku said as he slowly walked towards him.

"I will not tell the location of my troop." Saru said defensively, only getting the effect of a small child's plea.

"Saru," a calm voice said from deep inside the forest.

"Grampa!" Saru yelled as he struggled further. "Grampa, help!"

"Calm down, Saru," the voice said as it got louder.

"Be on guard," Sango warned.

"No need to be alarmed," the deep voice said steadily. "We won't harm you if you won't harm us,"

"Alright," Miroku said. "Deal," Everyone slowly put their weapon down warily, still ready for betrayal.

"Saru, come," the voice said. Saru then began to wiggle harder until the demon slayer let him go. The baby monkey demon landed effortlessly on the ground then turned to face the group and stuck his tongue out, making a farting noise.

"Ha-ha," Saru mocked before running off into the forest.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he crossed his arms. Just then, growling from both of the two tail demons caught the attention of the group.

"Kirara?" Sango questioned as she looked at her transformed partner in battle.

"Keiko," Inuyasha said as he raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"What do they sense that we don't?" Miroku asked as he warily looked around. Suddenly, a loud screech was heard from the two tail cat demon as she was ambushed on by a tag team of Macaque monkey demons.

"Kirara!" Sango yelled as she raised her weapon just in time to block three other monkeys that were charging at her. With a grunt, Sango was pushed back from the impact on Hiraikotsu.

"Iron Reaver!" Inuyasha yelled as he slashed at the demons. "What the hell?! You said you wouldn't attack if we didn't!"

"We still need the jewel shards that you possess." The old steady voice said.

"Well we're not handing them over." Miroku said sternly as he held off the monkeys.

"You don't have to," Saru's baby voice said over the battle cries of the other attacking demons. "We'll just take them,"

"Like hell you are," Inuyasha growled as he pushed off another tag team. _'Especially since we worked so hard to get them.' _He thought.

"Inuyasha," Sango whispered to the half demon as she blocked another attack. "Where's Keiko?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha whispered back.

"She's not here anymore."

"Shit," Inuyasha hissed as he frantically looked around. _'Kagome's going to murder me if I lose Keiko.' _He thought then instantly saddened. _'Maybe she'll be nice and haunt my dreams.' _

* * *

"Grampa, is it working?" Saru asked in a whisper as he and his grandfather hid inside the forest.

"I believe it's wearing them down," Saru's grandfather said.

"_Gotcha'," _a bark translated as a figure jumped out of the bushes.

"Saru, run!" the older Macaque monkey yelled as he pushed his grandson out of the way and took the full brunt of the attack.

"_Call back your group," _Keiko growled as she pinned the older monkey down by the shoulders. Baring her fangs, the two tail dog demon growled fiercely.

"Let him go!" Saru yelled as he jumped onto the dog demon's back and started pounding on her with his tiny fists. "I said let him go!"

"_Not until he calls the others off," _Keiko growled as she showed a little more of her lengthened fang.

"And I'm not calling them off until we get the jewel shards," Grandfather said calmly as he looked into the purple eyes of the dog demon.

"_Whatever the problem is, we'll help you, but we will not give you the jewel shards," _Keiko said as she pinned her pointed ear back to look more threatening.

"Will you?" Grandfather asked.

"Grampa! Don't trust them!" Saru warned. Keiko stopped baring her fangs and growling as she straightened up though she wasn't getting off the Macaque monkey demon, just in case.

"_Well? What's your decision?" _Keiko asked.

* * *

"Would you _back off_?!" Inuyasha yelled as shoved off more demons.

"Help me!" Shippo cried as he ran around in a circle.

"Back down," A stern voice commanded. The Macaque monkeys looked at their leader before stopping their assault and grouping up.

"Woof!" Keiko barked happily as she ran out of the forest and up Inuyasha's body to rest on his shoulder.

"There you are," Inuyasha mumbled as he petted the two tail lightly.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she transformed back to her smaller self and shook out her fur.

"So, what are you going to do?" Miroku asked.

"I'm going to have you help us," Grandfather said.

"What?" Sango asked.

"You're friend there said you would help us with our little problem," He said.

"Keiko?" Inuyasha asked. Barking nervously, Keiko looked away from the accusing eyes of the half demon.

"Saru will accompany you," Saru's grandfather said.

"What?!" Saru yelled in his shrill voice. "I don't want to go with them!"

"Do it for you people, Saru," Grandfather said.

"We'll take good care of you, don't worry," Sango said.

"Hmph," Saru harrumphed.

"Great, we're doing good deeds again." Inuyasha mumbled as he crossed his arms.

* * *

*

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!**


	60. Northern Mountains

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha XP**

* * *

Northern Mountains

"Tell me why I'm here?" Inuyasha said as he walked up a steep hill.

"Because we promised to help them," Shippo said as he rode on the half demon's shoulders.

"I don't remember promising." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Come now, Inuyasha, one good deed isn't going to kill you." Miroku said while riding on Kirara's back with Sango in front of him.

"Besides, we use to do things like this all the time," Sango added.

"We desperately need help," Saru said while riding with the monk and demon slayer.

"Hmph," Inuyasha harrumphed.

"Look," the fox demon said as he pointed up the mountain.

"That doesn't look like the northern mountains." Miroku said as the group continued up the mountain.

"It is," Saru said in his baby voice. "That is what we use to call home,"

"It's all burned down," the demon slayer observed.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she ran off towards the left of the group.

"Keiko," Shippo called.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked.

"Let her go," Inuyasha said, cutting into everyone's thoughts. "She'll come back on her own."

"Are you sure?" Shippo asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he stared absently at the last point where the two tail dog demon was.

"Let's keep going then," The baby monkey, Saru, urged.

"Kirara," Sango commanded with her name as they continue to walk up the steep mountain.

"I wonder where she's going," Shippo thought out loud.

"Who knows," Inuyasha said with a shrug.

* * *

"But Koga-" A wolf demon with white fur dressing and red hair tried to say.

"No, Ayame, I don't remember." Koga lied through his teeth.

"Are you sure you don't remember the night of the lunar rainbow?" Ayame urged.

"Yes, I'm sure," Koga said as the two of them walked through a forest path. "What are you doing here in the eastern lands, anyways?"

"Gramps said to get help," Ayame said quietly as she stopped and looked up at the brown furred wolf demon.

"Get help for what?" Koga asked while he stopped and turned to look at the girl.

"The northern mountains are being attacked,"

"Again?"

"Well our territory wasn't the one targeted but-"

"So why need the help?" Koga asked as he crossed his arms.

"Because, whatever is attacking is chasing away the game we eat, we're starving up there!" Ayame defended.

"Then move," Koga said calmly. Ayame growled as she fisted her hands tightly.

"Never mind." Ayame whispered. "We don't absolutely need your weak pack to help us."

"What did you say?" Koga growled. Without an answer, the wolf princess turned around and ran with lightning speed back to her own territory. _'That girl is getting on my last nerve. If we're so weak, why did she come ask me in the first place? '_Koga scoffed in his mind.

"Koga!" A duo tag team yelled from a few ten yards away.

"What?" Koga asked loud enough so the two could hear.

"Koga!" the two said again.

"I said, what!?" Koga yelled to them this time.

"It's Kagome," the one with a white colored Mohawk said.

"What about her, Hakkaku?" Koga asked.

"You're not going to like the news," said a boy with black and white hair.

"Just tell me." Koga growled.

"She died." Hakkaku said as the two lackeys had beaded tears in the corner of their eyes. Koga stood frozen in place.

"How?" Koga finally spit out.

"Naraku finally killed her off." Ginta dared to say. With quick demon reflexes, Koga grabbed onto the breast plate on Ginta and lifted him off the ground.

"She's stronger than that," Koga growled. "She wouldn't go down by the likes of Naraku,"

"Sh-she ran overused her spiritual power and didn't have much left in her," Ginta said shakily.

"And she was caught," Hakkaku said next. "There was a bomb that-"

"That, what?" Koga growled as he let go of Ginta.

"That was a part of the demon she was fighting." Hakkaku finished.

"She saved her pack mates and sacrificed herself," Ginta said as he fixed his clothing.

"Where did you hear this?" Koga asked.

"Rumors are spreading around saying that a strong priestess sacrificed herself and saved her friends," Hakkaku said.

"Where are the rumors coming from?" Koga asked.

"Her own village." Ginta said. With that, the wolf prince turned one direction and ran forward.

"Wait!" Hakkaku yelled before sighing. "I guess we follow."

"Slow jog, slow jog," Ginta chanted softly as they continue their journey.

* * *

"Where are we?" Shippo asked as he pushed aside a small branch.

"This is what is left of our home," Saru said in his small voice.

"It's destroyed." Sango said as she walked with Hiraikotsu in her hand.

"Mew," Kirara meowed in her smaller form as she surveyed burnt trees.

"What is it, Kirara?" Miroku asked as he stood behind the cat demon.

"Mew," Kirara said as she pawed at the tree.

"Anyone care to translate?" Miroku asked as he knelt down and looked at the marks.

"She says that the types of burns are familiar to her." Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"What do you mean, Kirara?"Sango asked.

"_Don't they just seem like you've seen them before?" _Kirara meowed.

"Burns are burns, they're not different." Shippo said.

"Maybe you know the person who did this?" Saru said.

"_I don't know," _Kirara meowed.

"Who's there?" Sango asked as she turned around, holding her weapon as if she were about to throw it.

"What is it, Sango?" Miroku asked.

"Something moved in the bush." Inuyasha said quietly. Kirara quickly transformed as Shippo and Saru hid behind her hind leg.

* * *

"Stupid Koga," Ayame mumbled as she sat on a large rock. "Stupid, stupid, stupid,"

"Woof?"

"Huh?" Ayame gasped as she looked around then down at a cute two tail dog. "Keiko,"

"Woof," Keiko barked as she hopped up the stone and sat on the wolf princess's knee, looking up at her.

"Oh, me?" Ayame pretended. "I'm not doing anything,"

"_Liar," _Keiko barked emotionlessly. Ayame smiled softly and patted the dog demon's head.

"It's just Koga, that's all," Ayame said. "Where's Kagome? I haven't seen her in a while." Keiko whimpered slightly. "What?"

"Woof," Keiko barked softly.

"What?" Ayame asked, shocked.

* * *

"Be on guard," Inuyasha whispered as he placed a hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

"Well, look who it is," a female voice said coolly from the bushes.

"Why don't you come out of there and show yourself?" Miroku said.

"Funny how they still hold their weapons against you," a stoic voice of a man said.

"Hmph," the female harrumphed. Two figures then jumped high above the trees to land in front of the group.

"Yuri," Inuyasha said, slightly shocked.

"Is your scenting skill lacking, little brother?" the man said emotionlessly.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "Sesshomaru,"

"Or maybe you are useless without your bitch," Sesshomaru said.

"Sesshomaru," Yuri hissed as she jabbed him with her elbow in the stomach – hard.

"That's a low blow, Sesshomaru," Sango growled as she tightened her grip on Hiraikotsu. Growling was heard as the group prepared to defend the priestess's name.

'_What's going on?' _Saru thought cautiously as he looked at both groups. It's all against one.

"You won't talk about her like that," Inuyasha growled as he suddenly lunged forward. Being quick, Sesshomaru side stepped the attack and coolly stared at the raging half demon.

'_This might not go well,' _Yuri thought as she watched her two brothers fight.

"Who's that?" Saru asked the fox demon as he observed the scene.

"That's Inuyasha's older brother," Shippo said as he pointed towards the stoic demon.

"They sure don't get along," Saru said under his breath.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she walked up to the two of them and sat down. _"They sure don't." _

"How long do you think this'll last?" Miroku mumbled to the demon slayer next to him.

"It's about Kagome," Sango informed. "Who knows?"

* * *

A small figure crawled through the dense foliage of the mountain side, followed by other smaller figures as they try to find a source of evil. Noses to the ground, they follow a trail of scents up the mountain.

* * *

…Dusk…

Skidding to a halt, Koga stopped in the middle of a small, quiet village as the villagers prepared to rest for the oncoming night.

"Demon!" a village man yelled while running away from the wolf demon. Screams and cries went through the small village faster than a raging fire. The alarm bells sounded as the men gather their weapons and surround Koga.

"I'm not here to eat you humans," Koga said with a slight roll of his eyes.

"What do you want in this village?" A village man with brown hair said as he jabbed a spear into the wolf demon's chest armor. With an annoyed huff, Koga pushed the weapon away with a swat of his hand then brushed off the invisible dust from his clothing.

"I'm looking for the priestess, Kagome," Koga informed as he looked at each of the men in the face.

"What do you want with her, demon?" a different man with black hair asked cautiously.

"I just want to see her," Koga said with a slight inaudible growl in his voice.

"Stand down, men," a voice said from beyond the mob.

"Lady Kaede," the man with black hair said slightly surprised.

"He is an ally of Kagome," Kaede said as she stared at the wolf demon with the one eye of hers.

"Yes, Lady Kaede," the first man with brown hair said as he gestured to the others to put down their weapons.

"What brings you here, Koga?" Kaede asked in her elderly voice.

"Kagome," Koga stated instantly. "I want to know about Kagome,"

"What do ye want to know?" Kaede asked as she noticed the village men fidget from side to side with a demon so close to home.

"Where is she?" Koga asked a bit hesitantly.

"Koga," the old priestess sighed. "She has passed to another life," Koga shook his head from side to side slowly, denying the truth.

"That's not true, right? You have to be lying." Koga said softly.

"I'm afraid not," Kaede said sadly. "Even though we wish it were,"

"W-who?" Koga asked.

"Who what?" the man with black hair from before asked.

"Who killed her?" Koga asked more pointedly.

"Naraku's new incarnations," Kaede said.

"The rumors are true then?" the wolf leader asked.

"I'm afraid so," Kaede said.

"Her grave?" Koga asked as he stepped forward, making the men grip their weapons tighter.

"Near the shrine up the stairs," Kaede said as she turned her bodies sideways to look at the long stairs. Nodding, Koga started to walk towards the grave above the village.

'_Looking over the village, Kagome?' _Koga asked as he slowly climbed up the long stair case. Once getting to the grave, he looked at the two that were there then kneeled down in the middle of them. _'Or should I say, priestess's that died protecting the jewel?' _He thought then looked at his two calves that held the shard fragments. Closing his eyes tightly, the wolf demon held in the pain of losing a loved one or a close friend.

* * *

"_Ah!" Kagome screamed as she was thrown harshly into the chest of a slithery dragon demon who was standing tall. A sickening crack came from her body as she slid to the invisible black, shadowy, ground. Panting and on the brink of unconsciousness, the priestess held back her tears as she reached a shaky hand to touch her oddly bent left calf. Tears of pain fell out of her eyes as the blood rushed out of her leg and around her exposed calf bone._

"_Kagome," The older and wiser priestess called out in a normal tone of voice. "Are you alright?"_

"_I can't take this anymore," Kagome said with a pained looked as she struggled to breathe._

"_Relax, Kagome," Midoriko advised. "In this realm, your injuries will heal in a few minutes. Just set back your leg,"_

"_It hurts," Kagome strained to say as she was then coiled up in the slithering demon's body like a snake suffocating its prey. The dragon demon lifted the priestess up and towards its jaws, intending to eat the girl whole._

"_Watch out!" Midoriko warned as she blocked an attack with her sword. The younger priestess was struggling to breathe as she was crushed by the dragon demon's body. Kagome then looked up and saw a flying bird demon diving down to attack her._

"_Inuyasha, help!" Kagome screamed out of instinct as she put her hands and covered her head to try to protect herself while closing her eyes._

* * *

"_Inuyasha, help!" _

Twitching silver dog ears, Inuyasha looked up from staring into the campfire intently and looked around the surrounding area. Laying his eyes on the monk, the half demon quirked an eyebrow then twitched his ears again.

"Did you say something, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked.

"No," Miroku said, confused.

"No one said anything, Inuyasha," Sango said calmly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said slowly as he slightly shook his head. _'It was a female's voice and it came from Miroku. It kind of sounded like Kagome.' _Inuyasha thought intently as his ears drooped at the thought of the priestess. _'I'm sorry I couldn't help you.' _

'_He's thinking of Kagome,' _Yuri thought as she looked down from the tree she was at the top of, looking for any signs of danger.

"Yuri," a stoic voice said from a branch below the female dog demon. Looking down, Yuri came face to face with her older brother.

"What?" Yuri asked as she jumped down to the lower branch.

"What are we looking for?" Sesshomaru said quietly so the people on the ground can't hear.

"Whatever is disturbing this land, I guess," Yuri said with a shrug.

"Hm," The male dog demon mumbled.

"Look, we were asked to do this from one of the northern wolf tribes. If we want them to be our allies, like you said, then we have to at least help," Yuri said pointedly at her older brother.

"And as of now, we still have no trace of what it is except that it looked like fire." Sesshomaru said coolly.

"Yes," Yuri agreed with a nod of her head.

"Are the others searching the other side of the lands?" The older dog demon asked.

"Yes," Yuri replied again. "Akane and the others are higher up the mountain. They're going to scatter into a few groups and search the grounds so the search is quicker, just like you wanted it _my lord._" Yuri said, adding a sarcastic statement at the end.

"Finally being respectful, little sister?" Sesshomaru asked as he glanced at the female from the corner of his golden eyes.

"I'm always respectful, big brother," Yuri said with a smirk. A silence went between the two older siblings of the half demon sitting on the ground near his friends.

Below them, the group of two humans, three demons, and a half demon sat quietly, contemplating their own thoughts in their jumbled minds. Sitting around the crackling fire, the group formed a complete circle that had an opening the size of a human female on one side.

"Why are you even here?" Inuyasha asked suddenly as he looked at the extra full demon in the group.

"Who, me?" The baby voice of the Macaque monkey demon asked.

"Yes, you," Inuyasha said as he narrowed his eyes at the smaller demon.

"It's not like I want to be here, but you could at least be nice to me." Saru said in a huff.

"Don't worry; he's not very nice to me either." Shippo whispered to the monkey demon next to him.

"Now, now, Inuyasha," Miroku said as he tried enlighten the half demon.

"He's here because his elder told him to be," Sango said as she absently petted the two tail cat demon.

"Yeah," Saru agreed.

"And your old man trusts us with you?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow. "Doesn't he think that we'll just kill you?"

"You wouldn't," Saru gasped as he narrowed his eyes. The half demon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as a smirk played on his lips.

"They're empty threats, don't worry about it," Shippo said with a wave of his hand. An unexpected smack was heard which was followed by a cry.

"Was _that _an empty threat?" Inuyasha hissed as he held his fist up.

"Ow," Shippo whimpered.

"We should get some sleep," Miroku suggested, leading the conversation away from where it was going.

"Mew," Kirara meowed suddenly.

"You're right. Where is she?" Sango asked as she looked around the camp site and a little further into the forest surrounding them.

"I'm worried about her," Shippo said softly. "She's been gone the whole day."

"Who's been gone?" Miroku asked.

"What? You don't know demon language?" Saru asked.

"Nah, we tried to teach him but, you know," Shippo said as he shook his head from side to side slowly.

"Gave up?" Saru asked.

"Pretty much," Shippo answer.

"Inuyasha, maybe you should look for her," Sango suggested after she stopped listening to the two small demon children.

"Keh, she'll be fine. She's strong enough to handle herself," Inuyasha said. _'But she has been gone for a while.' _The half demon thought.

"So who are we looking for?" Miroku tried asking, again.

"Keiko," Shippo said, coming out of his conversation with the monkey demon.

"Oh, right," Miroku said, nodding his head up and down. "Where is that little demon anyways?"

"That's what we want to know." Inuyasha said. "Hey, Yuri!" He called.

"Yeah?" the female dog demon asked as she jumped down from the tree branch she was on. Her glowing golden eyes cut through the darkness as she landed on the ground near the group.

"Do you know where Keiko is?" Inuyasha asked. Yuri had a slightly shocked mixed with confusion emotion playing on her face.

"Aren't you her master now, Inuyasha?" Yuri asked. "You're supposed to know and keep an eye on her."

"She wandered off." Inuyasha said with a shrug.

"You are so lucky she's trained to fight alone," Yuri sighed.

"Keh, she'll come back," Inuyasha said with worry slightly lacing his voice.

* * *

"Grandpa," a female said as she knelt down in front of an elderly white wolf. Nodding his head, the elder wolf waited for his granddaughter to speak. "Koga refuses to help us."

"I see," The older wolf said.

"But I will destroy this threat and Inuyasha's group is here, maybe they can help, right, Keiko?" the female wolf demon said, pleadingly.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she waved her two tails once.

"See?" She pleaded.

"I see," The older wolf demon said. "Very well,"

"Woof," Keiko barked again. _"We'll help all we can."_

"Thank you, little one," the older demon said.

"_Well, I have to get going. Bye Ayame and sir." _Keiko barked before turning around and running out of the cave and into the night's darkness.

"See, grandpa, we don't need Koga." Ayame said.

"You are still betrothed to him." Grandfather said.

"I never said I didn't want to be," Ayame said quietly as she looked out of the cave's entrance.

* * *

'_There it is,' _A woman thought forlornly as she stood on top of a small hill, glowing from the moonlight coming from above. _'Where shall my soul go from here?' _She thought before slowly walking down.

* * *

'_Is this our final battle?' _A demon thought to herself as she sat on top of a gloomy castle. _'They have all gathered here.'_

* * *

"They're asleep," Yuri whispered to her older brother as she jumped silently to the branch he was standing on.

"All of them?" Sesshomaru asked in his monotone voice.

"I believe so," Yuri said as she leaned on the trunk of the tree and crossed her arms. "What should we do now?"

"Eliminate the threat first." Sesshomaru said as he looked up to the sky. The female dog demon nodded. In an instant, the two jumped high up into the rays of the moonlight and away from their little brother.

"Woof," A soft bark sounded as the siblings landed.

"Hm?" Sesshomaru hummed as he looked down.

"Keiko," Yuri whispered.

"_Where do you think you two are going?" _Keiko barked.

"To do our job." Yuri said in a whispered sigh. "Watch the others for us?"

"For you," Sesshomaru corrected coldly.

"Sesshomaru," Yuri hissed. "I know you don't like Inuyasha, but he's our little brother."

"Never stopped me," Sesshomaru said.

"Deep down I know you don't hate him. Stop with the pride crap." Yuri said. Keiko cocked her head to the side before slowly slinking away to the safety of the group.

"Let's just go, little sister." Sesshomaru said. He then jumped up and disappeared past the tree tops and into the dark sky that was being penetrated by the moon's light.

"Hmph," Yuri harrumphed before jumping after him.

* * *

"And where have you been?" A voice whispered. Surprised, the two tail dog demon looked around to find that everyone's eyes were closed in sleep. Whimpering a reply quietly, Keiko slowly looked around for a threat.

"_Who said that?" _Keiko whimpered out as she turned her head from side to side. She looked around the whole camp ground and up into the trees before turning back to the group, only to see a pair of blazing golden yellow eyes. _"Oh, Inuyasha."_

"Slinking into camp?" Inuyasha asked as he stayed in his sleeping position which was leaning up against a tree with Tetsusaiga leaning on his chest.

"_I was just out," _Keiko barked softly enough not to wake the others but loud enough for half demon ears.

"Out where?"

"_Since when do you care?" _Keiko barked out with a slight growl.

"Keiko," Inuyasha said, slightly shocked at her outburst.

"_Ever since Kagome died, you haven't exactly been friendly to me. All you've been doing is tolerating me." _Keiko barked.

"What's going on here?" Sango said sleepily as she looked up from her pillow, which was the transformed two tail cat demon.

"Keiko," Inuyasha said in a voice that meant to stop her ranting.

"_You don't even like me, do you?" _Keiko accused. _"You only liked me enough so you can get to Kagome,"_

"That's not true," Inuyasha said as he tried to defend himself. Angrily, Inuyasha gripped his sword with a white fist.

"Keiko, what is this about?" Sango asked as she saw Miroku slowly get up from his slumber.

"_Nothing, alright?" _Keiko growled before running into the forest. 'I just miss Kagome,' She thought as she ran into a hole under a tree.

* * *

"What was that about, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked curiously.

"That damn dog." Inuyasha grumbled as he prepared to stand up and look for the little demon.

"You're looking for her?" Sango asked hopefully.

"Keh," Inuyasha said plainly. "And once I do, I'll give her a piece of my mind."

"_I don't think that's a good idea, Inuyasha." _Kirara meowed in her deep transformed voiced.

"And why not?' Inuyasha asked, irritated.

"She just misses Kagome," Sango supplied. "Just find her and bring her back."

"Feh," Inuyasha said softly before going into the dark forest, away from the group. _'She's not the only one.' _He thought.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**


	61. Disturbing Weather

**Disclaimer: Still do not own Inuyasha and probably never will. But I do own my own made up characters and what other nonsense I created.**

* * *

Disturbing Weather

"Keiko," Inuyasha said in his normal gruff voice. "Keiko," Unfortunately, no one answered the calls from the half demon. Looking around, Inuyasha sniffed the air as he tried to track down the little two tail demon in the night. "Come on, this isn't funny." The silver haired man looked up into the branches of the trees then back on the ground.

Thunder erupted from the sky as it turned grey with clouds. Cursing his luck, Inuyasha looked left and right with his blazing golden eyes searching for a familiar silhouette. The half demon kept walking with his arms crossed as the wind blew, signaling incoming rain with the thunder. Lightning flashed from the sky, making a crooked line through the air, landing god knows were.

"Shit," Inuyasha mumbled as he looked down when the lightning hit somewhere. "Keiko," Inuyasha gasped slightly as he saw the huddled figure at the base of a tree where a hole was made underground. Light rain started coming out of the sky, slowly getting harder and harder. "Keiko, come on, let's go back to the others and find shelter," Inuyasha encouraged as he knelt down in front of the hole and held out his hand to the little demon.

"_This is shelter," _Keiko barked almost silently as she curled her body tighter together.

"Rain water is going to pour in there, Keiko, let's go." Inuyasha said more forcibly.

"_Let me drown." _

"Look, I know what you're feeling," Inuyasha said as thunder clashed and the rain got harder and heavier raindrops fell. "I miss Kagome too, but going to her right now isn't going to help any of us,"

"_What?" _Keiko asked, shocked.

"Maybe later, but now, we have to finish what she couldn't." Inuyasha said as raindrops ran as tears down his face, or so he wanted the wetness to be rain. "We have to finish the Shikon jewel and defeat Naraku. After that, we can go together."

"_Inuyasha," _Keiko whispered sadly.

"Come on, let's go back to the others," Inuyasha said one last time as he kept his hand out. Keiko slowly got uncurled and crawled into the half demon's palm. The half dog demon picked up the small dog with two tails with ease and put her in the folds of his kimono top. "You'll be dry there,"

"_Thanks, Inuyasha." _Keiko barked softly as she tucked her head inside the kimono. From the outside view, the half demon looked like he had an abnormally large and weirdly shaped tumor in the middle of his chest. _"And I'm sorry."_

"Don't be," Inuyasha said as he started to jog towards the others. "I probably would've done the same thing."

* * *

"Eep, Sango!" Shippo cried as he heard the thunder roar.

"Shippo," Sango gasped as the fox demon jumped into her chest. Quickly catching the flying fox, the demon slayer looked up into the grey sky as she saw lighting crash and rain fall. "Let's find somewhere to wait out this storm."

"Good idea," Miroku said as he gathered their material items and went to the surrounding tree lines, under the cover of the branches.

"Mew," Kirara growled slightly as she shook out the water from her fur.

"Yeah, we'll wait." Sango said as she held the scared fox in her arms.

"Wait for whom?" Miroku asked.

"Inuyasha," Shippo whispered as more thunder cracked.

"I'm sure he'll show up soon." The monk said as the rain got so hard, large rain drops started to fall from the leaves and branches above them. "And I really hope it's soon."

"There he is," Sango said after the group stood in silence for five minutes.

"Where's Keiko?" Shippo asked once the half demon was in front of them.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she popped her head out of the kimono top.

"What are you guys standing here for?" Inuyasha asked. "Let's go find a cave or something." He then leaped off mumbling something about humans getting sick to easily. The others followed obediently while the humans jumped onto the transforming fire cat demon while the other smaller demons hanging on for the ride.

"Where are we going?" Shippo yelled through the pounding rain.

"Where there's a cave," Inuyasha yelled back.

"We could go to Ayame's cave," Keiko barked as she put her paws out of the kimono top to hold her head up as well.

"Where's that?" Inuyasha asked without looking down.

"Up that next hill then down and make a right," Keiko barked as she shook her head like a dog, flinging rain out of her fur, only to make room for more.

"And how do you know that?" Inuyasha asked skeptically.

"Well," Keiko barked softly as she ducked slightly back into the folds of his kimono.

* * *

'_It has begun,' _A woman thought as she stood, looking down at what is in front of her. Rain pouring over her hair and clothing as she glowed ethereally. _'And there's no going back.' _

* * *

"What the hell is with all of this rain?" Koga grumbled as he ran towards the north.

"Wait!" Ginta yelled from behind him a few yards back as he and Hakkaku slipped and slid on the fresh mud covering the ground. Wolves stopped every now and then to shake their fur of any wetness only to be replaced again.

"Where are we going?" Hakkaku asked as his Mohawk limped to the side while the rain pounded on it.

"To the north," Koga yelled behind him as he kept speeding forward.

"Why?" Ginta asked next as he slid a few feet before regaining his balance. The lightning lighted the area for a few seconds before it became dark again. Thunder crashed through the earth as it rumbled its surface.

"That's where dog shit went." Koga snarled as he kept running with more ferocity. "And he's going to be at death's door when I get my hands on him."

"I wish Kagome were here too," Ginta whispered.

"I'm sure Inuyasha tried his best," Hakkaku whispered back sadly. "If the rumors are true, he was pushed over the edge of a cliff,"

"There was nothing anyone could do," Ginta said, almost loud enough for the wolf demon in front of them to hear the statement. Either tears or raindrops ran down the two lackeys faces as they kept running.

* * *

"Unusual rain," The old priestess mumbled as she looked outside of her wooden hut. "Especially for this season."

"Lady Kaede," A man with his clothing soaked until it stuck to his skin said as he entered the hut carefully. "What is this rain? The lightning and thunder scare the young children,"

"I do not know," Kaede said as she still stared into the sky. "It is quite unusual."

"And the thunder and lightning are worst than they were before." The man said as he stepped into the doorway, only a foot into the hut to avoid being hit by more raindrops.

"This rain is caused by something," Kaede mumbled as she saw something from the grey storm clouds above.

* * *

"Naraku," a small girl whispered as she appeared from a wall.

"Kanna," the man with black hair and red eyes greeted as he continue to look out the window to watch the harsh rain fall and lightning strike.

"It is time," Kanna said in her small voice. "Before it is too late."

* * *

"Grandpa," A female wolf demon said as she looked outside. "Is this rain natural?"

"It does not seem as though it is." The old wolf that can talk said.

"Then what is it being caused by, Grandpa?" The female asked.

"How are we supposed to know?" Grandpa asked more to himself.

"Wait, what's that?" The girl asked as she stared through the darkness outside of the caved packed with wolves and humanoid wolf demons. The female wolf demon squint her eyes as she tried to see through the rain to see the dark silhouette objects coming closer. A sudden wind came in front of the wolf demon as she stepped back in reflex.

"Ayame," someone panted out tiredly as she stopped at the entrance of the cave, a few feet inside.

"Inuyasha," Ayame said, shocked.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she popped her head from the kimono.

"Keiko?" Ayame asked as she then saw a larger flying object in her peripheral vision.

"Ayame," Sango said as her bangs dripped water to her face. "Hi,"

"Hi," Ayame said for a lack of anything else to voice out.

"You're probably wondering why we're here," Miroku filled in as he climbed off of the wet fire cat.

"Yeah," Ayame drawled out.

"We needed shelter from the rain," Shippo said before he shook his head to clear the water out of his hair.

"Do you think we could stay here to wait out the rain, lady?" Saru, the Macaque monkey demon, asked cutely.

"Sure," Ayame said, still a little shocked from their surprise arrival. "Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Inuyasha mumbled before going to the wall of the cave and sat down against it, ignoring the strange looks coming from the other wolf demons.

"Thanks, Ayame," Sango said as she got off of Kirara with Shippo and Saru on her shoulder. The two tail cat demon then transformed back into her smaller size and shook out the water from her fur. Naturally, being a cat, Kirara didn't like the feeling of wetness.

"Thank you, Ayame," Miroku said kindly as he followed the demon slayer as she sat next to the half demon.

"Woof," Keiko barked as she jumped out of the kimono top and shook out the slight dampness in her fur.

"We'll be out by morning," Inuyasha grumbled. _'I hate the smell of wolves.' _He thought.

"Nonsense, right grandpa?" Ayame said as she turned to the elderly wolf.

* * *

**[A/N: I know Ayame's Grandfather is dead by the episode I started the story from, but let's say he didn't die, okay? Kind of like you're pretending that there's more than one jewel shard left. There's a lot left, kay?]**

* * *

"Nonsense, right grandpa?" Ayame said as she turned to the elderly wolf.

"Yes," The elderly wolf said with a slow nod of his head. "Now, let's get some rest, shall we?"

"Alright," Ayame agreed as she walked into the pack of wolves in the back of the cave. "Are you guys sure you want to stay there? It's warmer in the back,"

"Well, I guess we're kind of cold from the rain," Shippo said as he shivered.

"You guys go to the back before you get sick like the weak humans you are," Inuyasha said in his tough voice.

"Hey, I will have you know, I'm not human," Saru complained in his baby voice, not really getting the effect he wanted to.

"You're too young, you'll get sick," Inuyasha said almost emotionlessly as he stared out into the rain. _'I can't stand the scent of wolves around here,' _He thought as he tried to focus his nose to breath in the scent of rain.

"Well come with us," Sango said.

"No, I'll stay out here," Inuyasha said without looking at the demon slayer.

"But Inuyasha," Miroku tried to say.

"Woof," Keiko cut in as she sat and twirled her tails while wagging them. The monk just blinked.

"This is annoying," Shippo mumbled.

"She said to go ahead. She'll stay with Inuyasha," Sango filled in. "You sure, Keiko?" Nodding her head, the two tail then walked to the half demon's side and laid down.

"See you in the morning, then," Miroku said as he slowly walked away and deeper into the caves darkness.

"Good night," Shippo whispered loud enough for the half demon to catch it as he ran in with Saru right behind him.

"Good night," Sango said before following the others with Kirara on her shoulder.

"Keiko," Inuyasha said as he still stared outside.

"_Yes?" _Keiko barked as she snuggled herself into a tight ball.

"Why don't you go with them?" Inuyasha asked.

"_Because I wanted to stay here with you."_

"You'll get cold,"

"_So will you."_

"Thanks," Inuyasha mumbled as he got himself comfortable against the rock wall.

* * *

…Dawn…

"The winds have changed." Kaede whispered as she stepped out of her hut early in the morning. Said wind swept through the village, making the already damp village colder from the combined rain a few hours ago and its windy gust.

* * *

'_Almost there,' _Koga thought as he kept running.

"Koga," Two men panted as they tried to sluggishly catch up to their leader. "Wait…!"

"Well, keep up you two," Koga said as he stopped and looked back.

"We can't," Ginta panted as he put his hands on his knees and breathed hard.

"Can we please take a break?" Hakkaku asked. "We've been running all night through the rain." Behind the two humanoid wolf demons who were panting, the regular wolves stopped and some collapsed onto the wet ground, tired and hungry.

"Fine," Koga huffed as he grudgingly went to the trunk of a nearby tree and leaned on it. "We'll rest for half an hour. Get food and water while you can."

"But Koga," Ginta whines slightly. "That's barely enough time."

"Twenty-nine minutes," Koga started to count down. His comrades then quickly scattered to get the necessities they needed for their body.

* * *

"Thanks for everything, Ayame," Sango said as she put down the stick that use to house a piece of meat on it.

"Yes, thanks for the shelter and the food," Miroku said kindly.

"Don't suck up," Shippo mumbled so only demons heard him. Saru snickered beside him as he held in a laugh.

"We should go," Inuyasha said as he got up while Keiko was perched on his shoulder.

"So soon?" Ayame asked.

"I want to get this over with," Inuyasha mumbled. _'And get out of this wolf infested cave as soon as I can,' _He thought. _'Reminds me too much of Koga. Which reminds me too much of Kagome…'_

"And I want to go back to my family," Saru whimpered.

"Okay then, have a safe trip," Ayame said as she watched the group walk out of the cave.

"Oof," Inuyasha grunted as he was hit, chest first, with an unknown object that then rammed him into the wall of the mountain, directly right of the cave.

"Inuyasha!" Sango and Miroku gasped.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Shippo yelled towards him.

"Didn't see that coming," Inuyasha groaned silently as he lifted his head off of the rock wall he was smashed into.

"Dog shit!" the man in front of him yelled as he raised a fist, ready to strike.

"He's fast," Saru whispered.

"He has jewel shards in his legs, of course he's fast," Shippo said as he saw his other comrades get ready for a battle.

"Koga!" Ayame yelled as she and part of her wolf tribe came out of the cave to see what the ruckus was. "What are you doing?"

"You said you would protect her," Koga snarled as he held Inuyasha by the neck against the rock wall while having his other hand in a fist, ready to punch the half demon in the face. The two didn't hear the whimper at their feet as an innocent by stander was hurt as well. "You promised her, and what do you do? You let her die!"

"Who?" Inuyasha wheezed out as he let the wolf demon suffocate him for just a second.

"Kagome," Koga hissed has his fist started shaking. "You're going to pay,"

"Go ahead," Inuyasha scoffed. "It's not like I don't deserve it."

"Glad to know," Koga growled before moving his fist back, ready to strike.

"Koga!" Sango yelled at the wolf demon.

"Stop!" Miroku joined in.

"He doesn't deserve that!" Ayame said as she was about to run to him and hold off his fist. A loud growl was heard before Koga yelped in pain. On his wrist where his fisted hand connected to his arm, two pairs of two and a half inch long fangs dug through his wrist and bone, only to appear on the other side.

"Keiko," Inuyasha whispered as he felt the wolf prince's blood splatter on his cheek. The transformed two tail dog demon sunk her fangs into the flesh of the demon, making four holes through his wrist.

"Damn dog," Koga growled as he tried to shake off the demon, with much pain. "Let go. What, are you from the same litter as the mutt?" Growling loudly, Keiko bit down harder into the wrist while her two front paws with elongated claws were holding her up on his hand and forearm. The male wolf demon then let go of Inuyasha's throat and grabbed a hold of the two tails on the demon hanging on his arm.

Keiko growled a warning before he yanked on her tails. _"Pull me off, and half of your wrist and arm will be torn off."_

"Shit," Koga growled as he heard the smaller dog demon. The half demon straightened himself up then punch Koga in the gut unexpectedly. Gasping, the wolf demon lurched forward but didn't fall. "Damn you dog shit."

"Keiko, let go," Inuyasha said calmly as he held out a hand for the two tail to climb on. Obediently, Keiko opened her mouth and let go of the rapidly bleeding wrist then jumped into Inuyasha's awaiting hand and climbed up to his shoulder. Blood covered her mouth and the fur around it as Keiko started to lick it away.

"Koga, what's wrong with you?" Ayame hissed as she finally recovered from her shock and ran over to the wolf demon. "You can't do that!"

"And why not?" Koga growled as he held his bleeding wrist. "He never protected her!"

"Maybe you love her, I don't know," Ayame began. "But she died honorably, Inuyasha didn't cause her death."

"He said he would protect her," Koga hissed into the female wolf demon's face. "He didn't do that."

"They protect each other, not just one person to another," Ayame said with a slight hiss. "That's what love really is," With that, the she wolf went back into the cave as her tribe stared at Koga for a second then followed.

'_We protect each other,' _Inuyasha thought as the words rang through his head. _'Not just one to the other.' _

"Inuyasha," Shippo called as he ran to the half demon. "Are you guys okay?"

"I am," Inuyasha answered as he kept a wary eye on Koga as he saw the wolf demon fume. "Keiko, are you?"

"_Yeah," _Keiko said half heartedly as she tried to stay balance on Inuyasha's shoulder without anyone noticing the pain she was feeling in one of her hind legs when she got hurt from the impact with the wall as the half demon was pushed against it.

"I think you should leave," Miroku said to the wolf demon as he raised his staff horizontal to his body. "We use to be allies, but now I don't think we can."

"Finally," Inuyasha mumbled, which no one but the two small demons near him heard. Shippo shook his head from side to side while Keiko tried to get a better grip on Inuyasha's kimono so she wouldn't have to use her hind legs like she normally did.

"And don't come near us," Sango threatened while holding her Hiraikotsu a little tighter while Kirara growled, still in her small form. Saru stood on the ground, looking confused. Transforming herself back into her normal self, Keiko fangs and claws shortened while her grip loosened briefly, making her slip slightly.

"Keiko," Inuyasha gasped as he moved his opposite hand from where Keiko sat and held her up. "Are you okay?"

"_Yeah, just slipped," _Keiko said, which was a half truth. The fox demon looked at the two tail dog demon skeptically.

"You better watch your back, dog-turd. I'll get revenge for Kagome," Koga warned.

"If you want revenge for her, you'll have to go after Naraku and his lackeys," Miroku said calmly.

"Now leave," Sango said. Koga harrumphed before taking off just as two figures and a pack of wolves arrived.

"Oh, you're kidding," Hakkaku panted as he put his hands on his knees and looked at the ground. "We just got here,"

"We can't keep up forever," Ginta said as he also panted. "Oh, hi, Inuyasha," Inuyasha nodded at the two lackeys, deciding that they didn't do anything to him.

"I'm sorry about Kagome," Hakkaku said once he stopped panting. "If it helps, we miss her too,"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he looked away.

"Should we catch up?" Ginta asked his brother while looking in the direction the wolf prince ran off too.

"Might as well try," Hakkaku sighed. "Bye guys,"

"Bye," the group chorused lightly as they watched the two demons and small pack of wolves run off towards the general direction their leader went.

"Let's go," Inuyasha said once the group was seen as a small dot in the distance.

"Good idea," Sango said. On the half demon's shoulder, the two tail dog demon laid on her stomach over his shoulder while her paws and head dangled, not hanging on at all.

"What's wrong with her?" Saru asked suddenly as he looked back at the half demon. Shippo walked to his new friend and looked at where he was staring at.

"Keiko?" Shippo called.

"_Me? Oh, there's nothing wrong, what are you talking about?" _Keiko barked with fake cheeriness as she got up and sat on three paws.

"Oh? Then how come your weight is around only three paws?" Inuyasha asked as he felt only three sets of claws prick his skin.

"_What are you talking about? I'm fine," _Keiko barked as she hopped down from his shoulder in one leap and nearly yelped in pain as she landed on her front paws then put her hind legs down, but she held it in.

"Don't be stubborn," Sango said worriedly as she watched Kirara hop off her own shoulder and walk towards the dog demon. The monk smartly stayed quiet as he felt the seriousness of the situation, though he didn't understand one side of the conversation.

"_Are you sure?" _Kirara meowed as she approached the purple eyed dog demon.

"_Yeah," _Keiko said, staring at the cat demon intently.

"_Then this wouldn't hurt, right?" _Kirara meowed then suddenly pushed Keiko onto her back with her two front paws. Letting out a yelp, Keiko didn't get a chance to hold it in as her injured leg was pushed back then up. _"Ha, you are hurt." _

"Where does it hurt?" Shippo asked worriedly.

"Let me see," Inuyasha said as he felt responsible. Kirara obediently let Keiko up and Inuyasha checked her body for the injury.

"_I'm fine," _Keiko barked stubbornly.

"Bull shit," Inuyasha said in a quiet voice as he kneeled down and pushed Keiko back onto her back.

"_Hey, let me up!" _Keiko barked loudly.

"Now, Keiko, we're trying to help." Miroku said soothingly. "Don't be proud like some people we know,"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. Sango then untied the blue sack on her back and brought out some spare bandages. "Feh, Keiko, your leg got caught when Koga hit me into the rock wall, didn't it?"

"_It doesn't hurt," _Keiko whined as she tried to wiggle out of his hold.

"Sure it doesn't," Inuyasha said sarcastically as he took the offered bandages from the demon slayer and wrapped them around the two tail's hind leg. "There,"

"_It was fine," _Keiko barked stubbornly as she rolled to stand up again.

"We know you can take care of yourself, Keiko," Sango said with soft eyes. "But just because Kagome's gone, doesn't mean you have to." Keiko looked away and towards an interesting rock on the ground.

"Come on, we have a lot to do," Inuyasha said as he picked up the smaller dog demon and held her in his arms.

"_Inuyasha," _Keiko gasped as she was lifted up.

"Yeah," Saru agreed as he happily hopped forward, getting one step closer to saving his family and tribe.

…Three Hours Later…

"Inuyasha, can we _please _take a break?" Shippo pleaded as he dragged his feet to try and follow the half demon.

"Why do we need a break? We've barely gotten anywhere," Inuyasha complained before looking behind him at his pack members. Upon looking, he noticed their tired expressions and easily smelled that they were going to get sick soon. He then looked down at the slumbering two tail dog demon in his arms as she rested off the pain in her leg. "Keh, fine, we'll rest here,"

"Thank you," Sango sighed as she let go of her Hiraikotsu and pinned it to the ground before leaning on it for support.

"Is there a river or anything around here?" Miroku asked as he supported most of his weight on his golden staff.

"I think there's one a few yards from here." Saru said as he rethought about his old homelands. "At least, I think this is the place."

"Might as well give it a try," Miroku groaned silently.

"_I'll go," _Kirara volunteered as she hopped off of Sango's shoulder and transformed. _"I'm not tired or in need of water yet." _

"Thank you, Kirara." Sango said tiredly as she fell to the ground with the monk following shortly after. The two sat as they rested their sore feet.

"Keh, pathetic humans," Inuyasha scoffed by inwardly was worried about his friends.

"I'll go fill up some canteens," Shippo said as he climbed onto the large fire cat as he carried a few canteens. "Saru, want to come with us?"

"Sure," The little monkey demon said while climbing onto Kirara's back. With that, the three of them left in search of water.

"I'll go get some food," Inuyasha offered after a pregnant silence. "Can you watch Keiko for me?"

"Sure," Sango said as she held out her arms to take the sleeping companion out of the half demon's arms. The half demon then nodded and went off towards the surrounding forest for anything edible to eat.

"He might act tough but he really cares," Miroku said after making sure the half demon was out of hearing range.

"Yeah," Sango said with a small smile. Keiko stirred in the demon slayer's arm as she slowly awakened from her painful sleep. "Keiko, how are you feeling?"

"_Sore," _Keiko growled out as she slowly lifted her head and looked around. _"Where is everyone?"_

"Shippo, Kirara, and Saru went to get water while Inuyasha is looking for food." Sango said as Miroku sat in oblivion.

"_Oh," _Keiko said before pausing. _"How long was I asleep?"_

"About two hours and a half," Sango supplied.

"_For that long?"_

"I guess that fight really took a toll on your body." Sango said.

"Especially since you had to use most of your energy just to keep warm yesterday night." Miroku said, catching on to the conversation.

"_Inuyasha tried to keep me warm," _Keiko defended.

"Yeah, but he was in wet clothes too," Sango said with a small smile. "We're not blaming him; we know he tried his best."

"But maybe sometimes his best isn't enough," Miroku said forlornly. "But we're not going to blame him for anything."

"_Okay," _Keiko barked softly before standing slightly and getting off of Sango's lap.

"Keiko, you shouldn't use that leg," Sango said worriedly.

"_I'm not putting any weight on it," _Keiko reassured. _"Besides, I think its fine," _She then demonstrated the fact by putting weight on the bandaged leg then standing briefly on two feet. _"See?"_

"Are you sure you're okay, Keiko?" Miroku asked worriedly. The two tail nodded her head, knowing that the monk wouldn't understand her.

"Back," Inuyasha grunted as he laid a gutted bore in front of them. "Eat up, you'll get your strength back,"

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Sango said kindly before getting up slowly. "Miroku, do you want to help me look for fire wood?"

"Sure, my lovely," Miroku said with that knowing smirk.

"On second thought, I'd rather go alone," Sango said with a slight glare before walking off.

"Certainly you don't mean that," Miroku said as he followed the demon slayer.

"Try me," Sango said as her voice disappeared into the forest.

"Is that an offer?" Miroku asked before trotting off.

"_Those two will never change," _Keiko barked as she sat peacefully on the ground.

"Keh, those two are always at each other's throats." Inuyasha said with a shake of his head.

"_That just means they love each other," _Keiko said with a glint.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said quietly. _'Love, like a mate.' _He thought.

"_Inuyasha?" _Keiko asked as she saw the half demon fall into his memories.

"Keiko, should you be using that leg?"

"_It was just a small sprain, I think it's healed," _Keiko said as she kept most of her weight on the injured leg._ "It doesn't hurt anymore."_

"Then do you want that bandaging off?" Inuyasha asked as he silently offered to take it off.

"_Sure," _Keiko said happily as she made her way to the half demon, avoiding the meat lying on the ground. _"What should we do with _that_?"_

"Well Sango and Miroku have to get the firewood." Inuyasha said as he unwound the bandages. The two demons then sensed something in the air.

"We're back!" Shippo yelled happily as he dropped a canteen into Inuyasha's lap. "Here's the water."

"_Thanks," _Keiko barked happily as she got her share of water.

"Where did the other two go?" Saru asked as he carried a few canteens of water. Kirara transformed herself back into her smaller form then went towards the two tail dog demon.

"They went to get firewood," Inuyasha said as he uncapped a canteen and drank some water as he was stared at longingly by two pairs of eyes. "Here," Inuyasha sighed as he put some water into his cupped hand and placed the limb in front of the two two-tail demons.

"_Thanks, Inuyasha," _The two chimed in happily as they started to lick up the water.

"Kirara, I thought you drank water at the river," Shippo said.

"_Well I got thirsty on the way back," _Kirara defended.

"We got fire wood," The monk announced as he and the demon slayer got back into the clearing.

"Finally," Shippo said happily. "I was getting hungry."

…After the Meal…

"Are we okay now?" Inuyasha asked as he looked over the group.

"Yeah, all filled up and ready to go," Miroku said as he stood up, followed by the rest of the group.

"Then let's go," Inuyasha said before he felt a strong wind blow against his back.

"What's that?" Shippo asked as he squint his eyes to protect them from the gust.

"What's what?" Sango asked as she turned towards the direction the fox demon was looking. "Hey, look at that." The wind grew stronger as their clothes rustled around them violently in the wind.

Over in the distance, a whirlwind of wind formed into a tornado, though it was standing in place and blowing violent winds in a one hundred mile radius. Suddenly, colors of blue and red burst up from the eye of the tornado and was lifted up to the sky.

"Help!" Saru yelled suddenly as he was blown away, along with the fox demon. Catching the two of them, Inuyasha held them to his chest as he tried to stay on the ground as well. Kirara transformed quickly into her larger self and supporting Keiko who was at her feet.

"What is that?" Miroku yelled over the harsh wind.

"What?" Sango yelled back, not hearing his words.

"I asked what this was!" Miroku yelled again.

"Kagura!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled as he looked up. "Are you doing this?" The wind sorceress scoffed as she tried to control the feather she was sitting on.

"If I was doing this, why would I control wind all the way over there," Kagura started as she pointed in the direction of the tornado. "When the one's I'm supposed to attack are right here?" With that, Kagura swept her fan across her body and created blades of wind to appear and go towards the group.

* * *

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**


	62. Battle with the Worst

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Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. I only own my own personal characters and ideas.

* * *

Battle with the Worst

"Kagura!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled as he looked up. "Are you doing this?" The wind sorceress scoffed as she tried to control the feather she was sitting on.

"If I was doing this, why would I control wind all the way over there," Kagura started as she pointed in the direction of the tornado. "When the one's I'm supposed to attack are right here?" With that, Kagura swept her fan across her body and created blades of wind to appear and go towards the group.

* * *

"Sesshomaru, what's that?" A female with black hair and golden eyes asked as she looked off into the distance at a large tornado, swirling with blue and red.

"Good question," Sesshomaru said emotionlessly as the two of them stared towards the eye of the tornado. "Yuri, let's go,"

"Well we can't just leave not knowing what that is," Yuri protested. "That's part of the western lands too."

"We have this mission to accomplish first,"

"For all you know, people are dying down there," Yuri said.

"And people and demons are losing their homes here," Sesshomaru countered. "Call back your pack." Yuri huffed before putting two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

"Okay, now what?" Yuri asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"We'll find whatever is disturbing this land." Sesshomaru said in monotone before carefully walking away. Yuri gave her brother a confused look before sitting on a rock and crossing both her arms and her legs. "What are you doing?"

"You just told me to call my pack," Yuri said as if it were obvious. "I have to stay in the same place so they can actually find me."

"I'm going ahead," Sesshomaru declared before walking away. His silver hair flew gently behind him as it followed the demon.

"Way to make me do something and then leave me," Yuri mumbled with a roll of her eyes. The wind then picked up harshly, blowing leaves out of their branches. _'What's with this wind?' _Yuri thought as she squint her eyes close to keep debris out of her golden eyes. _'And what's with the red and blue tornado?' _The female demon then looked off into the distance where the large unnatural natural disaster was occurring while keeping her arm up to help keep her eyes clean and unharmed.

* * *

"Koga," Ginta called in front of him. "What's that?"

"What?" Koga asked before looking behind him. "What the hell?"

"Does that thing have blue and red in it?" Hakkaku asked as he squint his eyes to see the colors inside the tornado.

"Yeah," Ginta said as he did the same thing with his eyes. "And the wind is getting stronger."

"What do you think it is, Koga?" Hakkaku asked.

"I don't know," Koga said as he then looked around. "But something's going to happen soon."

"How do you know?" Ginta asked.

"My instincts are telling me to run away from both the tornado and up these mountains." Koga said as he looked back up the mountains where the others are.

"Well what should we do?" Hakkaku asked in his raspy voice.

"Something tells me Naraku is up to something," Koga said before running back up the mountain.

"We-we'll just stay d-down here," Ginta said nervously. Wolves behind the two wolf demons growled at the pair before gently biting their clothing and dragging them towards where their leader went.

"Fine," Hakkaku relented as he took back his wolf pelt from the jaws of one of the wolves and started running up the mountain. "Come on, Ginta,"

* * *

'_I don't want these guys to die,' _Kagura thought plainly as she sent attack after attack of her wind blades. _'If they die, who will have a chance against Naraku?' _

"Where's Naraku, Kagura?" The dog half demon yelled as he blocked the wind blades that were heading towards him.

"I don't know, you're going to have to find out," Kagura said before sending off more of her demonic attacks.

"Inuyasha," the monk called as he dodged another white wind blade. "Go find Naraku, we'll hold her off."

"You think two humans can hold me off?" Kagura asked as she put her open fan in front of her mouth and nose.

"Hiraikotsu!" the demon slayer yelled as she threw the giant bone boomerang towards the wind sorceress. Kagura narrowed her eyes before swiftly moving away. "Inuyasha, go!"

"Okay," Inuyasha said as he nodded. "Keiko, let's go,"

"Woof," Keiko barked before following the half demon.

'_Oops,' _Kagura thought sarcastically as she watched the two of them run off.

'_She didn't stop them even though she could have.' _Miroku thought as he watched the wind sorceress let the two run off.

"Why can't you just leave all of us alone?" Sango yelled up to the floating demon.

"It's my job to bring you down," Kagura said emotionlessly as she made more wind blades with a flick of her wrist. _'Or stall,' _Kagura thought.

* * *

"Naraku," a little girl in all white said in a monotone as she appeared from a wall. "Kagura has let the half demon slip past her."

"Bomu," the black haired half demon called out. In the corner of the dark room that had minimal lighting a mass started to crush its way out of a vase, cracking the fine pottery into pieces. The mass then started to form into a human body shape as the shadows covered its finer complexion.

"He is not ready," The little girl in white warned softly.

"He doesn't have to be, Kanna," Naraku answered sinisterly. The little girl stayed silent as she held her silver mirror in her two hands while the picture changed to a running couple.

"They're getting closer."

"Bomu," Naraku called again. "Go and take down Inuyasha and his friend." With the command said, the figure in the corner slowly slunk its way out of the door and towards the exit of the eerie castle.

* * *

_**Whistle**_

"_Yuri's calling us," _a two tail dog demon said as she stood eight feet tall from the ground.

"_Well what are we going to do, Akane?" _Asked a two tail dog soul demon as she looked right and bit into a large worm demon. The top dog, Akane, looked around and saw her team battling left and right with the army of weak demons. The demons might be weak, but they outnumbered the dogs greatly.

"_Fall back!" _Akane barked loudly as she flew into the air and led her team to the sides of rapidly moving army. Barks were followed as all the two tail dog demons followed, hearing the others calls so they don't fall behind. _"Naoko," _

"_Yes?" _Naoko, the two tail dog demon who controlled souls, asked as she limped towards their leader.

"_Lead a small group and follow these demons. See where they're heading." _Akane ordered as she picked out who was on which team.

"_You can count on me," _Naoko barked with a nod of her head as she quickly ignored her own injuries.

"_My team, let's find Yuri," _Akane said as she took to the air again and started flying towards the sound of the whistle.

"_Let's go," _Naoko barked as she ran into the slowly diminishing forest, following the mass of weak demons. _"Be careful, guys," _

* * *

Quick footsteps pounded on the earth as they made their way through the forest. Up and down, the feet ran with a purpose. The screaming wind around them made it no more difficult than it had to be, while the trembling earth barely moved the feet off their course.

"_Inuyasha, are you sure this is the right way?" _A two tail dog demon with elongated claws and fangs asked from the shoulder of a red clad half demon.

"I can smell his stench a mile away," Inuyasha growled out.

"_Then why didn't we track him earlier?" _Keiko mumbled.

"Because his barrier wasn't down," Inuyasha said with a slight glare.

'Well then,' Keiko thought before screeching as something exploded in front of the running half demon.

"What the hell?" Inuyasha mumbled as he lay against a tree. Putting his hand behind his head to stop the dizzy feeling, the appendage became red from the blood pouring out. "Damn it,"

"You," a low male voice said in an eerie way. "Are you the half demon, Inuyasha?"

"What if I am?" Inuyasha asked as he used the tree behind him to help him stand up. _'I wonder if Keiko's okay.' _He thought as he cautiously looked around for the two tail demon.

"Looking for your friend?" the deep tone asked through the smoke around them.

"Where is she? What did you do to her?" Inuyasha yelled into the gray smoke surrounding everyone.

"She can watch you die now," the voice said as a silhouette appeared in the smoke directly to the left of the half demon. Inuyasha grunted as the silhouette tackled into him. The two tumbled onto the ground while blood splattered onto the ground from both opponents. Around them, the smoke went from a gray to a misty colored gray that even humans can see most things in it.

"Damn you," Inuyasha groaned as he went onto his back and used his feet and legs to push his enemy off of him. "Who are you anyways?"

"I am Bomu. Remember the name that will kill you," the dark voice said before getting up again and running quickly at Inuyasha.

'_Bomu?' _Inuyasha thought as he dodged the sword that was swung at him. _'Another incarnation?'_

"Now, you die," Bomu whispered before stabbing the sword at Inuyasha. Easily dodging the attack, Inuyasha moves out of the way and stalls enough time to take out his own sword.

"Tetsusaiga!" Inuyasha yelled as he swung the transformed fang.

"You're too slow," Bomu said in his low tone voice. "Looks like Naraku is wrong."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, confused, as he dodged another attack.

"He said you might be a worthy opponent,"

"Oh, really?"

"He was wrong," Bomu glowered as he used his demonic powers to flow into the sword. Blood splattered onto the ground a second later as the dirt under them was kicked up. Looking up, Inuyasha saw a sight he has seen many times before. Keiko had her fangs into the silhouette's arm while she hung on with her claws. Growling and barking the best she could, the two tail barked out her orders to the half demon.

"But, Keiko," Inuyasha started to argue.

"_Don't argue, just go. I can handle this on my own. Go and get Naraku," _Keiko growled as the demon tried to pry her off his arm. _"Do it for all of us and take him down. Do it for Kagome." _Inuyasha growled but reluctantly nodded his head and started to run off.

"You're not getting away that easily," Bomu said as he started to run with Keiko hanging off his arm.

"_And you're not getting near him that easily," _Keiko growled as she let go of the arm in her mouth and landed on the ground, only to bite the incarnation in the calf. The man growled as his one leg collapsed.

"Damn you, stupid dog!" Bomu yelled as he punched Keiko on the top of her head. Whimpering, Keiko held onto his leg, determined to have Inuyasha get as far as he can.

"_It's just you and me," _Keiko growled as blood flowed through her fur and down her face to her snout. The two tail dog demon braced her four paws on the ground and tried moving her head from side to side while her mouth was still clamped onto the leg, trying to rip the limb.

"Get off of me or I'll blow up everything within a five mile radius." Bomu threatened. Keiko bit into his leg harder as she pulled back and started walking backwards, ripping the skin.

* * *

"Alright, Kagura," Miroku panted as he held his staff in front of him. The wind sorceress quirked an eyebrow as she sat peacefully on her enlarged feather with her fan in front of her nose and mouth. "Finish us off."

"Hm," Kagura breathed out while whipping her fan diagonal to her body. "Dance of Blades,"

"Miroku," Sango said worriedly as she saw him struggle to block more of the deadly white wind blades. "Hiraikotsu," Kagura rolled her red eyes as she lifted her hand with the fan above her head then lowered it, creating a fan of wind.

"Have you forgotten I am the wind?" Kagura asked as she sent the bon boomerang careening back towards the demon slayer. Sango stared wide eyed as her own weapon came directly towards her. _'Killing off the slayer will probably bring no one any good.' _Kagura thought as she subtly changed the direction of the wind. Sango stood still, shocked, while her weapon barely grazed the arm at her side. Hiraikotsu landed behind the demon slayer, pinned to the ground by the end of it.

'_She missed me?' _Sango thought curiously. _'She never misses when she makes Hiraikotsu come back to me using her demonic power._

'_She's up to something,' _Miroku thought as he watched the bone boomerang fly pass them.

"Come on, this isn't even a fight," Kagura said sarcastically.

"Yeah, because you're not trying to," Miroku mumbled mostly to himself, but the demon slayer heard him.

"I know that, but why?" Sango asked.

"She wants Naraku dead just as much as we do so she can be free from him," Miroku said.

"I can hear you," Kagura mumbled so low that only demon would be able to hear it. "Dance of Blades!"

"Watch out!" Miroku yelled as he pushed Sango out of the way. Screaming in pain, the monk received multiple long cuts on his back.

"Miroku," Sango gasped as she fell to the floor.

"Wind Tunnel!" Miroku yelled while sucking up the pain and turning around.

'_Damn that thing,' _Kagura thought grudgingly as she squints her eyes and puts her fan over her face. Flying higher up into the air, the wind sorceress flew off on her white feather and away from being sucked into the void.

"She's gone," Sango whispered as she slowly got up off of the ground.

"Yeah," Miroku agreed as he rewrapped his hand. The monk then reached a hand behind his back and felt the damage done to his body.

"Miroku, are you okay?" Sango asked while rushing to the man.

"Yeah," Miroku groaned. "Where's Kirara?" Sango blinked for a second before looking around frantically.

"Kirara!" Sango called. "Kirara?"

"Where'd she go?" Miroku said through clenched teeth.

"Mew," a sound came from the bushes. Sango slowly stood up and walked to the side of the forest.

"Kirara?" Sango asked. Cautiously going to the bush, the demon slayer carefully parted the leaves.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled as something lunged out of the bush and onto Sango's neck. Screaming in pain, Sango tried to pry out fangs that have pierced into the back of her neck.

* * *

"_Where are they going?" _Naoko asked as she and her tag team kept running.

"_I don't know, but it looks like they're gathering in one place," _Another two tail dog demon barked out.

"_Guys, stop," _Naoko said suddenly. The group immediately stopped in their tracks, running into one another while doing so.

"_What is it, Naoko?" _A black two tail dog demon asked.

"_The demons all stopped. Any closer and we could get attacked." _Naoko explained.

"_I think we already got too close," _A male two tail dog demon said from in front of the group. He slowly moved back as he watched the approaching demons closely. Naoko gasped lightly as she eyed the demons that were slowly closing in on them.

"_What do we do now?" _A red furred two tail asked. Naoko quickly looked around at her tag team of dog demons.

In a snap decision, Naoko made her move. _"Run!" _Naoko barked loudly as she turned around and ran full speed away from the demons. 'We don't stand a chance even if they are weaker than us. There's too many of them, and not enough of us.' Naoko thought as she led her team away.

"_The demons are following," _The black furred dog demon yelled as the team ran and jumped away from the area.

"_We have to at least try to split off the group of demons that are following us from the main group. Maybe then we can take a fight," _Naoko barked to her team.

* * *

"_Yuri!" _A loud bark rang through the clearing.

"Akane?" a female called out as she stood up from her seat on a rock. "There you are,"

"_Yuri," _Akane panted as she and half of her team came out of the forest and rested as they appeared in front of their alpha leader.

"Where are the rest of the others?" Yuri asked instantly as she noticed no one else was coming out of the forest.

"_They're following a group of demons we found pouring out of a cave," _Akane barked.

"What kind of demons?" Yuri asked.

"_Weak demons, but they're many of them," _Akane barked.

"_We're talking thousands," _A tan colored two tail dog demon added.

"Is that where you all got those wounds?" Yuri asked, inspecting what's left of her team with her golden eyes. The two tail dog demons all nodded their heads before standing up on Yuri's command. "Let's go find them," Akane nodded her head before following.

"_Yuri, I'm sure they're okay," _Akane barked in front of her. _"You're not mad about the decision, are you?" _

"Of course not, I would've done the same thing," Yuri said as she ran ahead while giving a sideways smile to her loyal companion.

"Dance of Blades!"

"What?" Yuri gasped as she stopped in her tracks and jumped backwards before blades of white wind crashed down in front of her. Yelping and crashing was heard as part of her smaller team was hit and fell to the ground. "Who's there?"

"Kagura, at your service," the wind sorceress said as she flipped her fan open.

* * *

Sesshomaru walked through the seemingly calm forest in peace with himself. Gradually walking forward, the dog demon scented the air, trying to find out where the half demon, Naraku, was hiding.

'_His scent is stronger now,' _Sesshomaru thought as he stopped and jumped lightly onto a tree limb. _'The scent of death and decayed flesh is in the air. Like the walking dead.' _

* * *

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**


	63. Group Together and We'll Win

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Group Together and We'll Win

"Naraku!" The half demon with silver hair yelled as he barged through a door. Clapping was heard from inside of the darkness of the large wooden hut.

"Well done, Inuyasha," a dark, sinister voice said as footsteps were then heard. "You avoided all my distractions and came out alive. But at what cost?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow as he gripped his Tetsusaiga harder.

"The demon slayer, monk, two tail dog and cat, the wolf tribes, the two dog demons and their pack," the voice continued.

"What did you do to them, Naraku?" Inuyasha yelled into the building with a growl.

"I didn't do much," Naraku said calmly. "You did,"

"Me?" Inuyasha asked.

"You left them all alone," Naraku said. "They all could've used your help, like Kagome did."

"Shut up, that was your fault!" Inuyasha yelled. "You killed her!"

"And who is her protector?" Inuyasha stayed silent as he rethought things. "That's right, you promised her."

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled as he slammed his sword to the ground. "Wind Scar!"

"Missed," Naraku said after the attack died down.

"Damn you,"

"By now, all your little friends should be dead,"

"That's a lie," Inuyasha sneered as he cautiously walked into the darkness. The half demon stopped in his tracks as an albino void demon appeared in front of him. "Kanna,"

"Look in the mirror at your 'friends', Inuyasha." Naraku said as the mirror started to glow.

_Images_

_Keiko slammed into a tree as blood splattered on the bark before sliding down after the body landed on the floor. Whimpering, the two tail dog demon slowly got up but fell as she put pressure on her front paw._

"_You're going to die," Bomu said in his eerie voice as he got closer. "And after that, I'm going to blow this whole place up."_

"Over my dead body," _Keiko barked in pain._

"_That's what I plan to do," Bomu said as he lifted his sword with his arm. Even though the sword was now bitten in half, the edges and tip were still sharp enough to cut flesh._

* * *

"_Dance of the Dragon!" Kagura yelled as she swiped her fan diagonally._

"_Disperse!" Yuri yelled as her nails glow a white color while she held one hand up above her head. "You're going to have to do better than that, Kagura, I control the wind too!"_

"_Damn," Kagura mumbled as she placed her fan in front of her face._

"_Let me take care of the dog demon." A childish voice said from the trees._

"_Hakudoshi," Kagura said with a smirk._

"_You can take care of the small fry," Hakudoshi said as he appeared from the shadows in his white outfit._

"_Hm," Kagura hummed as she looked at all the two tail dog demons, though their numbers were cut in half. "Dance of the Dragon," Kagura said as she fanned her fan at all the ground bound two tail demons. "Dance of Blades!" She yelled as she unleashed blades of wind towards the two tails that were airborne. Yelping and whimpering was heard left and right. The female dog demon looked at her dwindling army as they struggled with half of their numbers. _

"_Now you wish that you brought the ones that were left at home, don't you, Yuri?" Hakudoshi asked as he pointed his scythe at the dog demon._

"_The ones that I have with me now are more than enough for you to handle," Yuri said confidently before swiping her claws at the incarnation._

"_Too slow," Hakudoshi said moved away._

"_What?" Yuri gasped as she did a front flip to regain her balance from her lunge forward, landing with her back facing the enemy. Yelling in pain briefly, Yuri stood still as she panted while looking down at her chest which had the demon's scythe impaling it, almost at her heart._

"_Never turn your back to the enemy." Hakudoshi advised as he twisted the blade._

* * *

"_Kirara!" Miroku gasped as he saw the two tail cat demon, in her smaller form, sinks her fangs into the demon slayer's neck. "Let her go!" Growling, the two tail cat demon bit harder while piercing her claws into Sango's shoulder._

"_Ow, Kirara, let go!" Sango yelled in pain as she tried to pry Kirara off of her. "You're going to kill me."_

"_Sango," Miroku said as he tried to get up but fell back down due to the wounds on his back._

"Hold still and this will be quick," _Kirara hissed out as she bit even harder._

"_Kirara, stop!" Sango begged slightly as she fell to her knees. The two tail demon let go and back away. Bursting into flames, Kirara transformed into her larger form and growled at the two humans. The demon slayer put her hand up to her neck and covered the wound while blood poured over her shoulder and down her chest and back._

* * *

"We're not going to make it!" _A black two tail dog demon yelled as he kept running next to their leader. Growling and scratching was heard from behind them._

"Hey, get off of him!" _Naoko barked loudly as she turned around and tackled a demon off of one of their comrades._

"Thanks, Naoko," _A brown two tail dog demon barked as he got up with minor injuries to his body._

"This is where we fight," _Naoko decided as she saw the other weaker demons approach them. _"Let's go!"_ Naoko yelled as she charged into battle shortly followed by her half of the team. The small group was quickly covered by the weaker demons and was unseen. Blood splattered everywhere, coming from both sides of the battlefield._

* * *

"_Koga!" Hakkaku yelled as and Ginta tried to catch up to the jewel shard induced wolf demon. "Wait,"_

"_Catch up, you guys," Koga complained as he stopped and turned around to look at his comrades. "We're getting closer to Naraku, we should stick together."_

"_Well we can't keep up with you," Ginta panted as they made it to where Koga stood._

"_We have to get to Naraku quickly," Koga emphasized. "If you can't keep up, stick together and stay out of trouble,"_

"_But Koga," Hakkaku started to say._

"_Stay here," Koga said. With that, the wolf prince started to run back up the mountain. A clicking of metal was heard as a scythe scathed past Koga's neck._

"_Koga!" Ginta and Hakkaku yelled as the wolves behind them barked._

"_Who's there?" Koga yelled as he watched the weapon retreat back to the shadows. A boy slowly made his way out of the darkness and showed his face. _

"_Isn't that Kagome's friend's brother?" Hakkaku asked._

"_I think it's the demon slayer's brother." Ginta said. _

"_That's what I meant," Hakkaku whispered._

"_Prepared to die," the boy said in almost a whisper._

"_Who are you?" Koga asked as he kept his eyes on the boy's face._

"_Kohaku," Kohaku said before throwing an unsuspecting chain to tie Koga's legs up._

"_Koga!" Hakkaku and Ginta yelled as their leader fell and a blade came towards him._

* * *

"_You smell of death," Sesshomaru said as he looked into the darkness._

"_So?" a female voice said tentatively._

"_Are you that priestess, Kikyo?" Sesshomaru asked._

"_Maybe I am," the female said before making noises in the bushes and running off._

"_Hm," Sesshomaru hummed before turning towards the path he was going towards._

"_Die," A male voice said as a blade was sliced in front of the dog demon's face._

* * *

"_Saru, run!" Shippo yelled as tears beaded up in his eyes while running._

"_They're gaining on us!" Saru cried as the two of them kept running. Behind them were three worm demons with odd features, chasing the young demons._

"_We can't keep running forever," Shippo panted as he looked behind them. "Why can't I be strong like my friends?"_

"_We have to until we find someone to help," Saru reasoned. "How did we get separated anyways?" The Macaque monkey demon asked as he tripped over a rock and did a face plant on the ground._

"_Saru!"_

"_Help!" Saru yelled as he covered his head with his arms over his head while face down in the dirt._

"_What would Inuyasha do?' Shippo thought out loud as he stopped and watched the demons approach._

* * *

"_What's that?" The wolf princess asked as she stopped running and looked up at a cliff._

"_I don't know," A male wolf demon said as he also looked up, covering his eyes from the sun._

"_Watch out!" the elder of the group yelled in his old voice as he saw a boulder come crashing down. The younger wolf demons jumped out of the way while a young male grabbed the elder and moved just in time._

"_Ayame!" another female wolf demon in black fur said. "Above you!" The wolf princess looked up and saw a white fur ball with tentacles coming out of the bottom of it coming towards her._

"_What the-?" Ayame whispered before she was pummeled by the object._

"_Is that a baboon pelt with tentacles under it?" The male wolf demon asked as he inspected the thing._

"_Ayame's under there, you idiot," The female yelled to the man. "We have to help her,"_

_End of Images_

"What are you doing to them, Naraku?" Inuyasha yelled as he restrained himself from punching through the demonic mirror.

"Nothing that you wouldn't expect of me, Inuyasha," Naraku answered as creaking was heard in the walls and floor. Inuyasha wearily looked around the noises became louder. "But as they always say, expect the unexpected." Suddenly, ten demon puppets appeared, forming a decagon around the half demon. **[Decagon: shape with 10 sides. Why I put that there, I have no idea :P]**

"What the hell?" Inuyasha asked in surprise as he looked all around him.

"Attack," Naraku said calmly as the puppets launched forward, covering the half demon in a pile of tentacles and fur pelts of baboons. Inuyasha struggled left and right, but the tentacles held him down, taking his sword away from him.

"Damn it," Inuyasha grunted as he was about to be pierced through the heart with a tentacle that was poised right beside him. _'Kagome, I'll be with you soon. I'm sorry I couldn't finish this for you.' _Inuyasha thought as he saw the appendage get ready to make the final strike.

* * *

"Now die," Bomu whispered before swinging his broken sword down at the defenseless two tail demon. Keiko just stared at the demon with her purple eyes with no emotions as she waited for the blow. A sudden pink barrier surrounded the two tail as her eyes stayed on the opponent. "What the hell?"

"_Kagome doesn't like it when people try to kill me," _Keiko barked as she slowly stood up with much pain. _"She placed a piece of her power into me, just in case I needed help." _Keiko barked. 'Fusing a jewel piece with her spiritual power so it laid dormant was a pretty good idea,' Keiko thought. 'Guess I can't call her stupid for doing it now.'

"You're still going to die," Bomu said as he backed up slightly.

"_Well good luck getting out of this," _Keiko said as she stood up shakily then blew fire out of her mouth, making it form a circle around the demon.

"What the hell?" Bomu said in his low and gruff voice.

"_See you later," _Keiko barked before limping off into the forest.

* * *

"You have to do better than that, Hakudoshi," Yuri said with a smirk as she grabbed the shaft of the scythe and took it out of the boy's hands.

"Damn," Hakudoshi mumbled as he leaped back.

"I am not an easy opponent," Yuri said as she made the scythe in her hands go up in flames. Hakudoshi growled lowly as he watched the weapon burn. Behind the two of them, a loud thud was heard as a body hit the ground from a high height. Looking with the corner of her eye, Yuri could see that her own team of two tail dog demons had the upper hand against the wind sorceress.

"Get off of me," Kagura grunted as she tried to push the transformed Akane off of her.

"Ice Freeze," Yuri whispered before her eyes turned icy blue for a second and the air around her moved, lifting her hair up for a second. Around her, her enemies froze in a block of ice as her comrades were left standing. "Told you I wasn't an easy opponent," Yuri smirked.

"_Should we find the others?" _Akane asked as she walked up to the dog demon.

"I think we've run out of time," Yuri said as she looked up into the sky. "I'm sure they can handle whatever comes to them; we have to get to Naraku before anything else happens," The two tail dog demon nodded her head as they all started off on their mission.

* * *

"Kirara!" The demon slayer yelled to her comrade as the two tail cat demon stood in a ring of fire she created around herself. "What are you doing?" Sango whispered. Suddenly the two tail cat demon whimpered in her deep voice and fell to her knees then lay on the ground.

"Kirara?" Miroku whispered in question.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked as she slowly approached the cat demon. Growling again, Kirara struggled with her body as she wanted to stay down, but her body wanted to attack the people in front of her.

"Sango, look on her tail," Miroku said as he noticed a glimpse of something that wasn't fur.

"What is it?" Sango asked as she took her weapon in her hand with much difficulty due to her shoulder injury.

"It looks like a Saimyosho," Miroku said while struggling to get a better look. "I think it's controlling Kirara."

"Then we'll just get rid of it," Sango said with a sneer as she lifted up her weapon. "Hiraikotsu!" the weapon spun its way through the air and towards one of the two tails. The demon slayer then lightly yelled in pain and slumped to the ground as she watched the bone boomerang hit the tail of the cat demon. Growling in pain, Kirara tried to swat the weapon but missed as it flew back over her and towards its owner. A bee like demon flew away with one wing broken, going up and down in the air as it struggled to stay flying.

"Sango, you alright?" Miroku asked as he squatted next to the demon slayer.

"Yeah," Sango said as she watched her weapon stab itself into the ground once it returned to her. "Kirara, are you alright?" Getting up then shaking out her fur, Kirara meowed out a yes then looked at her broken tail in pain. "I'm sorry, Kirara,"

"_It's alright," _Kirara growled as she walked over to the demon slayer and monk. _"I'm sorry,"_

"There's no time for apologies," Miroku said mournfully as he looked off towards where he last saw Keiko and Inuyasha. "We have to follow them,"

"Yes," Sango said with a nod as she slowly got up.

"_Get on," _Kirara meowed as she stood and presented her back to her leader. The demon slayer nodded while the monk just looked slightly confused but got on after Sango did.

* * *

"_Watch out!" _Naoko yelled to a white furred two tail dog demon. The white dog turned around quickly and swiped her claws at the worm demon that was heading her way.

"_Thanks," _The white furred female thanked as she went on and fought with the last ten remaining demons.

"_Only a little more, guys," _Naoko encouraged her team as another weaker demon fell. Left and right, the two tail dog demons fought with their equipped fangs and claws.

"_Umm," _A black furred two tail dog demon said unsurely.

"_What is it?" _Naoko asked.

"_Th-That," _The black furred demon stuttered as he pointed with one of his claws shakily. The team turned around and saw a large demon that resides in the forest instead of with the clan of weaker demons.

"_Naoko, now what?" _the white furred female dog demon asked as she slowly backed up as the team followed slowly.

"_I say attack," _Naoko said with an evil glint in her silver eyes as she jumped and bit into the larg demon's shoulders. The others followed suit until the demon went down with a thud. _"Let's go and find Naraku. With any luck the others are already there."_

* * *

"That's it, kid," Koga grunted as he caught the flying scythe in his hand then pulled back quickly, jerking the other side of the chain forward, bringing the boy with it. "I've had enough," The wolf prince had blood running down from his hand and down the demon slayer's weapon.

"Saimyosho!" Hakkaku yelled as he pointed his finger up in the air where dozens of bee like demons flew over head.

"They're attacking us!" Ginta yelled as he and the wolves plus Hakkaku started running away frantically, scattering around the area.

"Wait, stay together!" Koga yelled to them but they were already frantic. "Damn it," Kohaku started to get up slowly and let go of the weapon that was also held by the wolf demon on the other side of the chain. Getting his sword out without anyone noticing, Kohaku charged forward. "What would your sister say about you doing this?" Koga asked as he dodged the attack as he stepped to the side.

"Sister?" Kohaku whispered to himself as a picture of a female demon slayer in a pink and black cat suit.

"Yeah, um," Koga began but stopped to think of Kagome's friend. "Sango…?" He said unsurely. Kohaku shook his head from side to side before turning and running at the wolf demon again. Grabbing the scythe, Kohaku took it out of the unsuspecting wolf demon's hands and ran into the forest, shortly followed by the flying Saimyosho demons.

"They left," Hakkaku said as he stopped running and started panting.

"Come on, we don't have a lot of time," Koga commanded as he turned towards his friends then started to run after the demon slayer boy.

* * *

"Hm, another pathetic demon puppet," Sesshomaru mumbled as he sheathed his sword in his sash. Blood ran from his face from a diagonal cut going from his forehead to the bottom of his jaw line. The dog demon turned swiftly with his silver hair following in a fluid motion while he started walking away, leaving a sliced wooden carving.

* * *

"Take that!" Shippo said proudly as he watched a large wooden spinning top spin on the head of a worm demon, then pushed it to the ground. "And that!" He yelled again as he threw green fire at another demon.

"And this!" Saru yelled in his baby voice as he threw some demonic leaves at another pair of demons.

"Demon double kick!" the two of them yelled as they both jumped up and kicked with one of their feet together in between them. The double team landed their kicks on the last of the worm demons, sending it to the ground.

"Ha-ha, take that," Shippo said proudly as he stood with his hands on his hips.

"Yeah," Saru said as he held up his hand for a high five. After high fiving the other, the two of them nodded and turned to look at one general direction.

"Ready to follow Inuyasha?" Shippo asked. The Macaque monkey demon nodded right before the duo ran off further into the forest where the scent of Naraku reeked.

* * *

Ayame struggled under the tentacles above her as she moved her arm up to her pig tail and grabbed the purple flower then forcibly stabbed it into the demon. Suddenly, the demon was pushed off and flung to the side while Ayame got free. Three males and two females of Ayame's tribe were using all their strength to push the demon while other members of the tribe attacked it with swords and claws.

"What is that?" Ayame asked as took out some of her demonic leaves.

"Some kind of demon," A female in grey colored fur said as she stepped beside the wolf princess. "Shall we help?"

"Yes," Ayame said with a nod as she ran forward with the other female following close behind.

"How do you kill this thing?" A male asked as he cut off multiple tentacles that were coming at him.

"I don't know," Another female in black fur answered before she was lifted up by a tentacle that decided to wrap around her body.

"I think you stab it in the middle," Ayame yelled to her tribe as she cut down the wolf demon that was tangled in the tentacles with her demonic leaves. "That's what Kagome said,"

"Might as well give it a try," The female wolf demon in the grey fur said as she charged forward with her claws out and stabbed the demon in the chest. The demon turned into a pile of dust and a baboon pelt with a wooden carving.

"That's new," A young male said as he watched the scene unfold.

* * *

"Damn it," Inuyasha grunted as he was about to be pierced through the heart with a tentacle that was poised right beside him. _'Kagome, I'll be with you soon. I'm sorry I couldn't finish this for you.' _Inuyasha thought as he saw the appendage get ready to make the final strike.

"Now, Inuyasha, die," Naraku said with a smirk.

"_In coming!" _A loud bark was heard as something barged through the wooden wall. A tan colored blob flew threw and hit the demon puppet with the tentacle poised to kill, sending both of them to the opposite wall.

'_Keiko,' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at the two tail dog demon bite the tentacles of the demon puppet.

"Let my little brother go!" a female voice yelled from outside the owner of the voice ran and used her claws on the second demon puppet. A tag team of two tail dog demons then appeared and brought down a third puppet together, avoiding the miasma, then ran off to help Keiko with the first one.

"Hiraikotsu!" a voice yelled from the outside. A second of silence later, a large bone boomerang crashed through the already broken wall and into the back of a demon puppet.

"Inuyasha!" A male yelled as he saw the half demon wrapped in tentacles.

"Miroku, Sango," Inuyasha whispered as he watched Kirara land while Sango stood and let the weapon embed itself into the ground while she held her shoulder. Another group of barking dogs was heard as they stormed through the holes already made in the wall.

'_What the hell is this?' _Naraku thought as he looked into Kanna's mirror in the depths of the shadows of the fifth demon puppet fell.

"Koga! Wait!" a scratchy voice said from the outside as a wolf demon in brown appeared inside the building in lightning speed.

"Let the mutt go!" Koga yelled as he punched another demon puppet off of the half demon.

'_Gee, thanks,' _Inuyasha thought.

"Little brother," A calm voice said as a green whip appeared and destroyed another. "In trouble again?"

"Fox fire!" a small voice yelled as one puppet glowed with green fire.

"Demon double kick!" Two small voices yelled as the demon on fire fell from the small impact.

"Inuyasha!" a female voice said as leaves were thrown into the chest of another.

'_Everyone's here,' _Inuyasha thought as he ripped his arm out of the last tentacle holding him and destroyed the demon himself. _'Now I can finish this for you, Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought before feeling a tap on his foot. "Keiko?"

"_Here's Tetsusaiga," _Keiko barked in a muffled sound as her mouth carried the rusted fang.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said as he took the sword. "Naraku, get ready, 'cause you're not running this time,"

* * *

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**THERES STILL MORE!**


	64. Inside the Wind, Help will Come

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Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha

Inside the Wind, Help will come

The battle raged on, fury and anguish filled the air with dust clouds and the smell of blood. The sounds of clashing metal and screaming mingled into the war between fierce warriors and an evil half demon. Determination ran through both sides, neither willing to give up until their own death.

"Shippo!" a female yelled as she sat on top of a large two tail cat demon who soared through the sky. On the ground directly below the pair stood a frightened fox demon child who slowly backed up, away from the enemy. "Hiraikotsu!" The large bone boomerang flew down towards the fox demon but narrowly missed its comrade and hit the demon puppet instead.

"Thanks, Sango!" Shippo yelled up to the demon slayer.

"Come on," Sango said as she caught the weapon in her hands and quickly instructed the two tail to fly to the small demon. "You're going to go hide," The demon slayer said as she quickly scooped him up in her arms.

"But I want to help," Shippo whimpered but as he said this, his vision wavered slightly.

"Where's Saru?" Sango asked, ignoring the fox demon's last comment.

"I don't know, I couldn't find him," Shippo said warily. The demon slayer looked down in her arms and saw that the little fox demon had a rather large injury on his forehead.

"Damn," Sango whispered as she quickly scanned the surrounding area. "Forgive me, Shippo," Sango said silently as she steered Kirara towards a hole in the ground that was created by the roots of a rather large tree. When the two tail cat demon landed on the ground, the demon slayer quickly got down and placed the fox demon gently inside of it. "Now, where's Saru?" Sango questions softly as she looked around the bloody field.

* * *

…Elsewhere…

With quick precision, the male dog demon avoided the piercing tentacles that were coming his way. Moving his golden eyes left and right in a subtle way, Sesshomaru anticipated each move that was being made by the newly created demon puppets. A pulsing at his left hip distracted him for all of two seconds. When he looked down, he realized his demon sword, Tokijin, was begging to be released and feed on blood that was to be placed on its blade. Placing his right hand on the hilt of the demonic sword, Sesshomaru swung it out of his sash and, with demonic speed, swung it towards the ground, creating a blue wave of demonic energy to blast towards the approaching demon puppet.

'_Too easy,' _Sesshomaru thought cockily as he turned his eyes to the left, watching as Kagura sent blades of wind at him. Smoothly, the dog demon leapt to the side and watched as the blades hit the ground, creating craters.

"Quick," Kagura whispered as she stayed afloat in the air on her white feather.

"Hm," Sesshomaru mumbled as he looked into Kagura's eyes. _'She isn't trying to fight her best.' _He thought as he leapt up into the air. "Too fast?" Sesshomaru asked as he pushed her off the feather with a punch to her stomach. Groaning, Kagura fell off, but quickly did a summersault in the air to regain her balance before hitting the ground.

"Bastard," Kagura groaned as she shakily stood on her feet. "You'll pay for that."

"Doubt it," Sesshomaru said in his usual emotionless voice.

"Dance of the Dragon," Kagura said as she swiped her fine diagonal to her body. Whirlwinds were created out of nowhere as the wind kicked up loose debris and the scent of blood. Standing his ground, Sesshomaru looked unfazed by the attack.

"You think this could hurt me?" Sesshomaru silently scoffed as he sent more demonic energy blasts towards the wind sorceress from his sword.

"You think _that _could hurt me?" Kagura retorted. Sesshomaru looked up and saw the wind sorceress floating on her spare feather that was usually pinned in her hair.

'_Clever,' _Sesshomaru thought emotionlessly as he used his new left hand and swung around a green whip that was made of poison. Kagura easily dodged the attacks while quirking her eyebrow at the dog demon.

'_He's up to something. He wouldn't let me off this easily,' _Kagura thought. _'Maybe he knows I'm not seriously fighting.' _

* * *

…Elsewhere…

"Wind Tunnel!" a monk in purple robes yelled as he held out his right hand. A black hole instantly sucked up whatever was in front of it with a power that matched a black hole in space.

"What are you doing!?" A small Macaque Monkey demon yelled over the sounds of the rapid wind as he sat on the monk's shoulders. "You're sucking up the poisonous insects too!"

"Damn," The monk whispered as another insect passed through his hand.

"Stop!" The baby monkey demon begged in his high pitched voice. "You're killing yourself," The monk quickly closed up his right hands with spiritual beads as he sweated and panted from exhaustion. "Miroku, don't do that anymore!"

"Sorry, Saru, I had to," Miroku panted softly.

"You had a choice not to," Saru said as he saw something out of his peripheral vision. "Look out!" Moving his head quickly, Miroku looked in front of him and saw a tentacle from a new demon puppet coming straight towards him.

"Damn it," Miroku gasped as he quickly put his staff up and blocked the attack. The impact caused Saru to fly off his shoulder and onto the ground. "Saru!" Miroku yelled as he felt the weight on his shoulder gone. Groaning in pain, Saru slowly got up and lifted his hand to hold his head in pain.

"That hurt," Saru said quietly as he looked around, confused for a second. "AH!" the little child yelled as he came face to face with a Saimyosho demon. Getting up quicker than a blink of an eye, the Macaque Monkey demon ran around in circles around the monk who was trying to get the tentacle that was trying to pierce him to back off.

"Saru, hang on," Miroku groaned as he used his remaining strength to push the demon puppet away then sent a Sacred Sutra towards its body, effectively destroying it.

"Help! It's trying to eat me!" Saru yelled as tears of fear and exhaustion fell from his eyes. Miroku waited for the perfect time the couple ran around him before sending his staff forward, crushing the Saimyosho under it. "Thanks," Saru panted before collapsing in his dizziness and tiredness.

"Saru?" Miroku questioned. "Damn it," The monk whispered as he picked up the small demon and looked around. "Where do I put you now?"

* * *

…Elsewhere…

"Come and get me," A female dog demon said as she stood with her arms spread out on either side of her. A boy with white hair and purple eyes stared at the female with curiosity as he held a rather large staff with a blade at the end of it. "What are you waiting for, Hakudoshi?"

"I must say, you're a clever girl," The young boy, Hakudoshi, said in a calm voice as he lowered his blade so it was pointed at his enemy. "Smarter than your two idiot brothers,"

"I got the brains in the family," The female smirked as she slowly stepped sideways, following Hakudoshi's movements. They went around in a complete circle, effectively staying on opposite sides of each other as they walked sideways.

"You're a bitch though," Hakudoshi said before running forward.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Yuri said as she also launched forward. The two enemies met in the middle, the metal of Hakudoshi's staff met with the ground as Yuri grabbed it and pulled it out of the boy's hand, throwing it behind her. Instantly, a small group of three two-tail dog demons surrounded the weapon, guarding it.

"Damn you," Hakudoshi whispered in suppressed rage.

"You know, little boys should not be playing with sharp objects," Yuri said with a smirk. The female dog demon then took a golden diamond out of her hair, transforming it into a sword. "Now say hello to my father's dying present," Yuri said as her golden eyes flash red before stabbing the sword forward. "What the hell?" Yuri asked as she was pushed back against a barrier.

"Too slow," Hakudoshi mocked.

"Woof!" A red colored two tail dog demon barked from a few feet away. _"You might be able to hide yourself from a person, but not from the earth under your feet."_

"What?" Hakudoshi gasped slightly as he felt the ground beneath his feet give in while Yuri stood by and watched.

"Good job," Yuri said as she saw Hakudoshi get covered in rocks. "Too bad it's not over yet,"

* * *

…Elsewhere…

"What's that?" A female wolf demon with red hair asked as she stared into a mirror. Her eyes instantly went blank as a blue mist seeped out of her body.

"Ayame, don't look at it!" a male wolf demon in brown fur yelled as he tackled the female to the ground. "Ayame!" He yelled as he shook his shoulders.

"Wh-what?" Ayame asked, snapping out of her trance.

"Thank god you didn't get your soul sucked out yet," the male whispered as he got off of her.

"What do you mean, Koga?" Ayame asked as she took the hand that offered her help to get up.

"That demon, Kanna, is some sort of void demon. She sucks souls out of people's bodies and collects them into the mirror, but she can only do that if people stare into it." Koga explained.

"Oh," Ayame said as she stared at the girls emotionless black eyes instead. "We'll just have to try a different way then,"

"What do you have in mind?" Koga asked as he stood in a battle stance, knee bent slightly, claws extended out, and scowl in place.

"Something like this," Ayame said as she flicked her wrist and demonic leaves appeared. She then threw the leaves at the young void demon, watching the weapons intently as they made their way to her. Almost in slow motion, the leaves were absorbed into white and silver mirror. "W-what happened?" Ayame whispered. Suddenly, the demonic leaves were sent back with twice the speed and power.

"Ayame, watch out!" Koga yelled as he stepped in front of her, having his back to the enemy. Gasping then groaning, the leaves dug themselves into his back, blood splattered then slowly made its way down Koga's body.

"Koga," Ayame said in astonishment. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because," Koga said as he straightened his back, wincing in pain. "I care about you,"

"Do you love me?" Ayame asked with hope in her eyes. Koga stared at the girl, shocked at her question.

"Now's not the time," Koga finally said with soft eyes.

* * *

…Elsewhere…

"Why are you such a bastard?!" A dog half demon yelled in anger as he slammed his sword into the ground, creating the Wind Scar.

"Why won't you die?" An evil half demon countered back.

"I won't give up that easily," Inuyasha hissed as he stared down the man who caused everything in everyone's life to go wrong.

"_And you'll pay for everything you've done!" _A loud bark sounded before Naraku groaned in pain. Looking at the evil half demon's neck, Keiko had her elongated fangs pierced into Naraku's neck. Screeching in a dog voice suddenly, Keiko let go and spitting and coughing.

"Keiko!" Inuyasha yelled. "What did you do to her, Naraku?"

"She bit me first," Naraku said sinisterly. "But I just put some poison inside her mouth,"

"Bastard," Inuyasha growled as he kept an eye on Naraku while trying to see if Keiko was okay. _'I can't attack him with the Wind Scar if Keiko's right behind him.' _Inuyasha thought. _'I'll just do hand on hand combat then,' _

Just then, something shiny caught the two tail dog demon's purple eyes. She struggled to breath as she watched her half demon comrade charging straight towards the evil half demon, formerly known as Onigumo.

"_I-Inu-y-yasha," _Keiko struggled to say through her coughs and burned throat. _"W-wait,"_ Not hearing the two tail dog demon, Inuyasha charged forward.

"Die," Naraku whispered as he took out the shiny object and pierced Inuyasha with it. Gasping at the sudden pain, Inuyasha took a few steps back. Naraku took the dagger out of Inuyasha's chest, holding it as blood dripped from its blade.

"Damn it," Inuyasha groaned as he put his hand on the wound. _'This could be bad,' _The half demon thought. "Blades of Blood!" Inuyasha yelled as he took his hand that was holding the wound on his chest away and flung the blood off. "Keiko, duck!" He warned. Keiko quickly got up and ran away behind a random rock that came from the ground after the Wind Scar tore through it. Still coughing and wheezing, Keiko's breath shortened and deepened as she tried to get the need oxygen into her lungs.

'I can't breathe,' Keiko thought as she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on what her body needed. When she couldn't hold her transformed state anymore, Keiko collapsed onto the ground with her smaller fangs and claws.

"Keiko," Inuyasha said as he ran towards the two tail dog demon as Naraku was momentarily recovering from the recent attack. "You okay?"

"_I… can't… breath…" _Keiko barked in between deep breaths.

'_Damn it all, the poisons inside her body.' _Inuyasha thought frantically. From his peripheral vision, he saw Naraku move. "Come on," Inuyasha said in a whisper as he grabbed Keiko and ran into the little forest that was left.

"Running away?" Naraku asked darkly.

"_What about N-Naraku?" _Keiko asked as she continued coughing.

"You're more important right now," Inuyasha said as he saw a suitable hiding place. He then placed Keiko inside a tree trunk where an animal use to live, but it looked unoccupied now. "Stay here and be safe." Keiko nodded her head.

"_Good luck," _Keiko wheezed out. Inuyasha placed a small kiss to the top of her head before going off in pursuit of Naraku.

"I'll be back," He said before disappearing.

* * *

'_They're struggling,' _A person wrapped in cloth bandages from head to toe thought as they silently watched the raging battle between good and bad. Looking like a mummy from Egypt, the person slowly looked around, assessing everyone fighting on both sides and where the hidden were.

* * *

'_The scent of death and decaying flesh,' _Inuyasha thought as he paused in his running and sniffed the wind. _'Where's it coming from? Who died?' _He asked himself. "I can't dwell on this now," He then ran towards the battle again, ready to kill and get revenge.

"Back so soon?" Naraku taunted.

"You didn't think I was done, did you?" Inuyasha mocked back as he took his sword out of its scabbard and transformed it.

* * *

'_Gods, lend me your power,' _The person with bandages around their body thought in a whisper as they closed their eyes, even though their face was also bandaged. Lifting their right hand into the sky, they pointed a finger. The pointer finger started to glow a purple glow of spiritual power. _'Please, help us defeat Naraku,' _They thought as the ball of spiritual power on their pointer finger grew bigger with each second. "Let the demons of good stay safe, let the demons of evil be purified," They chanted. Lightning crackled around them in a circled, striking the ground randomly. "Spiritual… Lightning!"

* * *

"Spiritual Lightning!"

Everyone paused in their own battle and stood still to listen where the sudden voice came from. Silence ran through the battlefield, no one made a sound. Unexpectedly, the field was covered in a brilliant white life, blinding everyone, demon and human alike. Crashing noises and lightning strikes were heard from miles away as the light continues to flash and blind.

What felt like years were only seconds before the spiritual attack ceased to exist. Left in the aftermath was scarred and burned ground, toppled buildings, and burning trees, but the poison in the air was gone. On his knees, Naraku struggled to breath as the spiritual lightning still surrounded his body.

"I would attack him now and kill him before it's too late." The mysterious voice said from everywhere at once.

"Uh, right," Inuyasha said as he shook his head. "Wind Scar!"

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled afterwards.

"Everyone, go!" Yuri yelled to her pack mates as they all attacked with their element attacks. Sesshomaru stood silent as he swung his Tokijin while Miroku sent a few sutras towards the evil half demon.

"Now die," Inuyasha said as he watched the explosion of attacks in front of him. Just then, one final lightning bolt hit Naraku directly, emitting a scream from the cretin.

* * *

"Finally, it's over," The mysterious person said as they stepped towards the remaining tree line that surrounded the battle ground.

* * *

"It's over," Inuyasha whispered as the dust disappeared. What was left of Naraku was only his charred and ripped clothing and his half of the Sacred Jewel shard. Stepping cautiously towards the jewel, Inuyasha stopped as he saw another shadow approach it.

"I'll take that," The person covered in bandages said. Their face was all wrapped up, only one eye was left open to see.

"Who are you?" Inuyasha asked as he stared at the person.

"Were you the one that helped us?" Miroku asked from behind, sensing the spiritual powers coming from the person. Due to the bandages over their mouth, it was hard to identify whether their voice was masculine or feminine.

"Yes," The person said as they stepped up to the jewel and picked it up. "Like I said, I'll take this."

"Wait, you can't," Inuyasha said, jumping out of his reverie.

"I'll take good care of it," The person said as their eyes showed a smile. The wind blew, sending the bandaged person into dust in the wind, in their place laid a red cloth.

"What's that?" Sango asked as she held her arm. Inuyasha walked up to the cloth and kneeled down to pick it up.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he smelled the familiar scent.

"Woof," A familiar bark sounded in front of him. Inuyasha looked down and saw that Keiko had found her way back and was looking at the piece of paper on the ground. The half demon picked it up cautiously and looked at what it said on the back.

_I always knew you had this picture._

_Live a long life._

_Say hi to everyone for me!_

_Love, Kagome_

* * *

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**SOOOOOO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! **

**Don't go away, there's more!**

**My life hasn't been as free as it use to be.**


	65. Life Goes On

**Disclaimer: Do not own Inuyasha**

* * *

Life Goes On

Two months after the destruction of the evil half demon, life started to piece itself back together. Sesshomaru went back to his castle with Rin and Jaken in tow. Kagura and Kanna were free while for Hakudoshi, he wasn't fairing too well six feet under the earth's surface, well he was better than his creator at least. Yuri gathered up her pack, not losing any of them and continued home, going back to her usual routine of training. Saru returned to his pack, announcing that their home was no longer invaded and they could all go back. About a month after Naraku's death, Koga and Ayame became mates, successfully joining the two packs together and expanding their territory.

As for Inuyasha and his group, they couldn't be happier to have lived through it. Though some things still bothered them, but for now, they enjoyed their quiet moment under a tree near the rice patches of Kaede's village. Everyone all healed up, or nearly healed. Some things were left as a mystery, like what happened to Kohaku, the Sacred Jewel, the person who was wrapped in bandages, and Kagome, but the answer will come another day. For now, the breeze blew silently and the group enjoyed each other's company.

"I still can't believe it's gone," Miroku whispered as he looked down at his right hand.

"It's gone, don't worry," Sango said happily as she put her left hand on top of his right one.

"Mew," Kirara meowed joyfully from Sango's lap.

"Woof," Keiko barked softly from Inuyasha's lap as she took a cat nap, even though she was a dog. _"I'm just glad it's over."_

"Yeah," Inuyasha said absently as he petted the two tail dog demon.

"Hey, Inuyasha," Shippo said from next to the half demon.

"Hm?" Inuyasha answered.

"Are you okay?" Shippo asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he looked at the bright blue sky and the fluffy white clouds. "Everything is good."

"She would be proud of you," Miroku said after a long pause.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.

"Kagome," Miroku answered with a soft smile. "I bet she's looking at you and smiling."

"Maybe," Inuyasha said as his eyes glistened. "Hey, what do you say we look for the remaining jewel shards?"

"Let's go for it," Sango said with a happy glint in her eyes.

"Yeah!" Shippo said as he jumped up onto his feet.

"_When should we start?" _Keiko asked as she blinked her sleepiness away.

"Tomorrow," Inuyasha said with a genuine smile, happy that everyone agreed to it willingly.

"_Good for me," _Kirara answered as she cuddled herself into a ball and fell asleep.

'_We'll relax, for one more day.' _Inuyasha thought happily but then his thoughts turned solemn. _'It'll be harder now to find them though.' _

…Evening…

The joyful groups of friends made their way back to the Kaede's hut but found that the whole village had torches and were ascending the shrine steps, going to the graves of the two priestesses.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know," Inuyasha said as he followed the villagers up. Sango and Miroku shrugged as they also followed. Keiko and Kirara decided to weave through the crowd, finding a quicker route than the others. _'I've visited here every day; nothing seemed out of the ordinary.' _Inuyasha thought as he pushed his way through.

"Lady Kaede, what's going on?" Miroku asked as they finally reached the top.

"The two graves are glowing," Kaede said in awe.

"Glowing?" Inuyasha asked as he inspected the graves. Around the tombstone for both women, they were indeed glowing.

"What's happening?" Sango asked.

"Just after ye all left, a blue tornado encircled this temple," Kaede recalled. "When we checked here later, nothing seemed out of place."

"That blue tornado was here?" Inuyasha asked in shock.

"Aye," Kaede said with a nod.

"But why are they glowing?" Miroku asked. "It's unnatural and unheard of."

'_Kagome? Kikyo? What are you girls doing?' _Inuyasha questioned in his mind as he stared at the graves.

…Next Morning…

"Ye are off to finish the Sacred Jewel?" Kaede questioned as she sat around the morning fire inside her hut with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Keiko, and Kirara.

"Yes," Miroku answered.

"May I ask where Naraku's half of the jewel shard resides?" Kaede asked skeptically.

"Uh," The group hummed together.

"Truthfully," Sango began.

"We don't know," Shippo finished for her.

"Someone took it," Miroku said. "They were wrapped in bandages from head to toe; there was no way to tell who they were."

"But they left us some things…" Sango said, unsure if it was the right time to bring it up.

"What kind of things?" Kaede asked as she lifted her eyebrow.

"Kagome's old scarf," Shippo said quietly.

"And a picture," Inuyasha said almost inaudibly as he covered his eyes with his bangs. Keiko growled low in her throat as she tried to comfort the half demon.

"What happened to the person that took the jewel?" Kaede asked.

"We don't know, they disappeared with the wind." Miroku said with a shrug as he kept a concerned eye on his half demon friend.

"An illusion, perhaps?" Kaede asked.

"No," Inuyasha said without lifting his eyes.

"Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"Whatever they were, they were real." Inuyasha said. Keiko looked down and saw that he clenched his hands into fists, drawing blood from his claws that were piercing his skin.

"_Inuyasha, stop," _Keiko whimpered silently so only the half demon would hear her.

"There has to be a reason why her scarf and her picture were left," Sango said as she saw Inuyasha struggle with the memories. _'Inuyasha, this isn't healthy. Please, just stop torturing yourself. We hate seeing you like this.' _The demon slayer thought as she watched the half demon from the corner of her eye.

"Aye," Kaede agreed. "Where are ye going, Inuyasha?"

"Outside," Inuyasha mumbled as he left without a word. Keiko instantly followed after her recent master, making sure that he was okay.

'Where'd he go?' Keiko thought as she looked around. 'That was fast.'

* * *

"Poor Inuyasha," Shippo said sadly.

"I can't blame him," Sango thought out loud. Kirara stared ahead, looking at the mat that covered the hole in the wall which led to the outside world.

"But what does this all mean?" Miroku asked. "the person who took the jewel, the tornado surrounding the graves, the glowing, the scarf, and the picture, what is all of this?"

"Whoever took the jewel was sent by Kagome," Kaede concluded.

"Kagome?" The group all questioned at once.

"Aye," Kaede nodded. "She is taking the jewel shards away little by little in any way possible."

* * *

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as he sat in front of the grave of his beloved mate. In his hand he held the picture that was given to him by the mysterious person in bandages. _'Who was that person?'_

"Woof," Looking behind him, Inuyasha saw his loyal companion given to him by his deceased partner.

"Keiko, why did you follow?" Inuyasha asked in a low tone.

"_I didn't want you to be alone in this." _Keiko barked softly as she walked up to his lap and sat down. _"Miss her?"_

"More than you know," Inuyasha said, not afraid to show what he really felt knowing the two tail dog demon wouldn't judge him.

"_It's okay," _Keiko barked as she continues to stare at the grave. _"We all miss her. But knowing she's still looking after us is enough for me."_

"What do you mean?"

"_Whoever that person in bandages was was somehow connected to Kagome. Whether it is a friend or an illusion, they had Kagome's scarf and the picture you tried to hide from her." _With that statement, the half demon blushed slightly. _"So she's watching, she just isn't physically here, you know?"_

"Yeah," Inuyasha said after a comfortable silence. "What do you say we get going?"

"_Okay," _Keiko barked cheerfully as she hopped onto the half demon's shoulder.

'_If you're watching, I hope you know I'm doing this for you.' _Inuyasha thought as he descended the stairs, back down towards Kaede's hut.

* * *

"So you're saying if we keep collecting jewel shards, the bandaged person will appear again to collect them back?" Miroku asked, to get things straight.

"Aye, monk," Kaede said with a nod.

"So who exactly is this person?" A male voice asked from the door.

"Inuyasha," Shippo gasped as he looked behind him.

"We believe they were sent by Kagome," Miroku answered, staring at the half demon intently to see any change in his emotions. "Kagome's still trying to collect the jewel shards, but cannot do so physically." The half demon nodded.

"Let's go," Inuyasha commanded his group. "We have some work to do."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked, but got up anyways.

"We're collecting the rest of the jewel shards," Inuyasha said in his normal gruff voice. "Make Kagome's job a little easier." He mumbled, but the group heard anyways.

"Then let's go," Shippo said with a bright smile, trying to ease some tension. Keiko and Kirara hopped off their respective master's shoulder and walked side to side with the fox demon on the ground as they walked towards the end of the village.

"Good luck," Kaede said as she stood in front of her hut.

"Bye!" Sango yelled behind her as she waved her hand.

* * *

"Yuri," a voice whispered from behind her. Without looking, the female dog demon smirked.

"Sesshomaru," Yuri said. "What may I owe this visit?"

"Do you smell it?" Sesshomaru asked. The female dog demon raised an eyebrow and looked skeptically at her older brother.

"Smell what?"

"Death and decaying flesh, although it has recently ceased." Sesshomaru said professionally.

"A while ago, yes, I did smell it. I smelt it when we were battling Naraku and about a week ago." Yuri answered. "Why do you ask? Is there something suspicious about it?"

"Look into it," Sesshomaru ordered. "The scent has been in and out but has weakened."

"You think it's a threat?" Yuri asked skeptically.

"Everything is a threat," Sesshomaru said as he turned around and walked away. "Inform Inuyasha,"

"Me?"

"Who else?" Sesshomaru asked as his voice disappeared with his body.

"Why do I have to do your dirty work?" Yuri growled.

"You don't have to, you know," Moving her golden eyes towards the direction this new voice came from, the female dog demon flexed her claws.

"Who's there?" Yuri growled. _'The scent of death and decayed flesh, it's the person.' _She thought.

"Yes, death and decayed flesh is what I smell like." The voice said.

"Reading my mind?" Yuri asked with a smirk.

"Not at all. It's written on your expression."

"Is it?" Yuri asked, not losing the smirk gracing her lips. "Mind telling me who you are?"

"I'll tell you one thing,"

"Oh? And what would that be?" Yuri asked, genuinely curious.

"My scent will cease to exist soon. It weakens every passing day."

"Are you disappearing?" Yuri asked.

"Depends what you mean. A part of me is disappearing from one place; another part of me is disappearing to help the first part."

"So either way you're disappearing?"

"No,"

* * *

"Inuyasha, I'm bored," Shippo whined as he hopped onto the half demon's shoulders.

"Run ahead then," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"Hmph," The small fox demon huffed, knowing that the half demon didn't care what he did right now.

"_Don't worry about him, Shippo. He's just grumpy," _Kirara meowed as she walked on the ground with Keiko and the fox demon.

'Maybe even a little sad,' Keiko thought to herself as she kept an ear tuned to the conversation between Shippo and Kirara.

"When is he not?" Shippo asked.

"_When Kagome was around," _Keiko answered without knowing it. 'Oops,' She thought once she caught herself. Shippo and Kirara stared at her for a second before sighing.

"_You're right," _Kirara agreed. _"Things were different."_

…

Sango and Miroku walked side by side, bringing up the rear of the group. Silently, the monk slipped his left hand into the demon slayer's right one, lacing their fingers together. Turning her head slightly, Sango smiled sheepishly with a blush as she looked away, gripping his hand.

"So, Sango," Miroku started.

"Yeah?" Sango questioned.

"After all of this," He continued slowly, pausing to collect his thoughts. The demon slayer waited, though her patients were weighing thin.

"Spit it out, Miroku," Sango almost growled.

"When do you want to start a family of your own?" Sango stumbled in her steps but was caught by the monk holding her hand.

"Wh-what?" Sango stuttered.

"Unless you don't want to have one with me," Miroku said dejectedly. "That's okay too."

"That's not what I meant," Sango said instantly. "I just… it just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Oh?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Sango said. The two walked in silence for a while as the demon slayer collected her thoughts. "I think we should hold off on the family for a little while."

"Why's that?" Miroku asked, genuinely curious, not because he wanted to start right away.

"Inuyasha still needs us." Sango said simply as she looked at the half demon in front of her. "He's like a brother to me, and not only is he emotionally unstable, he can't do everything alone."

"I agree," Miroku said instantly. "He's like a brother to me too, and he's always there for us. Family help family."

'_Family help… family.' _Sango thought as her mind rewound to the time when her family was once whole. She then thought about her little brother, Kohaku, and where he could've gone when they were fighting Naraku.

…Sunset…

The monk, demon slayer, fox demon, half demon, and two two-tail demons sat peacefully eating the remaining of their dinner. The group traveled a long way that day, managing to walk miles without any encounters with demons. Though the group enjoyed the peace and quiet of the day, they couldn't help but be wary about it. What they didn't notice was little webs surrounding their campsite, trapping the group inside.

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**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**


	66. Trapped by the Old Enemy

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, just my own characters and story line. Well… most of the story line.**

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Trapped by the Old Enemy

Silence reigned through the crisp midnight air. Sounds of a burning out fire crackled through the abyss of the night sky, making ashes fly into the air gently. A sleeping group slept peacefully on the ground, leaning on trees, bodies, and the ground itself. Without noticing, the group was beginning to be trapped by strings upon strings of some substance that weaved themselves through the clearing.

A gentle rustling was heard in the foliage of the forest near them. No one noticing the suspicious noise, they slept on quietly, away in their dreamland. More noises heard from a different location of the forest. Then another. Not one stirred from their soundless sleep, not even the ever so alert half demon, who has accidently fallen quite far into his sleeping mind. The fox demon moved slightly, cuddling closer to the half demon's upright body. The monk and demon slayer slept on the opposite side, quite a distance away from each other considering they are married. Next, sleeping quietly together, the two two-tail demons curled around each other, seeking warmth for the night.

A small twang was heard as one of the unnoticed strings was broken due to something moving into it, alerting whoever was on the other end that something was awake. A minute later after the string was broken; a mighty roar was heard as a demon flung itself out of the darkness of the forest.

Twitching his ears, the half demon instantly snapped his golden eyes open and swung his head to look directly at the noise. Getting up as fast as he can, the half demon flexed his claws, ready to defend the rest of his unprepared team.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled as he saw him get ready to leap.

"What?" Inuyasha asked as he stopped his attack.

"Look," Miroku said calmly as he pointed at the demon that came out of the forest. The green, puke colored demon with three red eyes, two horns, stood on two legs, and had muscular arms stood still, growling and roaring. Looking closely, the group saw that it seemed to be struggling with something unknown. Walking forward, Inuyasha felt something cut into his cheek as it pressed against something thin and sharp.

"Where'd that cut come from?" Shippo asked. Touching his cheek with his hand, Inuyasha looked down at the blood that now coated his claws.

"Yura?" Inuyasha questioned as he thought back to the hair demon they had met when Kagome first appeared in the Feudal Era.

"Yura? Who's that?" Sango asked.

"A demon Kagome and I met when she first came to this time. She was a hair demon, using hair to thread around everything." Inuyasha explained as he looked over towards where his cheek was first cut. Looking intently into the air, Inuyasha found that blood flowed down a thin line, which can only be described as hair. "Here, look," The half demon said as he let the group look at the blood stained string.

"So this Yura, controls hair?" Miroku asked as he reached a finger to touch a place where the half demon's blood did not coat, to see if the string continued.

"Careful, they're sharp," Inuyasha warned. "Yeah, she controls hair. Wherever these came from, they will lead back to her."

"What did you do with her?" Sango asked, questioning why Inuyasha would leave a demon alive unless they had good in their hearts.

"We killed her." Inuyasha said thoughtfully.

"You think she came back from the dead?" Shippo asked, shaking slightly in fear as he watched the puke green demon struggle further while being sliced piece by piece by the strings.

"I don't know," Inuyasha said as he turned his attention away from the blood stained hair. "That demon should be dead soon." A loud crash was heard behind the group. Quickly turning around, they found a dark purple demon, similar to the green demon, standing. Kirara and Keiko quickly transformed and stood in front of the group. "Don't attack," Inuyasha commanded.

"_Why not?" _Keiko asked but still kept her fighting stance.

"Whatever Yura's planning, she doesn't want us dead… yet, at least." Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms as he watched the purple demon seem to get tied. "Yura's gotten better at using her hairs to kill. If she wants us dead right away, we'd be long gone in our sleep."

"So you've experienced her use with these demonic hairs?" Sango asked.

"She tried to kill me using the villagers then using the hairs to wrap around me and try to cut me to pieces." Inuyasha said as he observed both demons get decapitated. "Looks like they just got sharper."

"That's n-not a good s-sign." Shippo said shakily as he hid behind the half demon's leg.

"Miroku, can you see them?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked, curiously.

"Kagome and Kaede could see the hairs." Inuyasha said as he blindly felt around the group cautiously. "Looks like there isn't any around us for a good twenty feet."

"Then this Yura obviously does not want us dead." Sango said. A thud was heard as the head of the green demon landed on the ground.

"I wish Kagome were here," Shippo said as he shivered from fear.

"Shut up, runt. She isn't here and she never will be," Inuyasha growled with his bangs covering his eyes. "We're on our own, like we have been for the past few months," He growled.

"Inuyasha," Sango sighed. Suddenly, flashes of light were seen as the two demons, who had been decapitated, exploded in sheen of light.

"_What's that?" _Kirara growled out as she turned her eyes away from the light.

"Spiritual power," Miroku grunted as he covered his eyes with the purple sleeve of his robes.

"How? I thought Yura was a demon," Sango said as the light started to disappear. The ashes of the demons started to blow away with the wind, leaving nothing in its place except two sparkling shards.

"Jewel Shards!" Inuyasha gasped as he started to run towards one of them.

"Inuyasha, wait!" Miroku yelled. "The hairs!" Another roar was heard over the monk's pleas to stop. Looking at the direction of the noise, the group saw a third demon that was exactly like the first two demons besides the fact that the new one was a deep red color.

"_Inuyasha!" _Keiko barked as she started to run after the half demon. _"Watch out!"_

"Keiko, come back!" The fox demon yelled as he saw the red demon get caught in the hairs.

"The hairs look like its holding the demon back," Miroku noticed.

"Inuyasha and Keiko aren't even getting hurt," Sango said after staring at the pair.

"You're right," Miroku said.

"Got it," Inuyasha said as he kneeled down and got the jewel shard. A twang was heard as the hairs moved and wrapped around the sparkling shard in the half demon's hands, and then snatching it away, carrying it off to its controller. "Hey!"

"_Hey, you dolt, be careful!" _Keiko barked annoyingly as she got to the half demon's side.

"Of what?" Inuyasha asked as he looked away from where the jewel shard disappeared to, to the two tail demon on the ground.

"_The hairs," _Keiko said as if it were obvious. _"They're going to slice you to pieces,"_

"Then why didn't they slice us into pieces right now?" Inuyasha asked as he stood up.

"_Oh," _Keiko growled out silently.

"Hiraikotsu!" The demon slayer yelled as she threw her giant bone boomerang. Getting caught in the hairs, the weapon seemed to get tangled and held suspended in the air. "What?"

"It's tangled," Miroku explained.

"Fine," Inuyasha growled as he took out his sword. "Wind Scar!" the yellow demonic wind went through the crevices of the hair, making the attack split into many different sections. Suddenly, the amazing attack was reduced to nothing as spiritual power purified the demonic attack. "What the hell?" Inuyasha asked to no one in particular.

"Whoever's controlling these things obviously has spiritual power," Miroku said as he eyed the second jewel shard that still lay in the ground. "Whoever it is, is after the jewel shard, but doesn't want to kill us," The monk then ran forward towards the jewel of four souls. A mighty roar from the deep red colored demon signaled its end as a third shard fell.

"I got it," Sango said as she started running forward. The sounds of string moving at a fast pace caught the groups attention as each of their right wrists were wrapped with what seemed like invisible string, holding them of any movement.

"What's this?" Shippo asked as he tried to tug his wrist free.

"Damn," Inuyasha growled as he tried to use his claws to cut it to no avail. The whole group gasped as they were suddenly pulled together into a circle where they were initially standing, the string on their wrist dragging them there. "Whoever is doing this is going to pay," In the corner of everyone's eyes, they saw the sparkle of the jewel fly by as they were stolen from under their noses. "Damn it!"

* * *

Leaning against a tree and sitting on a limb with their hands sprawled out in front of their chest in the air, the controller of the string manipulated each and every strand with their fingers, skillfully moving them with a flowing precision. Smirking as they felt the three demons died and left jewel shards behind, the person twisted their wrist, entangling the strands together and pulling them into a central location. Using their pinky finger, the person grabbed the small fragments of the jewel and tugged them back towards them.

"Hm, so it works,"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" A male said.

"Just testing," the person in the shadows of a tree limb said as the three jewel shards landed in their hand softly. Just then, the person let all the strings go, relaxing all the tension before seeping the energy back into their fingertips.

"Spiritual strands?" The male asked.

"Yes," the person said as the strands made of spiritual power disappeared.

"You are growing in power,"

"Quite," the person said before jumping down with almost no sound. "Shall we?" The male nodded his head before following the person deeper into the forest.

* * *

"Why won't it let go?!" Inuyasha irritably growled as he leaned all his weight back, trying to make the strands break.

"These things are strong and sharp, but they aren't cutting into us," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Whoever's controlling it doesn't seem like an enemy to us,"

"They're gathering the shards, of course they're the enemy," Inuyasha said as he still leaned his weight back.

"Maybe not," Sango said as she took out her sword and tried cutting at the stings. "Whoever they are, aren't hurting us, so there has to be a reason."

"Whatever," Inuyasha growled as he face darkened. Suddenly the strings let loose, making the half demon fall on his ass due to his weight shift.

"The strings…" Shippo said in amazement.

"_They disappeared," _Keiko barked softly as she felt her paw get released.

"Yes, but where'd they go?" Miroku asked as he looked around.

"We have to go find those jewel shards," Inuyasha said as he prepared to leap off into the forest.

"Where do you think you're going to go? We don't have any leads and everything we had disappeared." Sango said sternly. The half demon growled.

"Well we can't just stand here." Inuyasha growled.

"What choice do we have?" Miroku asked.

"You guys don't even care, do you? All you wanted was Naraku dead, then you were done," Inuyasha accused.

"What? That's not it at all," Sango argued back.

"Oh yeah? Then why are we still standing here?" Inuyasha hissed as he showed his fangs.

"_What's wrong, Inuyasha?" _Keiko cut in before the fight escalated.

"We just lost jewel shards to a person or demon that can control anything, that's what's wrong!" Inuyasha nearly yelled.

"Calm down," Miroku said assertively.

"You know we want to collect the jewel and finish it just as much as you do." Sango added.

"_So what's wrong?" _Kirara meowed as she and Keiko stood directly in front of the half demon. Growling and clenching is fist for a second, the half demon stayed silent.

"Nothing's wrong," Inuyasha said strained and through clenched teeth. In the tree line, a silent eye watched them as they fought over meaningless things.

'Kagome would understand if you lost a few jewel shards here and there. We tried our best.' Keiko thought, sensing the half demon's distress.

…Nightfall…

"Damn, we walked all day and we didn't get anywhere," Inuyasha complained as he watched the sun go down, under the horizon.

"I thought we got pretty far," Shippo said happily as he trotted his way towards a tree and sat down.

"But we didn't get any leads on anything," Inuyasha growled.

"Now, now, Inuyasha," Miroku said, trying to avoid the fight they had this morning. "We'll get more jewel shards,"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he crossed his arms and turned his head away from the group. "I'll go get dinner." He said as he walked off, deeper into the forest.

"I'll get some fire wood then," Miroku sighed as he turned his head towards the demon slayer. "Care to join me?"

"Sure," Sango said softly, too tired to argue. "Kirara, watch camp and protect the others,"

"Mew," Kirara agreed as she sat down near the remaining group.

"Hey, I can take care of myself," Shippo argued.

"I'm sure," Sango said sincerely as she and the monk walked into the forest to get fire wood.

…Thirty Minutes Later…

"Foods done," the demon slayer announced as she picked up a stick that was stabbed into a fish.

"I'm starving," Shippo said hungrily as he took one and took a big bite.

"Careful, it's hot," the monk warned, but it was too late. The little fox demon swallowed quickly and stuck his now burned tongue out for some fresh, cool air.

"Owy," Shippo mumbled with his tongue still exposed to the open air.

"Idiot," Inuyasha grumbled before taking a bite of his own food.

"Why you," Shippo growled, green eyes blazing.

"Just eat, will you?" Inuyasha asked, not in the mood to argue.

"Hmph," Shippo grumbled before taking another bite, more careful this time. Noticing the half demon's unusual behavior, the monk and demon slayer looked at each other in worry.

* * *

"Where are we going?"

"Back,"

"Back where?"

"You'll see," a person cloaked in the darkness said with a kind smile.

"We've been traveling all day, how far can 'back' be?" a male asked as he followed the person.

"Are you hungry?"

"Kind of," the male said sheepishly.

"Well then, we'll get something," the person said as they looked around in the darkness. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you," Laughing lightly at the male, the person jumped up into a tree limp and picked up three red apples before jumping down.

"Will this do for a little longer? I'm sure when we get back they'll get us something to eat." The person said as they handed the male two of the fruits.

"Yes, thank you," the male said as he took one. "Don't you want it?"

"I'll be okay with one, I'm not that hungry. Here, eat," they said as the person nudged the fruit into the male's hand.

"Thanks,"

"Let's keep moving, huh? We still have a little more to go and night has fallen. Best we get there quicker,"

"Good idea,"

* * *

The glowing of the fire in front of the group was the only light around besides the rays of the moons and sparkle of the stars. A group of warriors sat peacefully in a circle, deep in thought and staring at the fire in front of them.

"So what do you think we should do with this new enemy?" Miroku asked, breaking through the silence.

"Let's try and find out who's controlling the strings first." Inuyasha said as he clenched and unclenched his hand.

"Where's Shippo?" Sango said suddenly, noticing the disappearance of the fox demon child.

"_He went to use a bush," _Kirara meowed sleepily.

"_But he's been gone for a while," _Keiko added as she curled herself into a ball in the half demon's lap.

"Should we look for him?" Miroku asked.

"Someone help me!" the shrill voice said from the forest as leaves and branches were hit. The group instantly awoke from their sleepy atmosphere as each one of them stood up. Looking ahead, the group saw the fox demon running from a giant centipede demon. Just as the half demon took out his sword, the demon stopped.

"What's it doing?" Miroku asked as he saw the demon stop, looking like its struggling with something.

"Shippo," Sango said as she caught him after he jumped up at her for protection.

"_There!" _Keiko barked as she saw the demon slowly get sliced into pieces.

"_It's the hairs," _Kirara meowed as she remembered the incident earlier today.

"Now's our chance to get the jewel shards back," Inuyasha said as he watched the demon fall to pieces and turn into ash because of the spiritual power that coated the hairs. A sparkle on the ground alerted the group to another jewel shard. Before anyone could react, the jewel was picked away. "Let's follow it!" Inuyasha said as he ran to keep up with the moving hair.

"Wait!" Sango tried to call the half demon back. "Damn it," Kirara instantly transformed and let the monk, demon slayer, and fox demon ride on her back while the two tail dog demon followed on the ground.

"Come out," Inuyasha yelled into the forest.

"Hm?" a voice said from the shadows.

"So you're closer than I thought," Inuyasha answered.

"I was heading this way anyways; I just thought Shippo could use a little help,"

"How do you know his name?" Inuyasha questioned as he sniffed the air. _'Slight smell of decayed flesh and… Kagome?' _Inuyasha thought, stunned.

"Hiraikotsu!" the demon slayer yelled as she followed the monks sensing ability of jewel shards.

"Sango, wait!" Inuyasha yelled. Smoke from the ground flew up into the air, covering the area.

* * *

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	67. Reunited

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, I own my own made up stuff though.**

* * *

Reunited

"Hiraikotsu!" the demon slayer yelled as she followed the monks sensing ability of jewel shards.

"Sango, wait!" Inuyasha yelled. Smoke from the ground flew up into the air, covering the area.

* * *

"Now what?" A male said as he covered his face from the dust rising up from the dry ground once the large bone boomerang weapon impacted with the ground.

"We can stay still and have them find us," the person suggested as they coughed some dust that got into their lungs. "Or we can play a little game,"

"And what do you suggest?" the male said warily.

"Do you know the game hide and seek?"

"Yes,"

"Hide in the tree limbs and quietly follow for a few minutes," the person said with a playful smirk. "Then wait for my signal."

"Alright," the male said while nodding before jumping into a tree limb.

* * *

"Damn, looks like I missed," the demon slayer said as she caught the weapon. The monk who sat behind the demon slayer on the two tail cat demon looked curiously at the half demon on the ground.

"Inuyasha," Miroku called.

"Damn it, Sango, why'd you throw that thing?!" Inuyasha yelled angrily as he glared at the demon slayer.

"What do you mean? You attack the enemy, not wait to be attacked," Sango said defensively.

"But the person you attacked wasn't an enemy!" Inuyasha yelled before huffing and turning towards the forest and running in, intent to find the person he thought it was.

"Then who was it?!" Sango yelled to his retreating back.

"Let's follow," Miroku said in a calming voice, hoping that it would ease the slayer. Huffing, Sango direct Kirara to follow the fuming half demon.

"_Wait up!" _Keiko barked from the ground as she chased after the group. 'There's definitely a familiar scent here.' Keiko thought as she ran ahead of the flying Kirara.

* * *

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he stopped. Looking at the ground, he saw the marks Hiraikotsu had made when it smashed into the ground. Quickly searching the area, the half demon didn't see anyone else in the area besides himself. "Is that you?" He waited. "Answer me, damn it!"

"Inuyasha!" Looking behind him with new hope, he only saw his other friends coming up behind him.

"What?" Inuyasha said irritably as he looked around the area once more.

"If we're not fighting an enemy, who is it?" Shippo asked as he hopped down from the cat demon's head.

"_Be careful, guys," _Keiko cut in as she pinned her ears back in a snarl. _"Someone's here and they're watching us," _Just then, soft laughter was heard, not in a mocking way, but rather a light hearted laughter that echoed in the small area surrounding them. Looking around frantically, the group became tense as they held their weapons tighter. All of the group members kept their senses open as they tried to find the source of the laughter. Clanging of a chain was suddenly heard as a blade flew in between the group, imbedding itself into a nearby tree behind the group. Snapping their heads towards the weapon, their eyes widened as they recognized the familiar weapon.

"Wh-what's the meaning of this?" Sango stuttered out in shock.

"Whatever do you mean?" the same voice as the laughter said as it echoed through the area.

"H-he's dead. Why did you rob his belongings?" Sango asked furiously as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. Laying a comforting hand on her shoulder, Miroku stood still as he stared into the forest, trying to sense the presence.

"You smell of decayed flesh," Inuyasha announced.

"Oh?" the voice asked, though the person who owned the voice already knew of the feat. "Do I smell of anything else? Or perhaps you are assuming I killed the boy who owned that weapon and took his flesh."

"That's disgusting." Miroku sneered.

"I didn't say I did that." The voice said defensively.

"Then wh-what did you do to him?" Sango said shakily.

"I granted your wish," the voice said.

"My wish? What does that have to do with Kohaku?" Sango yelled into the trees as her body shook.

"You wanted him to live, did you not?" the voice said when suddenly the chained scythe was pulled from the tree and back to its owner.

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Sango asked.

"You are confused today, aren't you?" the voice said.

"Stop playing games, Kagome," Inuyasha said suddenly as he narrowed his eyes into the shadows of the trees. The group paused in silence as they stared at the half demon.

"Are you losing your mind?" Shippo asked after a few minutes of silence that reigned in the forest.

"K-Kagome?" Sango said as she gulped down a lump in her throat. "Is it you?" Unexpected movement came from the right side of the group as a male in a tight black suit with blue protection gear appeared from the dark shadows.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she transformed into her smaller form and ran towards the boy.

"Kirara," the boy gasped as he was hit in the stomach suddenly when the two tail cat demon jumped.

"Kohaku," Sango said as she silently cried.

"Sister," Kohaku greeted with a kind smile as he looked up towards his sister who was being held by the monk. Swiftly, the wind blew, taking the scent of decayed flesh to another area of the forest. The half demon snapped his eyes away from the family reunion and followed his nose towards the scent.

"_Inuyasha," _Keiko barked softly.

"Stay here," Inuyasha said as he turned towards his companion. "You too, Shippo,"

"But Inuyasha-" The fox demon started to say, but the half demon already took off.

"_Leave him," _Keiko barked kindly. Shippo nodded his head before turning back to the demon slayer who was now hugging her lost brother.

* * *

Running through the forest, Inuyasha dodged tree after tree, intent on following the scent until he found the true source. Coming into a small clearing, a few trees scarcely littered the area. Looking up, the half demon was greeted with the sight of a person sitting on a tree limb, legs hanging on one side as their long ebony hair flowed with the calm wind.

Swallowing, Inuyasha found the courage to speak. "Kagome?"

"Inuyasha," the person said without turning around.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said happily as he ran a little farther before preparing to jump up and into the same branch.

"Wait," Kagome said softly. Confused, the half demon stopped and stood underneath the branch. Scooting herself off the branch, Kagome fell and landed gently on her feet in front of the half demon. Looking up into his golden eyes, Kagome smiled softly. "No hello?" Quickly, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her tight. Grunting softly at the unexpected action, the priestess sighed happily and hugged him back around his waist.

"Kagome," Inuyasha repeated. Kagome stayed silent, letting each other take comfort from their presence. Nuzzling his nose into the priestess's neck, he smelled the scent of decayed flesh covering her natural one. "Kagome?"

"Hm?" Kagome asked. Pulling away warily, Inuyasha stared with his golden eyes intently at the girl. "What is it?"

"Are…" Inuyasha asked, quivering slightly but not letting it show. "Are you the walking dead?"

* * *

"Kohaku," Sango cried happily as she looked at her younger brother. "How?"

"Miss Kagome took me away from the battle with Naraku," Kohaku said. "I'm not really sure what happened after that though, except that she took the jewel shard from my back," Sango's eyes widen as fear gripped her heart.

"Then how are you alive?" Miroku asked, seeing the Sango was in no condition to ask.

"I'm not sure," Kohaku said sheepishly. "Miss Kagome said it wasn't time to tell me."

"_So you traveled to us?" _Kirara asked as she stood at the younger demon slayer's feet.

"Yes," Kohaku said with a nod.

"_It's the middle of the night. Why don't we head back to camp and wait for Inuyasha and Kagome?" _Keiko suggested after a pregnant pause ran through the group.

"Yeah, I'm beat," Shippo said, trying to lighten up the mood around the close knit family. Kirara nodded as she transformed into her larger form.

"Good idea," Miroku said as he helped the dazed Sango onto Kirara. "Kohaku, why don't you ride with your sister?"

"What about you?" Kohaku asked.

"I'm perfectly able to run. Besides, I believe you have had a long journey." Miroku said.

"Yes, but Miss Kagome made sure I wasn't tired out or hungry." Kohaku said appreciatively.

"She took care of you well, then?" Sango asked after her moment of silence.

"Very well, sister." Kohaku said with a kind smile. With that, the two tail cat demon led the way back towards their previous camp grounds.

* * *

"Are…" Inuyasha asked, quivering slightly but not letting it show. "Are you the walking dead?" Kagome smiled before looking up into the night sky. Her eyes flashed a purple-pink color briefly before something floated above the tree lines. The half demon's eyes widened as he saw a floating orb. "A soul,"

"Inuyasha-"

"You're the walking dead," Inuyasha cut in as he let her go. The orb floated into her body lightly, making the priestess glow briefly.

"So what if I am?" Kagome asked.

"I…You…" Inuyasha stuttered as he tried to process his thoughts.

"Will you kill me?" Kagome said softly. Inuyasha swallowed a lump in his throat.

"You know I can't do that," Inuyasha said sincerely.

"Then what would you do?"

"Forgive me," Inuyasha said after a pregnant pause. Kagome raised an eyebrow before catching a glimpse of his extending claw.

"You're going to kill me?" Kagome asked a bit surprised.

"No," Inuyasha said as he raised his claw to his own throat. Kagome gasped lightly.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked quickly, getting ready to stop the half demon.

"I don't want to see you suffer," Inuyasha said. "But I won't kill you, so I'm going to do it to myself."

"Wait, it's not what you think," Kagome pleaded.

"Kagome, you can't live like this," Inuyasha said truthfully.

"Can you just let me explain?"

"You're going to be miserable and-" Inuyasha started to rant worriedly before a hand clamped over his mouth and a body was pressed against his in a hug.

"Will you let me talk?" Kagome asked softly. Nodding numbly, the half demon slowly lifted his hands to rest on her waist. "No interruptions,"

"Okay," Inuyasha said softly.

"I am not the walking dead," Kagome said bluntly. "But I do need souls," The half demon opened his mouth. "Let me finish." She cut in. "The souls I need aren't anyone's, they are mine."

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, able to cut in.

"When I…died, my soul went inside the jewel. Since I'm the protector, I was to fight the demons inside the jewel alongside Midoriko. But the jewel was shattered, so my soul scattered into each jewel shard. Do you understand?"

"So your soul was split to each piece to fight the demons in the Jewel of Four Souls because that was shattered?" Inuyasha asked.

"If you want to put it that way, yes," Kagome said. "I'm alive; I just need to get all of my soul pieces back from the many shards left."

"Oh," Inuyasha said, relieved. "Then what were you saying before?"

"I was just seeing what your answer would be," Kagome said as she hugged him closer. "Don't you dare do that to yourself. Ever."

'_I was going to do it earlier when you died.' _Inuyasha thought as he hugged her just as tight.

"And if I die… Don't you dare follow me."

"Kagome," Inuyasha started to say but was stopped by a finger on his lips.

"Don't follow." Kagome said sternly as she pulled back and stared intently into his golden eyes. "You have too much to live for,"

"Not without you," Inuyasha said softly. "I'll follow you wherever you go. I swear it."

"I-Inuyasha," Kagome quivered. "Why, Inuyasha?" Kagome strained to say as her tears threatened to fall.

"You know why," Inuyasha said honestly as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Do I?" Kagome asked softly into his chest. Inuyasha thought back to the last moments of her previous life.

_Flashback_

"_What's wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked. "First you were all happy yesterday, and now you're gloomy. Kagome-"_

"_Look, I don't need this." Kagome sneered. "Especially not from you." Inuyasha took a small step back in surprise._

"_What did I do?" Inuyasha asked, getting angry. Kagome narrowed her eyes before turning around and entering a room inside the temple._

"_Miroku," Sango said, asking a question in his name._

"_I know," Miroku answered._

"_What happened?" Shippo asked softly. "Kagome's never acted like this. Not even when she was mad at Inuyasha."_

"_I don't know." Miroku said as they saw Kagome come out of the room._

"_Let's go," Kagome said as she hopped from the top of the few steps to the middle of the group and started walking. "I thanked Sensei Hisashi and he knows we're leaving."_

"But Kagome,"_ Keiko barked but stopped as she saw the priestess keep walking into the forest without turning back. Whimpering, Keiko jogged to catch up to the priestess while the others lagged behind slightly._

"_Kagome," Inuyasha said sternly after a few minutes of silence and walking. Kagome stopped but she didn't turn around or say anything. "What are you doing?"_

"_What does it look like I'm doing?" Kagome said harshly. "I'm finding Naraku."_

"_Are you now?" Inuyasha growled. _

"_Yeah, and I'll take him down whether you help or not." Kagome hissed before continuing to walk._

_End Flashback_

'_Oh yeah, she was mad about me talking to that other half demon girl in the village.' _Inuyasha thought suddenly.

* * *

"Good evening," a voice said from above the group of travelers who sat in front of a fire.

"Avion!" Shippo yelled happily as he looked up into the air.

"How have you guys been?" Avion asked happily as she landed on the ground with a brilliant glow of her body that was made entirely of Kagome's spiritual power.

"We've hung in there," Miroku replied.

"Well that has to count for something," Avion said with a slight giggle.

"_You don't know the half of it," _Keiko barked sarcastically as she got up and rubbed her head into the spiritual animal's wing.

"I missed you too," Avion said, understanding the message.

"Avion," a male voice said softly.

"Yes, Kohaku?" Avion asked familiarly since they've travelled together.

"Where'd you run off to this time? Kagome said to only check where Sango and the others were," Kohaku said with a raised eyebrow.

"I've been around," Avion said. "Besides, I found a hot spring we could use."

"You would," Shippo said with a shake of his head.

"I just thought that maybe you guys wanted a nice warm bath after all your travels," Avion said defensively.

"Avion," Miroku called.

"Yes?" the spiritual bird answered.

"Would you mind telling us how Kagome and Kohaku are alive? Not that I'm not happy, but it is going against nature." Miroku asked.

"Well, where should I begin?" Avion thought out loud. "Well you remember a tornado that has a lot of color in it?"

"Yeah," The group around her chimed.

"Well that was Kikyo transferring the stolen part of Kagome's soul back into Kagome's dead body." Avion continue, looking towards the starry night sky in thought. "The colors were spiritual powers and souls mixed together. The only other thing anyone remembered was Kikyo saying farewell and to live a good life before she turned to dust. Kagome was reborn into her own body, but her body was already dead, so she had to heal from scratch." Avion continued.

"So Kikyo sacrificed her own life to have Kagome live hers'?" Sango asked.

"Yes," Avion said with a nod. "Kagome then had to heal under the waterfalls. After healing half way, she was strong enough to remake me, then a month after that, she went after Kohaku. That's when you guys started to fight Naraku."

"Was she covered in bandages?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Avion said. "Her flesh was still decayed, so she had to keep it from everyone's sight."

"She's okay now though, right?" Shippo asked.

"I wouldn't say fully, but she's getting better." Avion said as she thought about the lasts of the decayed flesh on the priestess. "Only a few parts that have tougher skin still need to heal,"

"_So was she the one to help us during the fight?" _Kirara meowed.

"You wouldn't think she would just watch, do you?" Avion said rhetorically.

"_Good point,"_ Keiko barked happily.

"How am I alive?" Kohaku asked suddenly.

"You?" Avion asked. "Um… Well after she took you away from the battle, she took out the jewel shard, taking your life. She then did some sort of spell and went after your soul. After that, it's a blur to me though," Avion said apologetically.

"Oh," Kohaku said. "Well thanks for telling me what you do know," Avion nodded her head happily before looking around.

"Why don't you guys go to sleep? You all look beat." Avion said.

"Probably a good idea," Miroku said truthfully.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha said after swallowing a large blockage in his throat. "About… earlier."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"About the girl in the village," Inuyasha said softly.

"What girl?" Kagome asked, though it almost was like she was testing him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said through clenched teeth. "You know what girl,"

"Hmph," Kagome harrumphed. The half demon sighed and took her into his arms, enfolding her around his long sleeves.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha whimpered. "I would never leave you. Not for Kikyo, not for any other girl. What do I have to do to make you believe that?"

"What are you willing to do?" Inuyasha swallowed his pride before taking a deep breath.

"Anything you want me to. Even if it's an impossible task, I'll try." Kagome sighed and melted her body into her half demon.

"Bite me," Kagome said softly. Inuyasha slightly moved the priestess out of his embrace and looked at her face that was previously pressed into his chest.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, confused.

"Bite me," Kagome said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her body back into his.

"Why would I do that?" Inuyasha whispered, his breath fanning the top of her head.

"To remark me as your mate," Kagome said. "Unless, you don't want that." The half demon tightened his hold on the girl.

"Of course I do," Inuyasha said. "You could've just said so." Kagome nodded silently against his chest. "Did you want me to do it now?"

"If you can," Kagome said as she stepped a little further back from the half demon and turned her right wrist towards him. "All you had to do was bite, right?"

"Since we've already done this once, there's really no need to see each other's true forms anymore." Inuyasha said with a shrug as he referred to the fact that in a demon mating ceremony, the two mates had to show each other their true forms. For demons, they must show their intended mate their demon form and in half demon cases, human forms, while Kagome, being a special priestess, had to show her spiritual form when it takes over.

"Cool," Kagome said with a bright smile. Inuyasha shook his head playfully as he took her wrist and put it in front of his mouth.

"You trust me this time?" Inuyasha asked.

"I promise, I won't accuse you anymore," Kagome said sincerely. "I'm sorry," Inuyasha gave her a small smile before extending his fangs and biting into the main vein of Kagome's wrist. A pulse ran through the priestess's body. _'That didn't happen before,' _Kagome thought as the pulse went away while the half demon licked the blood away. He then gently placed the appendage back at her side before biting into his own wrist.

"Here," Inuyasha said as his blood started to drip. Kagome took his arm in her hand before gently licking at the wound, much like he had. The couple was then engulfed in a familiar light they had been in on their first mating ceremony.

"Done?" Kagome asked once the light disappeared.

"Done," Inuyasha said with a smile as he looked at Kagome's changed eyes. "Your eyes have their three colors back."

"Yours have two," Kagome said with a wink. Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her lips softly. A bit surprised by the action, Kagome kissed back as her eyes started to drift shut before suddenly opening wide and pulled away from the half demon. She then turned her head away.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome said as she covered her mouth with her hand. "It must taste awful,"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't my lips taste like decayed flesh?" Kagome asked as she turned her head back. Inuyasha lightly licked his lips. He shrugged.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said nonchalantly.

"Isn't that gross to you?"

"If it's from you, I would rather endure it than never be able to show you I care," Inuyasha said as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her forehead.

"You don't need to," Kagome said against his hard chest.

"I want to," Inuyasha said. _'I miss her old taste though,' _He thought.

"It'll go away once I'm healed. Until then, you don't have to," Kagome said.

"How long has it been since you… you know." Inuyasha said.

"A few months, but I've done some things that stopped my healing." Kagome said with a shrug.

"I think you should go to sleep and start healing then," Inuyasha said, sternly.

"But-"

"Keh, the first thing you do when you come back is making me worry," Inuyasha said as he scooped the girl in his arms. With a surprised 'oof', Kagome quickly put her arms around the half demon's neck for support."Go to sleep, I'll take you back to camp,"

"But I want to see the others,"

"See them tomorrow," Inuyasha said as he started to hop from tree to tree towards the camp site.

"I never got to see them though," Kagome said sadly. Looking down at the girl in his arms, Inuyasha clenched his teeth.

"Fine," He relented. "You can say hi, but then you're going straight to sleep."

"Can't promise you that," Kagome mumbled. The half demon glared down at the girl just as they arrived into the clearing.

"Kagome!" the group chimed happily.

"Hey, guys," Kagome said as she was put on her feet.

"Kagome," Avion greeted.

"And where'd you go this time?" Kagome asked with a knowing smile.

"Around," Avion said with a grin.

"Kagome!" a shrill voice yelled as they collided with the priestess's stomach.

"Op," Kagome grunted as she got the air knocked out of her. "Hi, Shippo,"

"Watch it, runt," Inuyasha growled.

"I missed you," Shippo strained to say as his tears soaked the front of Kagome's regular white outfit.

"I missed you too," Kagome said as she looked towards the other group members. "All of you,"

"Kagome," Sango said as silent tears ran down her face while she got to her feet. "I'm so glad you're back,"

"I'm glad to see you all well," Kagome replied as she let Shippo down on the ground before embracing the demon slayer.

"Welcome back," Miroku said as he waited to hug his 'sister.'

'_You better watch where that hand of yours goes, monk.' _Inuyasha thought darkly as he watched the lecherous monk embrace his mate.

"_Kagome!" _A happy bark sounded as a small object sat at the priestess's feet.

"Keiko," Kagome sighed as she kneeled down and lifted up her companion then hugged the demon. The two tail dog demon licked at the girl's face while wagging her tail.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she rubbed her head against Kagome's leg.

"Everyone," Kagome said happily as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. Inuyasha smelled the tears and quickly went to stand directly next to her, silently saying he was there if she needed him. "It's so nice to see you again,"

"And we're all glad you are back," Miroku said as he looked from the priestess's to the half demon at her side. "Right, Inuyasha?"

"Feh," Inuyasha said as he looked away with a blush. But to make sure Kagome didn't believe the comment, he stepped a little closer, lightly pressing his leg to her side. Kagome smiled softly at the gesture.

'_Still the same Inuyasha,' _Kagome thought happily. "Why don't we all go to sleep?"

"Good idea," Miroku said with a nod.

"Thanks, Kagome," Sango said suddenly.

"For what?" Kagome asked curiously as she stood up.

"Bringing Kohaku back," Sango said.

"Miss. Kagome?" Kohaku asked. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Perfect, Kohaku. Don't worry about me," Kagome said with a smile. "Get some sleep; you've had a long day."

"Okay," Kohaku obeyed as he watched Kirara transform and settle herself so she could be a pillow for him and his sister, possibly the monk too.

"Come," Kagome said as she took Inuyasha's hand in hers and led him to a nearby tree, followed closely by Keiko and Avion. "Can we sleep in a branch?"

"If you want," Inuyasha said with a soft smile as he picked her up bridal style and jumped into a branch. The two tail dog demon held onto the priestess as they went up in the air. "Good?"

"Yep," Kagome said as he settled against the tree with her in his lap while Keiko sat in Kagome's lap.

"Now get to sleep," Inuyasha said as he rested his chin on her shoulder. The half demon then turned his head and kissed the priestess's neck.

"Mm, alright," Kagome said tiredly. "Good night,"

"Night," Inuyasha mumbled. Above the couple, Avion stood on the top of the tree, keeping watch silently as things started to fall back to normal.

* * *

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	68. Fissure

**Disclaimer: Don't Own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Fissure

"Morning, guys," Kagome said happily as she and Inuyasha jumped down from the tree branch with Keiko on the priestess's shoulder.

"Morning," Sango said groggily, sleep still in her mind.

"Why are you up so early?" Miroku asked as he stared at the priestess with one eye while his other was closed.

"It's not early," Kagome said as she pointed towards the sun. "We all slept in until almost mid day."

"Keh, I did not," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Except Inuyasha," Kagome corrected with a roll of her eyes. "Anyways,"

"We should get moving," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"Why'd you let us sleep in so late?" Shippo asked towards the half demon. "You never let us. Usually we'd be up once the sun rises."

"Keh," The half demon scoffed as he looked away and up into the tree where the spiritual bird was looking into the horizon. _'Kagome needed more rest. Besides, everyone was exhausted.' _He thought. Kagome put her hand on his arm and lightly laid the side of her head onto his shoulder.

"What do you say to breakfast?" Kagome asked.

'_I'm up for that,' _Keiko barked from the priestess's feet.

'_Me too,' _Kirara meowed.

"I'll go gather some fire wood," Kohaku volunteered as he got up from his sleeping position.

"I'll accompany you," Sango said as she followed her little brother's example.

"I'll go too- off," Shippo started to say but was stopped when the monk grabbed the collar of his clothing. "Miroku, what are you doing?"

"Let them have some time together," Miroku said with a gentle smile as he let the fox demon go.

"Come on, runt, I'll show you how to hunt," Inuyasha suggested gruffly as he walked towards the surrounding forest with his arms crossed.

"I shall stay here and protect Lady Kagome," Miroku said, his old personality coming back.

"Like hell you are," Inuyasha growled as he stopped.

"Oh hush," Kagome said. "I'll go get some water."

"I'll go with you," Avion said. "I'll keep watch, don't worry, Inuyasha,"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed before he led the fox demon into the forest.

"_Wait, I'll go with you," _Kirara meowed as she quickly got up and ran towards the two demons.

"_I'll go with you," _Keiko barked as she looked up at Kagome.

"Alright," Kagome smile. "Do you want to come too or stay here?" She asked the monk. Miroku sighed.

"I'll stay here and keep watch," Miroku answered.

"Suit yourself," Kagome said with a shrug before leading her little group to get some water. "Be careful,"

"Don't worry," Miroku said.

"Come on, guys," Kagome said as she motioned for Avion and Keiko to follow her. The spiritual bird quickly took to the skies and followed closely while Keiko walked alongside the priestess.

* * *

A comfortable silence fell between the siblings as they wandered in the forest for some wood that was suitable to build a fire off of.

"So, Sango," Kohaku started. "How've you been?"

"It's been pretty good, I can't complain," Sango said as she looked at her little brother. "How have you been?"

"Once Miss Kagome took me away from Naraku," Kohaku paused. "It's been getting better."

"I'm glad," Sango said as she stopped and picked up a few sticks strewn on the ground. "I'm happy you're back with me," Sango said as she turned towards her brother and embraced him.

"I'm sorry," Kohaku mumbled into her shoulder.

"For what?"

"For everything." He said shakily. "For father. For our village. For hurting you."

"Don't be," Sango said soothingly as she rubbed the back of her brother's neck. "It's not your fault."

"But Sango-"

"Shh," Sango whispered. "It's alright. You're free now,"

* * *

"What are we looking at, Inuyasha?" Shippo said loudly in his shrill voice. Just then, the creature that was eating grass ran away.

"Damn," Inuyasha whispered as he got out of his crouch position. "You'll never get anything from hunting if you keep talking like that,"

"Sorry," Shippo said softly. "I didn't…"

"You have to start learning, you know," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms. "You can't always depend on someone."

"Alright," Shippo said sadly.

"Why don't you find the next prey?" Inuyasha said as he looked around. "Kirara,"

"Mew?" Kirara meowed as she looked at the half demon's eyes.

"Look for something edible for the others." Inuyasha instructed. "I'm going to teach Shippo,"

"_Got it," _Kirara meowed as she transformed into her larger form and took off, deeper into the forest.

"Come on," Inuyasha said to the fox demon. "Use your senses to find prey," Shippo blinked, contemplating how to use his demonic senses. The fox demon then closed his emerald eyes and used his sense of hearing and smell to find something edible.

"I can hear Sango and Kohaku," Shippo said with his eyes still closed.

"Good," Inuyasha praised. "But that's not what we're looking for. Prey is more challenging than that,"

"Okay," Shippo nodded.

* * *

"_Do you still get water the priestess way?" _Keiko asked cheerfully as she trotted by the priestess's feet.

"Sure do," Kagome said with a smirk as they neared a stream.

"This place looks peaceful," Avion said as she flew down and made a circle around the priestess and two tail demon.

"Maybe we'll take the others here," Kagome said as she held her hands in front of her. Her hands then started to glow a pink color as her spiritual powers seeped out. In the stream, bubbles about two feet in diameter, floated out of the water. The bubbles were filled with water as they all floated towards the priestess.

"_Don't you think that's enough?" _Keiko asked amusedly as she saw more spiritual bubbles come out of the stream.

"Maybe to drink," Kagome said with a grin. "But not to throw,"

"_Evil," _Keiko said jokingly.

"Very," Avion agreed as the group laughed light heartedly.

* * *

"And so is the fate of a monk," Miroku grumbled. "That's what Myoga would say," He sighed. The monk sat by the unlit fire with a ring of stone around it, totally at peace with the nature around him.

* * *

…Twenty Minutes Later…

* * *

"Where the hell is everyone?" Miroku grumbled as he lay on his back on the ground and looked up into the clear mid day sky. "It feels like hours ago since they left,"

"Relax, Miroku, it's only been minutes," A female said from above his head. Looking around, the monk found his fiancé and his new brother in law.

"Welcome back," Miroku said as he sat up. "I see you and Kohaku did a good job getting the fire wood,"

"Yeah," Sango said as she put the wood down in the stone ring. Kohaku then handed the wood of to his sister as she arranged them perfectly.

"Were you here all alone?" Kohaku asked.

"Yeah," Miroku said sheepishly.

"Weren't you lonely?" Kohaku asked. "Or bored?"

"Oh young demon slayer," Miroku said with a negative nod of his head and a grin. "A monk, such as myself, never find ourselves bored or lonely. We take the time to enjoy nature and what is around us,"

'_Sure you do,' _Sango thought dryly as she narrowed her eyes at the man. A roar suddenly came from the skies as the sun was momentarily blocked. Looking up, the three humans saw a large demon with something in its mouth.

"Kirara," Kohaku said as he squint his eyes as the rays of the sun shone around the two tail demon.

"What do you have there?" Miroku asked as she landed on the ground.

"Looks like that's lunch," Sango said as she stood up. Kirara growled in agreement to the female demon slayer. Inside the cat demon's mouth was a two large fish.

"That should be enough, right?" Miroku asked as he also stood and helped.

"The fish are large enough," Kohaku mentioned. "Unless someone has a big appetite, we should be okay,"

"Inuyasha has quite the appetite," Miroku said as he took one and started to look for a way to clean it off.

"Then maybe we need more?" Kohaku asked.

"No, we'll be alright," Sango said as she took out her sword. "He makes sure we all get some first before having more himself,"

"Observant, my dear Sango," Miroku said with a smile.

"Incoming!" A female voice yelled before a shower of water smashed through the group. Everyone screamed as they were hit with the cold water, though it wasn't a hard hit.

"Kagome!" Miroku and Sango yelled, knowing their good friend was the only person to play a trick like that. Kagome slowly emerged from the tree line, laughing, with Keiko and Avion in tow.

"Hey guys," Kagome said cheerfully. Bubbles followed her as her hands glowed pink.

"What was that for?" Miroku said, though he didn't seem angry at his now wet clothes.

"Just a little fun with my friends," Kagome said sheepishly. "I can get you guys dry in five minutes flat, so you can't really be mad, can you?"

"No," Sango said with a light laugh.

"You do enjoy playing tricks, don't you, Miss Kagome?" Kohaku said as he closed one of his eyes to prevent the water from his bangs going in it.

"You bet," Kagome said cheerfully. "And Kohaku?"

"Yeah?" The young demon slayer asked.

"You don't have to call me Miss Kagome. Just Kagome is fine," The priestess said with a light hearted smile.

"S-sure," Kohaku said, though he hated being disrespectful.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she shook her body.

"Alright," Kagome laughed. "I'll get you guys dry. Keiko, do you mind?"

"_Not at all," _Keiko barked happily as she stepped forward. Her eyes glowed blue before the droplets of water started to lift up into the sky. The group was then quickly dried from the water. _"Where should I put it?"_

"Near that tree is good," Kagome said as she nodded towards her right. Keiko nodded her head while her eyes still glowed blue.

"Where are Inuyasha and Shippo?" Avion asked.

"I don't know, they were supposed to be with Kirara," Miroku said as he looked expectantly at the two tail cat demon. Kirara transformed into her smaller size before cocking her head cutely to the side.

"_Inuyasha said he was going to teach Shippo how to hunt," _Kirara answered.

"How long are they going to be gone?" Kagome asked.

"_I'm not sure," _Kirara meowed with a shrug.

"Should we eat without them?" Sango asked.

"Avion," Kagome called with a smirk.

"Uh-oh, what has your devious mind come up with now?" Avion asked.

"Help them out with training, will you?" Kagome asked.

"What did you have in mind?" Kohaku asked, curious.

"I was thinking fly around, make some noise to heighten their senses, and then just jump out," Kagome said with a shrug.

"You love playing tricks on us, don't you?" Miroku asked with a smile.

"Just making up for lost time," Kagome said with a bright, toothy smile.

"Well, I'm off," Avion said. "Would you like me to bring them back?"

"That would be nice," Kagome said. The spiritual bird nodded before taking to the skies again, towards the half demon and the fox demon.

* * *

…Five Minutes Later…

* * *

"AAH!" screams filled the forest as Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Keiko, and Kirara laughed around their newly formed camp fire.

"They should be back in two minutes tops," Kagome said as she waited patiently. The bubbles filled with water still floated around the group as they waited to be used. The fish was finely cut and stuck onto sticks, cooking near the fire.

"Kagome!" A male voice yelled as the owner emerged from the forest.

"Yeah?" Kagome asked as she smirked.

"What'd you send Avion for? You could've just called," Inuyasha said through clenched teeth as he fisted his hand.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "I thought she would be some help with the training to… you know…. Heighten your senses and stuff."

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he crossed his arms.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled with his shrill voice as he jumped through the bushes with Avion following close behind. "Kagome!"

"Yes?" The priestess said innocently.

"Why'd you send Avion to scare us like that?" Shippo asked.

"To help you along, notice your surroundings, you know?" Kagome said with a smile. "Well let's eat,"

* * *

…After Lunch…

* * *

"Are you sure you're able to travel?" Inuyasha asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes!" Kagome nearly yelled. "I'm perfectly fine,"

"Mi-… um… Kagome can handle herself quite well," Kohaku said as he rode on the back of Kirara with his sister in front of him and Shippo on her lap.

"Thank you," Kagome said exasperatedly.

"Fine," Inuyasha relented. "Tell me if you get tired or something," He whispered to the girl.

"Thanks for worrying," Kagome said with a smile as she looked up into the blue sky then at the golden eyes of her mate.

"Keh," Inuyasha said with a slight blush though he smiled slightly.

"Well, shall we leave?" Miroku asked as he walked up to the couple.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he started to lead the way. The group followed like a pack behind the half demon as he jumped into the trees of the forest. Kirara flew above the tree branches while carefully watching their leader while Miroku and Kagome ran on the ground. Kagome used her spiritual powers to match the speed and jumping height as the half demon, only about five feet behind him, following every jumped and step he took on and off tree branches. Miroku, on the other hand, ran at a fast human speed while moving left and right to avoid trees. Sticking close to the group, Keiko ran with the priestess and half demon whereas Avion flew with Kirara in the sky.

Running for about two hours, the monk and priestess started to tire out despite the fact that the others were perfectly fine. Miroku panted harshly as he kept up his pace, not looking at the weakening priestess next to him who was quickly falling behind further. Stumbling a bit, Kagome knelt to the ground and panted as her spiritual powers sparked around her.

'_Damn, I'm losing control over my power with my weakened strength,' _Kagome thought as she swallowed a big gulp of air before panting it out again.

Ahead of her, the group ran blindly through the forest, not noticing their missing group member yards behind them now. The group stepped into a clearing, the half demon landed on a patch of grass, the ground slightly crumbling beneath him, before jumped back up into a tree. The monk stepped over the spot, shifting the odd ground further while Keiko followed their path.

Shaking her head, Kagome stood up slowly before clenching her hands into fist, willing her power to be under her control once more. Once she was certain her power wasn't going to lash out, the priestess raced forward, hoping to catch up to the group. Quickly seeing them only a few paces ahead of her running across a clearing, she sped up, using a little more spiritual power to get there. Jumping up into a tree, Kagome then jumped down, hitting the ground with her power and weight. Before she knew it, the ground below her collapsed and fell downwards. Gasping, the girl screamed in shock as she was plummeting towards abyss. Hearing the noise, the group turned around.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he raced back and stepped up to the edge of the secret hole, only to have the edges fall apart. The half demon leapt back before he fell in. "Kagome!"

"Where did that come from?" Sango asked as Kirara flew a foot above the ground.

"It looks like it was a covered trap," Miroku said as he looked down. "I can't see anything down there."

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled again as he cautiously stepped towards the fissure and knelt down on his hands and knees. "Can you hear me?"

"I'll go down there," Avion said as she quickly dove herself down like a seagull fishing for its food in the ocean.

"I'll go too," Inuyasha said as he stood up and prepared to jump, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait," Miroku said.

"What?" Inuyasha asked through gritted teeth. "Kagome's down there!"

"We know," Sango said. "But if you were to jump…"

"There's a chance you're going to jump on her body if she fell unconscious." Kohaku finished.

"_It will be smarter to send someone who can fly down there," _Keiko barked.

"Damn it all," Inuyasha growled as he looked down. The darkness inside was so dark that not even a demon can penetrate through it.

"I'll go with Kirara," Sango said. "I'll see if I can catch up with Avion." Kohaku quickly got off onto the ground without the threat of it collapsing. Inuyasha nodded as he stared down. Kirara quickly roared and carefully flew down into the pit.

'_You always find a way to get into trouble, don't you?' _Inuyasha thought. _'Please be okay,' _

"Inuyasha, can you smell other scents around here? Perhaps the person who made this crater," Miroku asked. Inuyasha sniffed the air carefully, getting a lungful of a fresh breeze.

"Nothing really, there hasn't been activity around here in days by the smell of things." Inuyasha said.

"_But no one's been here. That's strange, even for a forest," _Keiko barked. _"There has to be activity of at least small animals."_

"There hasn't been any activity here?" The monk asked.

"Everything looks untouched," Shippo commented.

"No plants eaten by animals," Kohaku noticed as he inspected some edible leaves.

'_Kagome, what did you get yourself into?' _Inuyasha thought worriedly as he looked down again.

* * *

'_Kagome? Can you hear me?' _Avion thought as she used their telepathy link. Her answer was a forlorn silence. _'Damn it,' _She thought as she flew further down. _'How far does this stupid thing go down?!' _

* * *

"Kagome!?" Sango yelled. "Avion!? Anyone?" The demon slayer and two tail cat demon carefully, and steadily floated down the fissure. "Where are we?"

"_I can't see anything, even with my demonic sight," _Kirara growled.

"This isn't good," Sango whispered.

* * *

Groaning slightly, the priestess didn't wake from unconsciousness from the bottom of the pit. Falling from over fifty yards wasn't something to brush off as a cut. To the right of the priestess's unconscious body, a cut in the wall was made into tunnels, further leading to underground caves. Glowing orange eyes stared at the fallen girl as it slowly approached.

* * *

"Why didn't Inuyasha go instead of Sango?" Shippo asked as he plopped onto his butt on the ground.

"He's needed to search this place," Miroku said as he saw Inuyasha's red kimono flap in his run around the area. "He and Keiko are the only ones left that can figure out what's wrong,"

"I resent that," Shippo growled.

"You're not old enough, Shippo," Miroku said with a kind smile. "But don't worry, I'm sure Inuyasha will train you well,"

"You think so?" The fox demon asked hopefully.

"Of course," the monk said reassuringly.

"Where are Inuyasha and Keiko, anyways?"

"They went to search the surrounding area." Miroku informed.

"Oh," Shippo said quietly. "I hope Kagome and the others are okay,"

"Let's hope so," Miroku said.

"Hey, Miroku," Kohaku said after his long silence.

"Yes?" The monk asked.

"You're marrying my sister, right?" The young demon slayer asked.

"Uh… yeah, why do you ask?" Miroku asked curiously.

* * *

"Damn it," Inuyasha grunted as he landed on a tree branch.

"_Inuyasha?" _Keiko questioned as she landed below him on the ground. _"What is it?"_

"Kagome needs my help and all I'm doing is running around," Inuyasha growled.

"_We're finding out who made the hole," _Keiko said, trying to reassure the half demon that he is, indeed, helping his priestess. _"Then you can ask them to get her out if Avion or Sango and Kirara cannot."_

"Damn it!" Inuyasha growled loudly as he whipped around and flew his fist into the trunk of the tree.

"_Inuyasha," _Keiko said sympathetically. _"I'm worried about her too, but that tree didn't do anything."_

"Shut up," The half demon snapped. Keiko stopped barking and just sat, staring at the distraught half demon.

'Kagome's the only one that can calm him down. Not even I can help him,' Keiko thought sadly. The two tail demon jumped into the tree branch and slowly made her way towards the half demon. Rubbing her head on Inuyasha's leg, Keiko gave whatever comfort she could to him. Inuyasha sighed then kneeled down and pat the dog on the head.

"Sorry," Inuyasha sighed. He then lifted up his arm and looked at the underside of his wrist. _'She isn't calling for help. Maybe she's okay?' _The half demon thought hopefully. "Let's go back to Miroku and the others,"

"_Okay," _Keiko barked. The half demon wrapped his hands around the two tail demon's torso and lifted her up, cradling her under her front legs with his arms, and then jumping down to the soft ground. The two of them made their way back to the main portion of the group.

* * *

"You better take care of my sister," Kohaku said seriously.

"Of course," Miroku said. Just then a flash of red was seen through the corner of their eyes. "Welcome back," Miroku greeted as he saw them enter the clearing.

"Did you find anything?" Shippo asked eagerly.

"_No, sorry. There's nothing out of the ordinary except that there hasn't been anything alive living here." _Keiko barked from Inuyasha's arms.

"Any word from Sango or Avion?" Inuyasha asked.

"No one has come up yet," Kohaku answered sadly. "Should we send someone else?"

"No," Miroku answered. "There's no need to lose more of us,"

"But something could be happening down there," Shippo said, scared for the group below ground. Inuyasha growled loudly as he clenched his fist.

"Now Shippo," Miroku said nervously as he warily eyed the half demon. "They're fine. They all can handle themselves during battle quite well."

"Maybe they found the creature or person who dug the hole down in there," Kohaku said with a shrug.

"_We'll just stand guard in front of it, just in case whoever made it comes back," _Keiko barked as she snuggled closer to the half demon's chest. Inuyasha closed his golden eyes and took a deep breath.

'_Kagome, be safe. Please be safe.' _He thought as he sent out a signal through their mating mark. The colors of the rainbow signal the urgency of the call, red being an emergency and purple meaning just missing the other. Inuyasha's call was orange. _'I know I can trust her to handle herself. I just wish I was there with her.' _

* * *

'_Does this thing ever end?' _Avion thought, irritated. _'Fine,' _She sighed as she stopped and charged the spiritual power that made up her body. The spiritual bird started to glow, lighting the dark area around her. "No way," Avion said in awe out loud to herself. Looking around in a complete circle, the bird eyed the darkness that seemed to have waves going through it. _'An illusion,' _Avion hissed in her mind. After throwing a hissy fit with herself, the spiritual bird decided to think rationally. "Whoever made this hole wants us to keep out, so the only way out of this is to go back up," She thought out loud as she flapped her wings and flew back up to the surface, the illusion of darkness slowly disappearing.

* * *

"Why the hell aren't we reaching the bottom?" Sango said angrily as she and Kirara tried to make their way down the hole.

"_Maybe we should go back to the surface?" _Kirara suggested as she stopped.

"We've gotten this far, how much farther can it be?" The demon slayer asked. Kirara nodded her head silently as she continued forward.

* * *

"It's Avion!" Shippo exclaimed as he saw a flash of spiritual power burst out of the hole.

"Avion?" Miroku asked.

"What happened? Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he looked up toward where the spiritual creature floated.

"And Sango and Kirara?" Kohaku added.

"It's an illusion," Avion stated. "Whoever made this hole wants to keep intruders from reaching the bottom of it."

"And the only way left is out," Miroku said, understanding. "What about Sango?"

"Sango?" Avion asked. "Did she follow me down?"

"Yeah, didn't you see her on your way back up?" Kohaku asked.

"She had Kirara with her," Shippo added.

"The illusion must've covered her presence from me, sorry, I didn't see her." Avion said as she shook her head negatively before landing on the half demon's shoulder.

"_What do we do now?" _Keiko asked.

"Someone has to get Sango out," Kohaku said. "She's never going to get anywhere if she's trapped in the illusion."

"Avion, you're made up of Kagome's spiritual power, correct?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Avion said. "Why?"

"Can't you dispel the illusion?" The monk asked.

"Perhaps," The spiritual bird said with a shrug.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Kohaku asked.

"It means she doesn't know if she can break the illusion or not," Inuyasha answered for the spiritual bird, understanding what she meant.

"How do you know that, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked.

"Kagome's his mate, he understands what I am and am not capable of doing due to their shared knowledge through the bond," Avion answered for the half demon.

"Well how did you realize it was an illusion?" Miroku asked.

"I charged up some spiritual power to use as light and it just waver the illusion slightly, making the picture waver." Avion said. "I'm not sure if I can dispel all of it. But for that time and the little space around me, I could,"

'_I'm sure if Kagome was back to full strength and charged you, then you would be able to do it," _Keiko barked, still in the half demon's arms.

"Well how are we going to get my sister out of there?" The young demon slayer asked, scared for his sister.

* * *

*

* * *

**TO WHOEVER CELEBRATES IT: HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	69. Home

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

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* * *

Home

"Sango!" Miroku yelled into the dark abyss. "Sango!"

"_Maybe you should stop," _Keiko barked softly as she lay on the grass, curled up in a ball while basking in what's left of the sun's rays as it dropped down under the horizon.

"She's not going to hear you," Avion said as she perched on the half demon's shoulder.

"How would you know that?" Miroku snapped. Cocking her head to the side, Avion didn't respond.

"Hey, cool down, Miroku," Inuyasha said as he leered at the monk. "She meant well,"

"Well aren't you even worried?" Miroku accused.

"No shit, I'm worried," The half demon growled. "I can't believe I'm the rational one right now, but Avion knows more about this illusion than any of us do. What she says is most likely true,"

"I know you're worried about Sango," Kohaku stated.

"But she's most likely okay. All the illusion is doing is keeping her in one place, making it look like she's moving," Avion said cautiously.

"Inuyasha, you're calmer than you usually are in these types of situations," Shippo said suddenly.

"_Must be Kagome's blood acting up," _Keiko said absently.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed as he crossed his arms.

"Well we can't just sit here forever," Kohaku said.

"Sango has to have realized by now that a hole cannot be that deep," Avion hoped.

'_Kagome, where are you?' _Inuyasha thought as he sent out another calling through their mating marks.

* * *

"_Sango, there is no possible way a hole will be this deep," _Kirara growled as she continues to float down.

"We've been going down this for hours," Sango said as she felt Kirara stop. "What the hell is this?"

"_Maybe we should go back up?" _The cat demon suggested.

"That'll just take hours," Sango said.

"_What other choice is there? It's either up or down,"_

* * *

Groaning lightly, the priestess turned her head so her right cheek was resting on the stone ground. Kagome felt something wet slip from her forehead to land, clumped, in front of her closed eyes. Carefully opening her brown eyes, Kagome saw a white cloth resting in front of her.

'_Where am I?' _She thought as she eyed the cloth. _'Who put that on my forehead? Inuyasha?' _

"You're awake," a deep male voice said.

"Yeah," Kagome said quietly. _'I feel so weak I can barely move,' _The priestess thought.

"You are weak. You should rest,"

"What do you-" Kagome asked before blacking out.

* * *

"Fuck this," Inuyasha growled. "I'm not going to just sit here!"

"Kagome's blood stopped acting up," Avion said as she looked at the half demon with the corner of her eye.

"Even if it did," Miroku started to say. "What are we going to do? For once, I actually agree with Inuyasha,"

"For once?" Inuyasha hissed under his breath.

"_Avion can't destroy the illusion though. Neither she or Kagome are healed to their full powers yet," _Keiko barked.

"Whatever is going on, Sango and Kagome are probably trapped in the illusion. I doubt either of them reached the bottom," Kohaku stated.

"It's getting dark," Shippo said sadly as he saw the sky turn orange.

"Damn it," Inuyasha growled loudly.

"What do you suppose we do?" Avion asked.

"_What if you and Miroku combine powers? Is that enough to destroy the illusion?" _Keiko said suddenly.

"That's a good idea," Shippo said, admiring the two tail dog demon's mind.

"It could be enough," Miroku said as he stood to his feet and walked towards the hole. "What do you think, Avion?"

"I don't know," Avion said uncertainly.

"Try it," Inuyasha ordered softly. "We have to at least try something," The spiritual bird nodded her head before going over to hover above the fissure.

"Ready?" Miroku asked as he took out a sutra from his robes.

"Ready when you are," Avion said as she charged up the spiritual power her body was made of. Electricity like spiritual power cracked around her body as she stared down the dark fissure. The sky around the group turned black with the lack of the sun while the stars started to shine through. Just then, a loud roar was heard, echoing through the clearing.

"What was that?" Shippo asked shakily.

"Sounds like Kirara," Kohaku noticed.

"_There!" _Keiko barked as she saw a blob of cream colored fur shoot out of the crevice and towards the night sky.

"Kirara!" The female demon slayer yelled as the two tail cat demon suddenly stopped.

"_Sorry, I could've sworn it would've taken longer. It took us hours to get to the point we were at," _Kirara apologized.

"That's because you never moved." Avion said as her body relaxing from charging the spiritual power.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked as she hopped off Kirara.

"It's an illusion," Inuyasha said as he had his arms cross.

"_What's an illusion?" _Kirara asked as she transformed herself into her smaller, cuter kitten form.

"The darkness inside the fissure," Miroku said as he looked at the female demon slayer then stepped up to her and gently kissed her on the cheek.

"It would look like you were moving down, but really, you weren't moving at all." Avion added. "Which makes it seem endless,"

"That's why we floated down for hours and never go anywhere," Sango said as she put a finger on her chin in thought. "Where's Kagome?"

"She's still down there somewhere," Inuyasha said as his ears folded back against his skull.

"Miroku, I believe it's time to start," Avion said as she started crackling with spiritual power again.

"Yeah," The monk said as he stepped away from his fiancé and towards the crevice. "Ready?"

"When you are," Avion replied again.

"Now!" Miroku said loudly as he forced spiritual power into the fissure while Avion shot a beam of power inside of it. The illusion wavered like heat did when it floated into the air. The darkness slowly disappeared but was quickly darkened again by the night sky.

"Did it work?" Shippo asked timidly.

"I…I don't know," Miroku said as he squinted his eyes to try and make his vision better.

"One way to find out," Inuyasha said as he stepped up to the hole.

"Wait, before you jump," Avion said, making it sound as though the half demon were about to commit suicide. "If it didn't work, how will you get back up?"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he stood back. "Then Avion, you go,"

"Alright," Avion said, having to listen to the commands of her master's mate. As she was about to fly in, a large, shadowed object appeared out of the crevice, sending a gush of wind that blew everyone back a few feet.

"What's that?!" Shippo asked, panicking.

"A demon," Miroku said as he got his staff and held it diagonal to his body. Kirara and Keiko burst into flames as they transformed into a much fiercer demon from a cute and cuddly pet.

"Who dares tries to attack my home?" the demon growled as it landed on a nearby branch. Its' orange eyes cut through the dark, night sky, eerily staring at the group.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha growled as he unsheathed his sword, preparing for a battle.

"I do not know who you're talking about, half demon," The demon growled, though it sounded like a lie.

"The girl who fell in that stupid hole!" The half demon yelled angrily.

"If we kill you, your illusion will be gone, regardless if our tactics worked or not!" Sango yelled before throwing her Hiraikotsu at the demon. Suddenly, a lightning fast ball of light hit the bone boomerang from the side, sending it over the orange eyed demon and on the ground below the branch. "What?" Sango asked, shocked.

"_Avion," _Keiko barked softly, in shock.

"Avion," Inuyasha said, not believing his own eyes as he stared at the spiritual bird who stood in front of the demon protectively. _'She must be under his spell or something,' _The half demon thought. "Hey, you! Whatever you did to our friend, let her go!"

"I did nothing to your friend," The orange eyed demon said in his low and gruff voice.

"Avion, what are you doing?" Shippo asked innocently.

"She's a loyal ally," The orange eyed demon said as he stretched his hand out to the spiritual bird. Avion landed lightly on the hand, not afraid of the demon.

"We thought so too," Miroku mumbled as he stared at the interaction. _'What's going on?' _The monk thought.

"Kirara," Sango said suddenly as she hopped onto the two tail cat demon. "Let's get him," She whispered so only Kirara would hear her command. Growling in agreement, Kirara flew forward towards the unknown demon. The demon slayer on her back took out her sword and held it horizontally.

"Sango," Kohaku whispered from the ground before snapping out of his admiration towards his sister and threw his own weapon towards the demon.

"Stop," Avion said calmly as she flew in front of the demon and created a barrier. Kirara quickly veered off towards the side and avoided the impact with the spiritual barrier while Kohaku's weapon merely skimmed it before falling to the ground.

"Avion, what the hell are you doing?" Inuyasha yelled angrily.

"He's not our enemy," Avion said as she put down the barrier.

"_What do you mean?" _Keiko barked.

"Kagome and I met him when we were waiting on Kohaku to wake up from his sleep after being revived." Avion explained. "He helped us all heal. He's a healing demon,"

"A healing demon?" Shippo asked.

"Yes, a healing demon." Avion repeated.

"Then where's Kagome?" Inuyasha growled.

"Why would I let you take her?" The healing demon asked.

"She's my _mate!_" Inuyasha growled before launching himself at the demon. The half demon's body impacted with the large form of the healing demon, sending them both sprawling towards the ground.

"Inuyasha! Yoshikazu!" Avion yelled in surprise.

"Should we help?" Miroku asked.

"Avion seems to know and trust him," Sango said.

"Now that I think about it," Kohaku started to mumbled. "His voice sounds familiar. I've never seen him, but I have heard Kagome and Avion say his name,"

"I see," Miroku said as he turned his head to watch the wrestling match between the half demon and healing demon. "What was his name, Kohaku?"

"Yoshikazu," Kohaku answered.

"_Well we can't just sit by and watch," _Keiko growled.

"Why not? Neither of them is actually hurting each other," Shippo said as he sat down. "If he's Kagome's friend, he's a friend of mine,"

…Inuyasha and Yoshikazu…

"What have you done with her?" Inuyasha yelled as he put his knee on Yoshikazu's stomach.

"I healed her,' Yoshikazu wheezed out before pushing the half demon onto his back and placed a clawed hand to his throat. "What right do you have to her?"

"I'm her _mate_," Inuyasha said again.

"Oh? How am I supposed to believe that?" Yoshikazu growled.

"Check her wrist, my mark is on her," The half demon growled as he pushed the healing demon off of him then stood to his feet.

"Oh yeah?" Yoshikazu argued. "Where have you been when she was weak, then? I never saw you around,"

"I didn't know she was alive," Inuyasha said softly but glared at the orange eyed demon no less.

"How do you not know if your own mate is alive or not?" Yoshikazu asked. "If it weren't for me, she probably would've been demon food."

"Keh, doubt it," Inuyasha scoffed, having the utmost confidence in the priestess's abilities.

"What makes you say that?"

"Feh, you'd like to know," Inuyasha growled as he flexed his claws.

"That's enough, you two," Avion said as she flew in between the two arguing demons.

"Well, tell him to give Kagome back," Inuyasha growled, not letting his body relax.

"I was the one who protected her when she stumbled across this clearing and collapsed with that boy in her arms." Yoshikazu said as he pointed towards the boy demon slayer. "I didn't see her 'mate' around here,"

"Damn you," Inuyasha hissed.

"Inuyasha," Avion warned as she stared at him.

"Give me Kagome and we'll leave your sorry ass alone," Inuyasha scoffed.

"You're a rude one," Yoshikazu said as he crossed his arms. His form was of a large ape with orange eyes and dark green colored fur. He had no tail and his ears were like rats. "I don't see why should would chose you as a mate,"

"Keh, hell if I know," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms. _'All I know is that I… I love her, and she loves me too,' _He thought.

"Doesn't sound like you're too fond of her being your mate," Yoshikazu said. Within a blink of an eye, Inuyasha had the healing demon pinned against the trunk of a tree with his clawed hand at Yoshikazu's neck.

"I'd do anything for her," Inuyasha growled loudly as he showed his fangs at the demon, threateningly.

"Inuyasha!" The remaining group yelled in surprise.

"Oh, so he cares," Yoshikazu said sarcastically. "You better protect her,"

"Why do you care?" Inuyasha asked as he tightened his grip on Yoshikazu's neck.

"Because," Yoshikazu started to say. "She's the only one that hasn't been afraid of me the first time she saw me."

"Hm," Inuyasha hummed softly as he let go. _'I know how that feels.' _Inuyasha thought.

_Flashback_

"_My name's Kagome! KA-GO-ME!" Kagome yelled as she got up close and personal with the half demon pinned to the tree._

_End Flashback_

'_She wasn't afraid of me either,' _Inuyasha thought as he stared at the orange eyes of the demon.

"I'll go get her," Yoshikazu said as got up and made his way into the fissure, jumping down.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked as he noticed the half demon still staring down towards the place where Yoshikazu was previously sitting.

"Miroku," Sango whispered. The monk looked at her and saw her shake her head negatively. "Let him think,"

'Don't worry, Inuyasha, Kagome's with you now,' Keiko thought as she transformed back into her smaller form, followed by Kirara.

"Here, Sango," Avion said as she carried the Hiraikotsu by the straps. "Sorry for having to do everything,"

"Thanks," Sango said appreciatively. "Don't worry about it. You were protecting a friend,"

"Is Inuyasha okay?" Shippo asked as he sat on Kohaku's shoulder.

"He'll be alright," Miroku said.

"Once he gets Kagome back, he'll be good as new," Sango commented as she smiled towards the half demon, Inuyasha snapped out of his thoughts with a shake of his head before walking towards the crevice in the ground.

"_You know, he' kind of looks like a lost puppy without her," _Kirara meowed, not intending it to be a pun.

"_Maybe because he doesn't know what he would do without her," _Keiko barked softly.

'_I definitely need to learn what these demons are saying.' _Miroku thought as he secretly slipped his hand into his demon slayer fiancé's.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he saw Yoshikazu jump out of his home with the priestess in his arms.

"Here," Yoshikazu said as he gently handed over the girl. "She's under my healing spell. It puts her to sleep and makes her body heal faster. She must've overworked herself right before she fell in,"

'_She did? I didn't notice that she fell behind,' _Inuyasha thought as he his ears plastered to his skull. _'I'm sorry Kagome,' _

"When will she wake up?" Avion asked as she landed on Sango's shoulder, sensing that the half demon wanted some time with his mate.

"When she's about ninety percent healed. Probably not long from now," Yoshikazu explained.

"Mm, Inuyasha?" a voice softly grumbled.

"Kagome? I'm here," Inuyasha whispered back as he stared down at the girl. The group around them stayed as silent as possible while the sun slowly rose over the horizon, signaling dawn. Groggily opening her eyes, the priestess stared into the golden eyes of her mate.

"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered.

"What for?" Inuyasha asked. "I'm the one that-"

"No, don't," Kagome said as she put her arms around his neck from her position in his arms, bridal style. "Yoshikazu?"

"Yes?" The healing demon asked.

"Thanks for everything," Kagome said with a soft smile.

"My pleasure," Yoshikazu said with a kind smile. "Please, come to me whenever you need help," Nodding, Kagome turned her attention back to the half demon.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome said softly.

"Hm?" The half demon asked.

"Can we go home?" Kagome asked.

'_Home?' _Inuyasha thought. _'To her time, I guess,' _He thought dejectedly as he nodded. Kagome pulled on her arms to get her upper body higher in his arms as she kissed him on the lips. Eyes widening briefly, Inuyasha responded softly, only half closing his eyes. Pulling away, Kagome settled back into his arms, falling back into the spell.

"That's our queue to leave," Miroku said. "Nice meeting you, Yoshikazu. Sorry about attacking,"

"A friend of Kagome's is a friend of mine," Yoshikazu said as he waved at them. The half demon nodded towards the healing demon, silently saying everything he couldn't through his mouth. Understanding, Yoshikazu smiled at the boy and sent them off.

"Bye," Avion said as she flew around his head once before following the group.

"_Bye!" _Keiko and Kirara said at once before chasing after the spiritual bird.

"Good bye," Yoshikazu said with a soft smile before looking at the fissure. "Great, now I have to cover this back up and start hiding again before people will start using me for my powers again."

* * *

"How's she doing?" Sango asked softly, breaking the group's silence. The group has been fast walking down the road towards Kaede's village for about an hour, making steady progress in silence.

"Better," Inuyasha answered shortly as he carried his mate bridal style. _'She would rather be with her family than with us though.' _He thought solemnly but kept trudging forward. _'Whatever Kagome wants, she gets. Feh, I'm so pathetic,' _The group fell back into a long silence until they reached the village at late afternoon.

"So you're leaving?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said softly. "Keiko, Avion, you coming?"

"_Um…" _Keiko said uncertainly as she looked to each person for a little help. _"Nah, I think I'll hang back this time. I could use some time to um… train myself with stray demons around the area." _

"I'll stay to make sure she's okay," Avion said, referring to the two tail dog demon. Nodding silently, Inuyasha left without another word.

"That was weird," Shippo commented once he saw that the half demon was out of hearing range.

"Just leave him and Kagome alone for a little while, Shippo," Sango said.

"Why?" asked the fox demon innocently.

"Just because, Shippo. You'll learn when you're older," Miroku said before ruffling the boy's hair.

"Hey!" Shippo scowled as he fixed his hair.

"Why don't we go greet Kaede?" Avion suggested.

"_Good idea," _Kirara meowed from Sango's shoulder. The group started to move towards the old priestess's house but the female demon slayer noticed her little brother was staring into the distance with Keiko staring at the same direction.

"Kohaku? What is it?" Sango asked as she turned back towards her brother.

"Keiko? Do you sense something?" Avion asked as she flew forward to hover over the two tail demon.

"_Looks like I get to train after all," _Keiko barked with a slight smirk before transforming.

"It doesn't seem like a very strong demon," Kohaku said gently as he focused his senses beyond the trees.

"Now that you mention it, I, too, sense it," Miroku said. "Nice job, Kohaku, Keiko," Kohaku blushed slightly from the praise but put his attention back on the demon.

"_I'll get it," _Keiko said as she ran into the trees.

"Keiko," Shippo gasped as he saw her disappear. "She's quick,"

"OW! GET OFF ME YOU DIRTY MUTT!" a shrill voice yelled from the forest. The rest of the group looked at each other, uncertain to what Keiko was going to bring back.

* * *

"Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi gasped as she heard the door close gently. "Oh my, what happened?"

"Nothing, she's just under a spell," Inuyasha reassured.

"A spell?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she checked over her daughter in the half demon's arms.

"Just a sleeping spell. She should be up soon," Inuyasha said softly. "Can I bring her to her room?"

"Of course," Mrs. Higurashi said as she stepped out of the way and let the half demon have access to the stairs.

"Inuyasha, you're here," Souta said as he rushed out of the living room.

"Hey, kid," Inuyasha said as he lightly forced a smile.

"Hey, Inuyasha, once you put Kagome down, do you want to play a video game?" Souta asked, hopefully.

"Maybe later, okay?" Inuyasha said. "I'm kind of tired," He sort of lied.

"Oh, alright, you'll be here for dinner, won't you?"

"Yeah, I'll probably be around," Inuyasha said as he silently walked up the stairs without another word. Softly kicking the door open, the half demon stepped into the pink room that belonged to his mate. Walking over towards the bed, Inuyasha gently laid Kagome on her bed while the gently kissed her forehead. _'Kagome, would you rather be here then over on the other side? Is this your permanent home?' _He thought as he stepped over towards the window and opened it. The half demon then sat on the edge with his feet hanging out. _'Did you expect me to follow you here?' _

* * *

"I SAID LET ME GO YOU STUPID, STUPID DOG!" the shrill voice yelled again as a struggle was heard.

"Do you think we should go help?" Kohaku asked as an animated sweat drop appeared on his head. Loud barking from Keiko was heard as a green lump was launched out of the bush, shortly followed by a sandy colored blob landing on top of the green lump.

"Oof," The green lump exhaled as its' breath was pushed away from its' lungs.

"Jaken," The group chimed together as Keiko held the toad like demon down with only one of her paws.

"_You know, Jaken, you're not very strong," _Keiko barked smugly. _"I can hold you down with three paws tied behind my back,"_

"Why you arrogant, little mutt." Jaken grumbled. "Wait until Lord Sesshomaru shows up! He'll make sure you will be punished for this,"

"_Oh I'm so scared, I'm shaking in my fur," _Keiko barked sarcastically.

"Master Jaken!" a girly voice yelled from the forest. "Master Jaken?"

"Rin! Don't come out here!" Jaken warned.

"There you are, Master Jaken," Rin said as she hopped out of the bush.

"Fool!" Jaken shrieked. "Run away!"

"Why?" Rin asked as she cocked her head. "These are just the nice people we've met a few times," Rin said before blushing and bowing in greeting.

"Hello, Rin," Sango said kindly. "What are you two doing here?"

"Lord Sesshomaru left us here. We are supposed to wait until his return," Rin said cheerily.

"He leaves a defenseless girl in the protection of a toad demon," Miroku said as he raised his eyebrow.

"Doesn't sound too dependable to me," Shippo said as he watched Keiko play with Jaken as if he was her prey and she was toying with it until she decided to kill it.

"Kohaku," Rin gasped lightly. "You're here,"

"Um, yeah," Kohaku said nervously as he rubbed the back of his head with one hand. "Look, Rin, I'm sorry for… you know; everything I did to you before."

"Don't worry about it," Rin said happily as she rushed forward and grabbed the boy's hand. "Why don't we go to the river? You can bring your friends too,"

"Um," Kohaku mumbled as he blushed red. "Sango?"

"Go ahead, Kohaku," Sango said with a smile. _'Why don't you make a friend for once? We've never really had time for that when we were little,' _Sango thought as she watched them walk away. "Kirara,"

"Mew?" Kirara asked.

"Keep an eye on them, but don't interfere, can you?" Sango asked. Nodding, Kirara ran, quietly following the couple.

"You dirty animal, I said get off of me!" Jaken yelled again as Keiko swatted him around, not breaking any bones, maybe just a few bruises.

"_I am off of you," _Keiko barked with a smirk as she hopped over the demon then nudged him so he rolled a few feet. _"Come on, this couldn't be that bad. Kirara and I do this all the time, neither of us get hurt." _

"You flea infested-" Jaken started to growl.

"_Just how many names are you going to call me?" _Keiko asked as she kicked him a little harder. Jaken sat up with bumps and bruises all around his face and body. _"You're not a very strong fellow, are you?"_

"I'll show you," Jaken grumbled as he got up and put his staff in front of him. "Staff of two heads!" Keiko raised her eyebrow before she jumped up and landed behind the unsuspecting green demon. Stopping the staff from shooting fire, Jaken laughed maniacally. "HA! Take that you damn dog, fried to a crisp!"

"_RAWR!"_ Keiko roared playfully as she jumped onto Jaken's back. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Avion laughed as they watched Keiko toy with the toad demon, knowing he wasn't a threat to anyone.

* * *

…One Hour Later…

"Nn," Kagome groaned as she slowly woke into consciousness.

"Kagome?" a voice asked softly. Kagome gradually opened her eyes.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she realized she was lying on something soft, in a warm comfort.

"Over here," Inuyasha said as looked at the priestess from the window.

"Were you going somewhere?" Kagome asked while snuggling deeper into her blanket and pillow. "Where are we?" She asked, still groggy from the spell induced sleep.

"Your house. You asked me to come here, remember?" Inuyasha said, a little off tune from his normal voice. The change in his voice wouldn't even be noticed, but Kagome knew him better than anyone else.

"Did you not want to be near me or something?" Kagome asked, forgetting about the previous question. Inuyasha moved his eyes towards the girl.

"It's not that,"

"Come here," Kagome said as she gathered her remaining strength and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Stepping inside the room, the half demon closed the window after him then stepped up to the modern bed. "Are you okay?" She asked as she patted on the available space on her bed.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Inuyasha asked as he carefully sat down, not really wanting to be there but wanting to be close to his mate.

"You sound… sadder," Kagome said cautiously.

"What do I have to be sad about? I have you back, don't I?" Inuyasha said without looking at her.

'_Alright, new question,' _Kagome thought, determined to get an answer for his behavior. "Why are we here anyways?"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked. "Did that demon do something to your head?" He asked as he pointed a finger to his own brain.

"No," Kagome said as she cracked a smile. "I meant here,"

"I don't know what you're trying to say,"

"In this era, Inuyasha. What are we doing _here?_"

"You asked if I could take you home." Inuyasha said. "Did you want me to leave?"

"No," Kagome said instantly as she grabbed the hand closest to her. "Yes, I asked if you could take me home,"

"I did, didn't I?" Inuyasha said. "Did you not expect me to follow?"

"Now I don't know what _you're _talking about," Kagome admitted. "I asked to go home. I didn't mean here,"

"What did you mean then?" Inuyasha asked.

"I meant the home back in the feudal era. In the forest. Unless it isn't there anymore," Kagome said solemnly.

"No it's there," Inuyasha asked as he tried to figure his woman out. _'What are you saying?' _

"I wanted to go home, Inuyasha, not… not here," Kagome said softly as she looked towards the window. "I wanted to be in the place where you and I belong. Our own home,"

"You mean you meant that's your home?" Inuyasha asked, shocked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Kagome asked. "Did you think I'd live here where we can't be free? Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but… but I love you." Kagome said as she put a hand to her neck and took out a diamond necklace.

"You still have it," Inuyasha said as his eyes widen. He stared at the piece of jewelry he had given her when they first stepped into their new hut on the other side of the well.

"Why wouldn't I?" Kagome asked with a smile as she tucked her legs under her and got up on her knees. "Besides, it means a lot to me."

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked, sounding back to normal while he smiled up at the girl. Kagome stood taller than him while he sat on the bed and she was standing on her knees, on the same bed.

"Just admiring my mate," Kagome said softly with a light pink tint on her cheeks as she stared down at him. "Can't I do that?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said as he took his hand from hers and placed his hands on her waist. "But why would you do that?"

"Because I've missed you," Kagome said huskily as she put her arms around his neck. "And I love you," Kagome then sat on his lap, her legs to one side while her upper body twisted to face his.

"Oh?" Inuyasha joked.

"Yeah," Kagome said before she leaned down and kissed him fully on the lips. Closing his eyes, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

'_I missed you too.' _Inuyasha thought as he felt the priestess pull back but then kiss him gently right afterwards. "Love you too, wench," He said before kissing her for a third time.

"Wench?" Kagome asked. "You haven't called me that for a while,"

"Never really wanted to," Inuyasha said with a soft smile. Kagome rolled her eyes playfully just as she pushed him down onto the bed and placed her hands flat on his hard chest.

"You're so mean to me," Kagome said, but knowing he was just joking around.

"I'm not the one who just pushed you down onto the bed," Inuyasha retorted.

"Shut up," Kagome said before lightly slapping his chest. Inuyasha chuckled softly as he laid still. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, with Kagome still sitting upright on his lap.

"Why don't you lie down?" Inuyasha asked, feeling inferior to his mate from a lower view point on the bed.

"Why don't you get up?" Kagome asked playfully but lied down next to him.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed lightly as he hugged her to him, their legs tangled together. Turning his head to the side, he stared at the priestess's three colored eyes, brown, with a ring of pink and gold. Leaning forward, he gave her a chaste kiss before returning to his original position.

"What was that for?" Kagome asked, though she loved the feel of his lips on hers.

"Can't I just kiss you because I want to?" The half demon pouted. Kagome smiled brightly before kissing him in return.

"As long as I can to you," Kagome said, her lips touched his with every movement of her mouth. "Do you want to go home?" The priestess asked suddenly.

"I told Souta I'd be here for dinner." Inuyasha explained. Nodding, Kagome snuggled closer to his side and yawned. "Tired already? You've been sleeping all day,"

"Sorry," Kagome mumbled tiredly. "I guess I'm not to full strength yet,"

"No," Inuyasha said, suddenly thinking back. "I'm sorry,"

"Why?"

"I didn't realize you had fallen behind earlier. I shouldn't have pushed you so far,"

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said as she felt him about to retort. "I don't mind."

"But-"

"Really, it's alright," Kagome said as she rolled her body on top of him and kissed her mate passionately. "I love you,"

"Love you too," He whispered.

* * *

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	70. A Day in the Sun

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

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* * *

A Day in the Sun

'_Thank you, Kikyo,' _Inuyasha thought as he knelt in front of the priestess's grave in front of the mini shrine dedicated to her. _'Thanks for bringing Kagome back to me. I owe you,' _He then raked his hand gently across the dirt before placing a flower down with his other hand.

"Inuyasha! Where'd you go?" A familiar female voice yelled from below the shrine steps.

"I have to go," Inuyasha said softly as he stood up and stared one last time. "I won't forget you,"

"Inuyasha! You jerk! You said you wanted to take a walk in the forest when we got back! But NO! You had to run off from me!" The voice yelled angrily and slightly hurt.

"Calm down, woman," Inuyasha said softly as he suddenly landed behind her.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped, not expecting his sudden appearance. "Where'd you go?"

"Just checking something," The half demon said as he grabbed her hand. "How about that walk?" Kagome stared at him with doubt before looking up the shrine steps.

"You went to see Kikyo?" Kagome asked calmly.

Not wanting to lie to her, the half demon sighed, "Just her grave. I… I wanted to say thanks." Kagome nodded her head, not in the least bit mad at the half demon.

"Do you miss her?" Kagome asked without looking her mate in the eyes.

"Kagome-"

"I'm not going to get mad or anything," Kagome said with a soft smile, though she still didn't look at him. "I miss her, you know,"

"You do?"

"Yeah," Kagome said as she tilted her head back and looked into the orange sky, the sun just starting to make its appearance over the horizon. "We've done a lot to each other. Good and bad. It'll be different," Inuyasha stayed silent, waiting for his mate to say what's on her mind. "Don't get me wrong when I say this, but I'm glad she's back into the world of the dead. She's in peace now," Inuyasha squeezed her hand then kissed her gently on her temple. The couple fell into a comfortable silence.

"You okay?"

"Are you?" Kagome asked back as she moved her eyes to the half demon standing next to her. The priestess wore a similar dress like Sango but her top was a forest green and her skirt was a blood red while her hair hung like Kikyo's had.

"As long as you're with me, I'll be better than okay," Inuyasha said without thinking then blushing lightly afterwards. Kagome smiled with her mouth closed before turning her body and kissing the half demon the lips then hugging him tightly around the neck.

* * *

"Thank you for staying with us, Lady Sango, Miroku," Rin said as she looked at each person. "You too, Kohaku, Shippo,"

"Well we couldn't leave you two unprotected now, could we?" Miroku asked rhetorically.

"Hey! I am more than enough protection!" Jaken protested.

"Oh yeah?" Then how come Keiko knocked you out with a swat of her paw?" The fox demon asked. Kohaku snickered next to him while Sango and Miroku held in a laugh.

"Why you little brat," Jaken growled.

"Speaking of which," Sango cut in. "Has anyone seen Kirara, Keiko, and Avion?"

"Last Rin saw them was last night," Rin said in third person.

"Don't worry about it, Sango, I'm sure they're just on a trip," Miroku said soothingly.

"They never bring me along," Shippo pouted.

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Rin said cheerfully. "Kohaku, would you like to take a walk in the flower field with me?"

"U-um," Kohaku stuttered as he looked at his older sister, hoping to find an answer so he didn't have to think of one. Sango just smiled at him before looking away and towards the sky. "S-sure," He stuttered.

"Great, come on," Rin said excitedly as she grabbed his hand then dragged him off further into the forest. Blushing harshly, Kohaku's face would be permanently dyed red.

"Rin, don't run off like that!" Jaken squeaked as he started to run off. The green demon was stopped when a metal staff connected with his face. "Ouch!"

"Let them go," Miroku said as he looked at the kids walk off. "Kohaku is more than capable of protecting the both of them,"

"You crooked monk," Jaken grumbled. _'Oh, Lord Sesshomaru is going to have my head,' _He thought shakily.

"I'm going to go visit Kaede," Shippo announced as his boredom got the better of him.

"Alright, we'll wait here for the others," Sango said. "Tell her we'll be there soon enough,"

"Okay," The fox demon said as he trotted off. As the boy left, the green toad demon sweated as he looked at the two humans next to him.

'_They're going to kill me,' _Jaken thought with a twitch. _'Wait! I'm a full demon! Two pathetic humans can't hurt me!' _He thought proudly. Next to him, the two humans stared at the twitching then ecstatic demon with curiosity. The monk and demon slayer looked at each other with confusion before shrugging.

'_I wonder what's wrong with him,' _Sango and Miroku thought at the same time as they continue to the constantly changing demon in front of them.

* * *

"_Are you sure we should've run off like that without telling anyone?" _Kirara meowed as she and her companions walked through the forest.

"_Relax, Kirara. You're such a worry-wart," _Keiko grinned as she stood shoulder to shoulder with the other two tail demon. _"We did this before, remember?"_

"_Yeah I guess, but wouldn't they worry?" _Kirara asked uncertainly.

"They know we can take care of ourselves," Avion said as she flew low, hovering above the two demons. "Besides, it's not like we haven't proven to them that we can take care of ourselves,"

"_You're right, I don't know what I'm so worried about," _Kirara said as she shook her head to clear her mind.

"_Maybe because you've never strayed from Sango's side," _Keiko suggested.

"_Have you strayed from Kagome's?" _The cat demon asked.

"_I have taken my little adventures; Kagome said I could go whenever I felt like it." _Keiko said. _"As long as I come back in one piece."_

"Doesn't Sango let you go off once in a while?" Avion asked before looking around them at the peaceful forest.

"_Well yes, but I've never really thought about it," _Kirara admitted.

"_Don't worry about it, it'll be fun," _Keiko ensured as she started to jog ahead of the group. _"Come on, we have places to go and people to see," _

"_People like who?" _Kirara asked as she ran to catch up.

"_I don't know," _Keiko said cheekily.

"You're hyper this morning," Avion said with a light giggle.

"_Well everything is the way it should be," _Keiko started to say as she slowed down in her pace. _"Kagome's back, you're back, Naraku's dead, things are peaceful, Kohaku's alive, and it's nice,"_

"_I have to admit," _Kirara meowed as she looked up into the sky that was partly covered by the trees. _"It is nice,"_

"_Enjoy it," _Keiko barked happily before stopping in her tracks.

"Besides, everyone can use a little time with their partner," Avion said suggestively. Kirara and Keiko laughed in their animal voices as they thought about their group.

* * *

"Jun, where are you taking me?" A beautiful woman with golden hair and light jade eyes said as her hand was being pulled on so she would follow the male named Jun.

"Trust me, will you, Madoka?" The male, Jun, said with a million dollar smile shot over his shoulder. Jun had dark, ebony hair that was cut short while his eyes were dark, deep blue, ocean colored.

"Mate, you know I trust you," Madoka said seductively. Grinning, Jun kissed her on the nose before making her follow him deeper into the forest.

**[A/N: If you don't catch this, 'mate' is only used with demons or humans mating with demons, meaning the two of them are demons or one of them is human. You'll have to figure that out on your own.]**

"Okay, we're here," Jun said as he stopped at the edge of a clearing.

"Where are we?" Madoka asked as she let go of her mate's hand and walked a few steps forward. "Looks like an ordinary clearing to me,"

"It's all but an ordinary clearing, my dear mate," Jun said affectionately as he pointed towards a tree that stood in the middle. "You see that tree?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Smiling lightly with his mouth closed, Jun stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her stomach.

"That's where we met," Jun whispered right next to her pointed ear. Gasping in recognition, Madoka quickly spun around and stared into his deep sapphire eyes.

"Oh Jun," Madoka whispered. "I'm sorry, I should've realized,"

"No," Jun said with a shake of his head and a smile. "I barely recognized it when I came here the other day. We haven't been here for years," Nodding, Madoka laid her head on her mate's hard chest.

"Thanks for bringing me here," She whispered before lifting her head and staring into his blue eyes.

"You're welcome," He whispered back before leaning down and kissing her lightly. Once they parted, Madoka leaned back and started to walk towards the solitary tree in the clearing. Noticing something glimmering in the sun, the woman raised an eyebrow.

"What's this?" Madoka asked quietly as she reached her finger towards it.

"What's what?" Jun asked as he stepped besides her. Madoka closed her fingers around the sparkling objects and pulling our three of them. "Shards?"

"Shards of what?" Madoka asked as she and her mate stared at the black shards in her hand. Taking two of them, Jun inspected it closely. Suddenly, the black shards glowed brighter with evil energy. "Wh-what's going on?" Madoka asked frantically as she saw the shard begin to melt into her flesh.

"I don't know," Jun said as he tried to get the shards out of his own hand. Suddenly the two screamed in pain as their eyes changed. Their pupils disappeared as it was replaced with a solitary color. Madoka's eyes were completely green while Jun's eyes were completely blue, each radiating pure evil. The couple fell to their knees before looking up at each other with pure hatred. "Pathetic demon of females,"

"You're one to talk, _mate,_" Madoka spat disgustingly. "You're no better than I for you are demon of males, controlling all the pathetic boys,"

"You do the same," Jun smirked with wickedness written all over his face.

"You disgust me, males are nothing but puny, pathetic creatures who do nothing but sate their own needs with a female," Madoka hissed as she got up on her feet.

"Females are nothing but cry baby creatures that look for protection from us males," Jun retorted.

"We'll just have to find out which is the superior gender is," Madoka growled before extending her claws out at the demon who ruled over the male population.

"We shall," Jun grinned maliciously before pointing his own claws at the demon who also ruled over the women population.

* * *

"Where are you taking me?"

"Home," Inuyasha said with a sweet smile before stepping into a nice clearing with a wooden hut in the middle.

"Home," Kagome repeated happily as she looked ahead of her. "I miss this,"

"I do too," Inuyasha said as he took her hand before she could go into the hut. "Let me check if anyone's been in it,"

"I can do it too," Kagome protested. "I can take care of myself,"

"Stop whining, wench, and let me protect you," Inuyasha huffed. Kagome stopped her uprising anger and stared at the golden eyes of her mate. Stepping forward, Kagome gave him a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Alright," Kagome whispered against his skin. Rubbing his nose with hers briefly in demonic affection, Inuyasha then stepped away and started towards the house. Thinking it was wise to hide in the shadows if something were in the hut, Kagome jumped back into a branch of a tree, hiding herself while she did her best to move in the kimono she wore.

'_Good girl, Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought as he heard her land on a tree branch. _'Let's see if anyone's in here,' _He thought as he silently walked into the hut's entrance. Sniffing at the surrounding air whirling around the home, Inuyasha found that someone had used it as shelter. _'Damn them,' _He thought as he went in further. _'Only seems they used the fire pit though, everything else is alright,' _He thought as he looked at each nook and cranny.

* * *

"What's taking him so long?" Kagome said to herself as she sat on the branch with her side leaning against the trunk and her hand holding herself up. "Surely no one would be stupid enough to live in a furnished hut." She said before sighing in boredom and looking around. _'Maybe we should go visit the others,' _She thought, not noticing the form below her.

"Kagome?"

"Huh?" Kagome asked as she was brought back from space. "Oh, Inuyasha,"

"Come on, no one's in there," Inuyasha said as he stared at her. Nodding, Kagome jumped down, confident that the half demon would catch her. Gasping in surprise, Inuyasha quickly unfolded his arms and caught her. "Idiot," He whispered into her ear. "What are you trying to do? Break a bone?"

"I knew you'd catch me," Kagome said with a knowing smile.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed before setting her down. "Come on, you said you missed it here, didn't you?" Nodding enthusiastically, Kagome quickly ran ahead of the half demon and into the hut they called their own.

"It's exactly the way I remember it," Kagome said in awe.

"Of course it is," Inuyasha said while he silently stepped up behind her. "It's not like I moved anything,"

"Say, Inuyasha,"

"Hm?" The half demon hummed.

"Did you even come back in here since… you know." Kagome asked timidly. Inuyasha stayed silent for a few minutes before putting his arms around her waist and his head on her shoulder.

"Not often," Inuyasha admitted, almost too quiet for a human to hear if he wasn't right next to her ear. "Only when I felt… alone."

"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered back as she leaned back against him. Inuyasha nuzzled his nose into her neck, but didn't say anything more. "Why don't we do something fun? Just the two of us,"

"What do you mean by that?" Inuyasha asked, his breath fanning against her neck.

"I don't know. Maybe we could walk around the forest, or learn combine battle maneuvers, or go to the waterfall or springs. Something,"

"Alright," Inuyasha said as he pushed her lightly so she knew he was going to stand up straight. "Let's start with that walk," Kagome smiled reassuringly to the half demon before taking his hand and lacing their fingers. Looking down at their interlaced hands, Inuyasha stared longingly at them before looking up to his mate's face. The half demon leaned down then kissed her on the lips, telling her without words how much he missed her during their time away from each other.

* * *

"Isn't this beautiful, Kohaku?" Rin sighed as she looked at the field of flowers deep into the forest.

'_This reminds me of the place where I got Sango those white flowers,' _Kohaku thought in awe as he stared at the different colored flowers.

"Kohaku?" Rin asked, snapping the demon slayer out of his memories.

"Oh, yeah, it's very nice," Kohaku said with a light blush.

"Are you sick?" Rin asked innocently. "Your face has become red quite a lot,"

"U-um, no, I'm alright," Kohaku said."So why did you take me here?"

"I don't know," Rin said innocently as she went into the field of flowers and started picking random ones out of the ground. "I just thought it'd be nice,"

"Oh," Kohaku said as he stared a white flower that was a few feet from him. _'That's the same white flower I gave to Sango, maybe she'll still like them,' _He thought as he walked towards it and picked it.

"Who are you going to give that to?" Rin asked as she skipped towards him.

"M-my sister," Kohaku said with another light blush.

"Well it's very pretty, I'm sure she'll like it," Rin said reassuringly. Kohaku nodded before looking down and the many flowers in Rin's hands.

"Who are you giving those to?" Kohaku asked.

"Lord Sesshomaru, of course, and Master Jaken, and Ah-Un," Rin said happily. Nodding his head, the demon slayer looked up into the clear blue sky. "Here," She said suddenly.

"Hm?" Kohaku hummed as he looked down. The human girl held a yellow Marigold to him.

"This is for you," She explained.

"Oh?" Kohaku asked, shocked, as he took it in a shaky hand.

"Don't you like it?"

"Yeah, it's nice," Kohaku said in a soft voice. "Thank you, Rin," Nodding in happiness, Rin skipped off, further into the flower patch. After staring at the girl's back, Kohaku looked back down at the yellow flower in his hand.

* * *

"Hi, Kaede," Shippo said happily as he went into the wooden hut.

"Hello, Shippo," Kaede said in her old voice. "Nice to see ye are back,"

"Nice to see you again too, Kaede," Shippo said as he sauntered in and sat next to the blazing fire.

"Where are the others?"

"Well yesterday we found Rin and Jaken in the forest so Sango and Miroku decided to stay and protect them. So Sango and Miroku are with Jaken, Kohaku is with Rin somewhere in the forest, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion are somewhere, and Inuyasha and Kagome are off in her world,"

"Did ye say Kagome, Kohaku, and Avion?" Kaede asked, shocked at the news.

"Oh yeah, well when we were traveling, Kagome found us and she had Avion and Kohaku with her. So we're all back together," Shippo said with a wide smile.

"May I ask how this is possible?" Kaede asked as she put her cup of tea down.

"Well I'm not really sure, but Kikyo had something to do with it," Shippo shrugged.

"I see," Kaede said thoughtfully. _'I shall find out from Kagome herself then, or from Sango or Miroku,' _She thought.

* * *

"What's that?" Sango asked, a tad paranoid, as she heard a rustling in the bushes. Miroku widened his stance, ready to attack while holding onto his monk staff. Jaken quivered at their feet as he shakily stared at the foliage. Silhouettes then popped out of the bush, provoking the group. "Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled as she lifted her weapon above her head and began to slam the bend of it down on the enemy. Miroku followed shortly with his staff, using it like a sword as he swung like Sango had. Jaken, on the other hand, quivered before puffing out his chest and poised his staff on the ground, opening the old man's mouth and blowing fire. A flash of blue mixed with pink appeared and sparked like electricity while a glow of yellow came and went.

After the initial shock retreated, the group looked at the enemy closely. Kagome stood with her hands over her head at a diagonal while one foot was in front of the other in a half lunge. A barrier was acting like a shield to only the front of her body was erected, flashing electricity like spiritual power while the bone boomerang was clashing with it at the top. Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga out, horizontal to his body as he blocked Miroku's staff from connecting with him. Blinking, the group stared at each other for a minute then slowly took their weapons back.

"Sango? Miroku? What are you guys doing here?" Kagome asked as the barrier disappeared and she put her hands down, relaxing her stance from a lunge to a normal standing position.

"Us? What are you guys doing here?" Sango asked back. "Aren't you supposed to be at your time?"

"Damn you stupid toad! Knock it off!" Inuyasha growled loudly as he kicked the staff away from the demon. The ground around his bare feet was charred from the fire.

"You mongrel!" Jaken complained as he ran to get his weapon.

"We wanted to spend time alone," Kagome said, leaving out their personal conversation. "Your turn to answer."

"We saw Rin here and thought she'd need protection since it was only her and Jaken." Sango said with a shrug.

"Not even that two headed thing is here?" Inuyasha asked as he crossed his arms.

"Nope, just those two," Miroku said.

"What were you thinking, attacking us like that?" Inuyasha asked, more towards the monk. "You could've gotten yourself killed,"

"Likewise, my friend," Miroku said with a smirk.

"Feh, yeah, right," Inuyasha scoffed, though he knew the monk and demon slayer were just as skilled as himself and Kagome.

"Where are the others?" Kagome asked, ignoring the boys' banter.

"Kohaku and Rin went… somewhere," Sango said thoughtfully. "Shippo went to see Kaede, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion went somewhere before anyone woke up, and here are Miroku and I." Sango listed.

"You guys have done a lot since we left," Kagome said with a light smile.

"Yeah," Sango said with a shrug before looking at the men. "Why don't you and Inuyasha have that _alone _time you came for?" She said with a wink.

"With Jaken gone, you and Miroku can do the same," Kagome said suggestively with a grin before walking to the half demon. She then grabbed his hand and leaned her body up against his side.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Come on," Kagome said seductively. "You promised me a day to ourselves,"

"O-okay," Inuyasha stuttered as he obediently followed as Kagome passed by the demon slayer, giving her a wink that was unseen by the half demon or monk. Blushing slightly, the demon slayer gave her sister a timid smile before the couple disappeared into the forest.

After a few minutes of silence between the demon slayer and monk, Sango spoke up, "Hey, Miroku,"

"Yes?" Miroku asked as he turned towards her.

"Why don't we ditch Jaken and go do something," Sango suggested as she looked up into the blue sky.

"And what would that _something _be?" Miroku asked; his old personality back as he stepped closer to the demon slayer and put his hand on the small of her back.

"If that hand goes any further, you'll find it at the bottom of a river," Sango threatened. Laughing nervously, the monk pulled his hand back and putting it behind his head.

"R-right," Miroku said with an uneasy smile.

* * *

"Damn half breed," Jaken muttered as he stomped through the forest, looking for his weapon that was flung ungracefully by the half demon, Inuyasha.

* * *

"_Hey, look," _Kirara meowed as she looked off a cliff.

"_What is it?" _Keiko asked.

"_It's Kohaku and Rin," _Kirara said as she watched the two walk around in a field of flowers.

"I didn't know that flower patch was there," Avion said as she landed on the edge of the cliff.

"_Neither did I," _Keiko added.

'Kohaku,' Kirara thought. 'Have you found a love interest?'

"_What are you thinking?" _Keiko asked suddenly as she noticed Kirara's red eyes glazed over in thought.

"_Oh," _Kirara said startled. _"Um, nothing. Let's leave them alone, shall we? No need to eavesdrop," _Blinking in confusion, the two tail dog demon and the spiritual bird shrugged to each other before following.

* * *

"So just jump into your hand and you'll launch me up?" the priestess asked as she placed her left foot in the half demon's interlaced hands.

"Yeah, that way, whatever the hell we're fighting, will be focused on you and I can give it a surprise attack," the half demon explained. "But remember, if it decides to attack you, put a barrier around yourself,"

"Got it," Kagome nodded her head.

"And since I'm going to launch you higher than what you're capable of landing, I'm going to catch you,"

"Oh? What if you're not fast enough?" Kagome asked.

"Trust me, will you?" Inuyasha asked as he let go of his hands and let her foot fall to the ground.

"Of course," Kagome said with a light roll of her eyes before she turned her body sharply and bumped into Inuyasha's body. She then wrapped her hands around his neck and stared into his golden eyes. "So we start out in a run towards whatever we're fighting then you give me the signal?"

"Hey, you finally learned something quickly," Inuyasha joked. Slapping him lightly on the chest, Kagome pulled back and turned away from the half demon. "Hey," He said softly as he put his hands on her waist from behind. "You know that's not true,"

"Yeah," Kagome said with a light smile, knowing he didn't mean anything from the statement.

"Then what's wrong?" The half demon asked worriedly.

"Nothing," Kagome said while putting her hands over his hands that were on her waist.

Lowering his head so it laid on her shoulder and next to her ear, he whispered, "Oh yeah? Then why'd you turn away?" Kagome slowly turned in his grasp then pressed her body to his, molding them together.

"I love you,"

"Me too," Inuyasha said, more than a little confused. "Kagome?" Shaking her head negatively, Kagome just smiled up at the half demon before wrapping her arms around his torso and held him close.

"Nothing," Kagome whispered while the side of her head was against his hard chest. "It's nothing," Inuyasha, confused as he is, wrapped his arms around her waist with one arm and cradled her head with the other hand. He then kissed the side of her neck, trying his best to comfort her. _'I just realized how much I missed you. You always teased me, always helped me, always comfort me,' _The priestess thought as tears slipped down her eyes.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he smelt and felt the tears. He was about to pull away but Kagome tightened her hold on him.

"No," She whispered. "I'm fine, just… just stay like this," Obeying the soft command, Inuyasha didn't move but tightened his embrace.

'_Kagome…' _He mentally sighed. Inuyasha then lifted his head and laid it on top of hers. The sun came through the branches and leaves to beat down on the couple.

* * *

"This is nice," Miroku commented as he stared at the afternoon sun.

"Don't stare at the sun," Sango chastised jokingly. Miroku chuckled, but nonetheless looked away from the star.

"As you wish," Miroku said. Sango laughed softly before wrapping one arm around his.

"Where are we going?"

"The rice fields," Miroku answered as he stopped and looked ahead of them. Large ponds with streaks of land going through them in a square pattern were just in front of the couple.

"Why there?" the demon slayer asked as she looked up to his face.

"It's just nice there," Miroku said simply with a shrug. "The wonders of how food is grown." Shrugging at the monk's logic, Sango just followed as he led them further down towards the rice fields.

"I wonder what everyone's doing," Sango thought out loud by accident.

"I'm sure they're enjoying the sunlight," Miroku answered with a soft smile as he looked down at her. Blushing at the fact she said that out loud, Sango looked away.

'_There isn't much to do,' _Sango thought, making sure it stayed in her head.

"Maybe we could go off on our own adventure for a day," Miroku said absently. "There isn't much to do,"

'_Read my mind,' _Sango inwardly smirked. "Where would we go?"

"Wander the forest, I guess," Miroku shrugged. "Like what Kirara is doing right now with Keiko and Avion,"

"Sounds fun," Sango agreed as they started to walk through the rice fields and into the forest on the other side. The demon slayer let go of his arm and found it more comfortable to walk hand in hand. After walking for a few minutes, the two stopped dead in their tracks. "Do you sense that?"

"Yeah, a dark energy," Miroku said as he tried to locate the source. "Stay on guard, Sango," Nodding, the demon slayer let go of his hand and put it in the handle of her weapon, ready to attack when need be. The monk put his staff in front of him as he located the source. Eyes closed, Miroku concentrated while Sango stayed guard. "There," He said as he opened his eyes and pointed towards a tree.

"In the tree?" Sango asked.

"Apparently," The monk said before walking to it cautiously. Expecting something to jump out at him, Miroku put his staff in front of his body. Raising his eyebrow when nothing came out, Miroku relaxed his posture a tad before reaching for whatever was in the tree.

"What is it?" Sango asked as she noticed him pull something out. Shocked, Miroku dropped whatever was in his hand to the ground.

"Jewel Shards," Miroku said after calming a bit. The shards were completely black, tainted over with evil and malice.

"How did two of them get lodged in that tree?" Sango asked as she looked down and inspected them. Thinking about it, the monk suddenly had something snap in his mind.

"Damn," Miroku muttered as he kneeled down next to the shards, careful to not be corrupted by the energy they radiated.

"What's wrong?"

"I put these here,"

"What do you mean?" Sango asked, more confused than ever.

"A while ago," Miroku began saying. "When I was still travelling alone, I didn't know what to do with the shards that were tainted since I don't possess the power Kagome does. So I used what power I had to move them and lodge them in trees so other's will have a harder time finding them."

"Do you know where the rest are?"

"There are so many spots," Miroku said sheepishly. "Remember, people usually use the jewel in greed, more than half of the shards out there are tainted." Nodding in understanding, Sango looked from the jewels on the ground to the monk.

"What are we going to do with these?" Sango asked.

"Risk carrying them back to Kagome or risk having one of us stay here. This will attract demons."

"If it hasn't already, I doubt anything's going to happen if you go and get Kagome," Sango said.

"She's out with Inuyasha, who knows what they're doing and where," Miroku said lecherously. Punching him in the arm, Sango growled.

"Don't say that," Laughing lightly, the monk sat down next to his fiancée. He then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.

* * *

"Kaede," Shippo said questioningly.

"What is it, Shippo?" The old priestess asked while sifting through the herbs on the ground next to a basket.

"Do you ever wonder what it's like to have a mate?" He asked innocently. Kaede turned her head to the fox demon and looked at him curiously.

"What brought up that question?"

"Well it's just that Inuyasha has Kagome, Miroku has Sango, and now Kohaku is going off with Rin. I don't know, it was just a question," Shippo shrugged.

"I imagine it would be nice,"

"Really?"

"Yes," Kaede said kindly as she turned back to the herbs.

"Have you ever had a mate?"

"Nay," Kaede said softly. "I was preoccupied with being the village priestess. We do not usually find a partner."

"Oh," He said sadly. "Do you think I will?"

"Ye are still young, ye have plenty of time. Especially being a demon," Kaede said with a soft smile as she turned her eye to the fox demon.

* * *

"Die!" Madoka yelled as she plunged her claws into the male in front of her. Jun groaned in pain as his mate's claws pierced through him. He then retaliated by taking her hand out of his abdomen and flinging her across the now bloody clearing.

"Pathetic," Jun sneered as he then ran to the woman and began attacking again.

* * *

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	71. Suspicious People

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

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* * *

Suspicious People

Kagome sighed as she leaned against the wooden fence that surrounded a patch of an herb garden that belonged to the old priestess, Kaede. Leaning on the rail with her elbows, the priestess looked off into the forest, staring longingly into it.

'_Where did you go?' _She thought. _'Why didn't you take me with you?' _

"Kagome!" a voice yelled, snapping the priestess out of her thoughts.

"Hi, Sango," Kagome said in a calm voice as she slowly turned around to face the female demon slayer.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" Sango asked curiously.

"I don't know," Kagome shrugged. "You and Miroku always seem busy, Shippo is attracted to this girl in the village, Keiko, Avion, and Kirara have been doing god knows what, and Kohaku's with Rin and Jaken."

"Oh," Sango said sadly. "Well why don't we take some time to talk? Come with me to the hot springs?"

"Sure," Kagome said softly.

* * *

"Are you sure that's what he said?"

"_Positive,"_

"Alright," A person said with a nod. "Okay, old man, take it out,"

* * *

"This is nice," Sango sighed as she sunk slowly into the hot spring's water.

"Yeah," Kagome said absently.

"Thinking about Inuyasha, I take it," Sango said knowingly.

"I'm sorry,, Sango," Kagome said as she shook her head to dispel her thoughts.

"Don't be," Sango said with a soft smile. "If Miroku left for no reason, then I would think about him too,"

'_No reason…' _Kagome repeated in her mind.

_Flashback_

_The day after their return from the modern era, Inuyasha and Kagome walked through the edge of the forest, not really going into its dark depths. Hand in hand, the couple made their way to a memorable tree in the village, but away from the huts._

'This is where I threw that fruit at him when the villagers gave me all the food,' _Kagome thought as she giggled lightly._

"_What's so funny?" Inuyasha asked as he looked away from the tree and to his mate._

"_Nothing, just remembering something from the past," Kagome said, the sparkle in her eye did not disappear._

"_What's so special at this tree?" Inuyasha asked, oblivious to Kagome's heart aching at this forgetfulness._

"_Just something," She said, visibly sadder than before. Looking down at the girl after her sudden mood swing, the half demon cocked his head to the side._

'Am I forgetting something?' _Inuyasha thought. Thinking hard, the half demon scrunched up his face. _'What happened at this tree?'

"Inuyasha!" _a voice yelled behind the couple. Turning around, the half demon and priestess saw two two-tail demons and a spiritual bird running towards them._

"_You're back," Kagome said as she turned towards them fully. "Where have you guys been the past few days?"_

"_Around," Avion answered as she smiled at her master._

"_Uh-huh," Kagome said, not believing that they didn't have a point to leaving for a few days._

"Inuyasha, we got the message from Myoga," _Keiko woofed so quietly that it could only be heard by the half demon and Kirara. Nodding, the half demon turned towards his mate._

"_Why don't you go home for a few days?" Inuyasha asked._

"_How come?" Kagome asked with a raised eyebrow._

"_I need to go and see someone," Inuyasha said vaguely._

"_Who?" Kagome pushed. The three smaller members of the group stood and stared at the mates in fascination._

"_Just someone, okay?" Inuyasha asked, not wanting for her to get mad but also didn't want to reveal the person's name._

"_Can't I come with?" the priestess asked._

"_I should do this with them," Inuyasha said as he nodded his head towards the others._

"_What do you have to do?" Kagome asked, getting irritated._

"_Just trust me, okay?" Inuyasha sighed as he put his hands on her waist then leaned down the give her a romantic, goodbye kiss. "I'll be back in a few days,"_

"_Okay, bye," Kagome said as she let her hands linger on his abs before pulling back and stepping away. Inuyasha smiled sadly at the girl._

"_When I come back, I'll make it up to you," He said while signaling with his hands to the others._

_End Flashback_

'_Some reason he had,' _Kagome said dryly in her mind. _'That was two days ago,' _

* * *

"That is quite odd," Miroku said as he listened to a man who was sent to deliver a message to the infamous warriors of Kaede's village.

"Yes," The man said, glad that someone thought it just as odd as he.

"So you say that in between two villages the men are going to one and females are going to the other?" Miroku repeated, just to make sure.

"Yes and even those who are married look as though they want to murder each other. Anyone who steps into the land, they automatically go to their gender group," the man said, his black horse huffing next to him.

"How did you find out about this?" The monk asked.

"My lord was summoned there and we guards followed." The man said.

"But you said whoever steps into the land automatically goes to their gender side, why didn't you?"

"Our village priest came with us and put a barrier around us before we stepped in, he said something about demonic energy," The man shrugged.

"I see," Miroku said as he thought about it.

"Will you and your warriors help us? The lords of the two victim villages are our lord's extended family members and he will pay you any amount if you help," The man said, almost pleading.

"Yes, we'll go as soon as we can," Miroku said.

"Thank you, kind monk," the man said with a deep boy. "I'm sure our lord will pay a hefty wage,"

"Return to your village and have the priest protect you," The monk said.

"Yes, monk," the man said but then thought of something. "Do not bring the females in your group with you."

"Why not?" Miroku asked. "They are a good part of the team,"

"It will be too dangerous for them," The man said as he bowed again then climbed his way up onto the horse before racing back to his village.

'_Inuyasha, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion are still gone,' _Miroku thought as he watched the man's back disappear into the distance. _'And why shouldn't we bring the women? They're just as strong as me and Inuyasha,' _Suddenly, Miroku felt a strange demonic aura that was fading away. _'Is that coming from the man? It couldn't be, could it?'_

* * *

"Shippo, you're funny," A girl giggled as she put a hand on her aching stomach from laughing so much. The fox demon blushed lightly while smiling at the girl.

"Thanks, Rika," Shippo said before walking and sitting next to the girl. The two looked at the village as villagers went on with their daily routine, farming, harvesting, and selling goods.

"I like this village," Rika said absently while staring straight ahead.

"Me too," The fox demon said as he looked at her through the corners of his eyes.

"You know what," Rika started to say before turning her head towards the boy next to her on the ground. "I'm glad my old village got burned," Shippo looked at her, a little afraid of what she meant by the statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… I'm not happy about all the people that died or how an entire village was destroyed," Rika said sincerely. "But I'm glad I got to move here,"

"Oh," Shippo said with a nod. "I wouldn't be here either if someone didn't kill my parents. In a way, I'm glad that I'm here and met my friends, but I miss them,"

"I miss my parents too," Rika said suddenly.

"I thought you moved here with your family?"

"I did," Rika said with a sad smile. "My brothers and sisters are my family. Our parents died protecting us from the bandits that burned our village."

"Then who are the people who you live with?" Shippo asked curiously.

"My mother's sister and her husband," Rika said while tilting her head back and looking into the blue sky.

"I'm sorry about your parents," Shippo said sadly. Rika smiled at him before leaning onto his shoulder carefully since he had a smaller figure than her.

"Don't worry about it; I met you, didn't I?"

* * *

"Kohaku, over here!" a little girl yelled happily as she ran towards something.

"What is it?" the young demon slayer asked as he followed.

"Isn't it pretty?" Rin asked as she looked at the scenery. She stood at the edge of a small cliff that overlooked the forest just left of the village. "Look over there, it's another village!"

"Yeah," Kohaku nodded as he looked around some more, sensing a disturbing demonic aura somewhere.

"Why do I have to be stuck with you brats?" Jaken mumbled as he crossed his arms. "Lord Sesshomaru, where have you gone?" Taking a sideways glance at the green imp looking demon, Kohaku then looked down below them, sensing an unusual demonic energy flowing there. A man on a horse galloped to a stop as an unnatural wind rushed through the surroundings. Kohaku lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

'_That man… He's the one with a demonic aura,' _Kohaku thought. Suddenly, the man's eyes glowed blue and he took off through the forest. _'Something's wrong. That man is human,' _Kohaku stared at the back of the man a bit longer. "Rin, we should go back to the village," Kohaku said sternly, worried about the girl's safety.

"Why, Kohaku?" Rin asked sweetly.

"It's not safe being out here alone," Kohaku said in hopes it's enough explanation for her.

"We are not alone. We have each other," Rin said softly. Kohaku paused for a second.

"There's something wrong out here, Rin. We must get back to the village," Kohaku said as he dropped to one knee in front of the girl.

"You're a great fighter; I feel no threat to my safety." Rin said sincerely. Blushing lightly from the compliment, Kohaku stood back up and grabbed her hand.

"We should warn the others," Kohaku said without looking at the girl whose hand he was holding. He then led Rin the where the dragon demon, Ah-Un, stood grazing and had her climb on the demon's back before doing the same.

"Hey! Wait up you selfish kids!" Jaken yelled as he ran over, tripping on his own feet and planting his face to the ground.

* * *

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" Sango said with a sad smile as she looked at the priestess. The two of them were currently dressing after their bath in the hot springs.

"Yeah, I guess," Kagome said forlornly. "IF we had the choice, we never strayed from each other more than a day,"

"It's been two days, right?"

"Yeah," Kagome said as she strapped her cloth sash around her waist. Her kimono was worn over her fighting outfit while her weapons were held in her bag that was back at hers and Inuyasha's hut.

"Me and Miroku neither," Sango said as she also put her kimono over her demon slayers outfit.

"Let's get back to the village," Kagome said as she looked at her sister like friend.

"Good idea," The demon slayer agreed as the women walked through the forest and into the edge of the forest.

"Sango! Kagome!" a voice called.

"Miroku," Sango said in greeting as he ran towards them. Giving Sango a small kiss to the cheek, Miroku then looked at Kagome and smiled.

"Did Inuyasha tell you when he'll be back?" Miroku asked, not knowing the inner turmoil the priestess was going through.

"I don't know," Kagome said as she turned her body away and stared up into the sky. "He doesn't want me to know anything about his leaving," Jabbing the monk in the side with her elbow, Sango looked worriedly over at the priestess.

"Kagome," Sango said sympathetically. "He'll never leave you,"

"Maybe," Kagome sighed before turning her body back towards the couple and forcing a smile. "So, Miroku, why'd you come find us?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Oh!" Miroku said after a minute of thinking. "A man came here,"

"So?" Sango asked.

"He said that there are these two villages that have the men in one and women in the other. He said some kind of demon was involved," Miroku said.

"A demon is separating males and females into two different villages?" Kagome asked.

"Yes, that is what the man was saying," Miroku nodded.

"Alright," Sango started to say. "What are we going to do? Half of our group is missing with Inuyasha,"

"Either we leave without them or wait," Miroku said as he turned to the priestess.

"What? Am I supposed to make the decision?" Kagome asked, confused.

"Well, Yuri said we were like a pack. There are an alpha couple, a beta couple, and then the rest of the group," Sango said.

"And you, Kagome, are the mate of the alpha," Miroku grinned. "We listen to your orders,"

"If you say so," Kagome shrugged. "Did the man say anything about fighting between them?"

"No," Miroku said but then remembered something. "But he did say not to bring you girls,"

"Why not?" Sango asked.

"I don't know," Miroku shrugged. "I asked and he said it was too dangerous for you then left,"

"We're just as capable of battle and you and Inuyasha," The demon slayer argued.

"I know," Miroku said with a kind smile. "Perhaps you should take a vacation with Kagome," The monk said as he looked at the girl in question. She was deep in thought while staring at the ground.

'_Me and Sango can't go? Does that include Keiko, Avion, and Kirara?' _Kagome thought.

"So, Kagome, have you made a decision?" Miroku asked. "Will you send me off with Inuyasha when he returns?"

"We'll go in groups," Kagome said only after a moment's hesitation.

"What do you mean?" The demon slayer asked.

"The boys will be in one group," Kagome started to explain. "They will leave half an hour before us girls will follow. That leaves enough room for whatever the purpose of only bringing men there but it's close enough so we can help each other,'

"That's a good plan," Miroku agreed. "Are we waiting for Inuyasha and the others?"

"If we don't then it's just you, Kohaku, and Shippo, while it's me and Sango in the back." Kagome said in the voice of a true leader. "We can try, but no fighting is going on. We have some spare time to wait for backup."

"Alright," Sango said, understanding the situation.

"Should we prepare things while we wait?" The monk asked.

"No, relax for now," Kagome said, reverting back to her kind self as she gave the couple a soothing smile. "Enjoy it,"

* * *

"Excuse me, Lady Kaede?" A female villager asked as she looked at the aged priestess collecting her herbs.

"Yes?" Kaede asked as she looked up from her crouched position on the ground.

"A woman from another village is here," The village woman said as she stepped aside. A woman that had black hair and light brown eyes with a white horse, next to her, stood, waiting to speak with the village priestess.

"How may I help ye?" Kaede asked as she slowly got up with her aged joints.

"I need help," The woman said bluntly. Nodding, Kaede looked at the woman who resided in the village.

"Teruko, ye may leave. Thank ye for your help," Kaede said. Bowing once, Teruko then quietly walked away, leaving the unknown woman and the priestess to talk. "What is your name, young woman?"

"It's Umeko," the woman who stood next to the white horse said.

"Yes," Kaede said with a nod. "What did ye need help with?"

"My village is in the control of a demon, as well as another that is not too far from mine," Umeko said, almost sadly. Almost.

"Oh? How terrible," Kaede said.

"I hear that you have warriors that help around the countryside," Umeko said straightforwardly. "I was hoping that they can help me,"

"How did ye escape?" Kaede asked before promising anything and leading her faithful group of warriors into a trap.

"I was out traveling with my husband, but when we returned we found that a demon has over run our village. For some reason, the demon put the men in one village and the women in another. My husband had instructed me to stay in the forest while he went to go see what was going on. He hasn't been back ever since and it has been five days."

"How do ye know it is a demon?"

Hesitating for just a second, Umeko responded, "When the men were moving to the other village, they looked as though they have been possessed. Their eyes were glazed over while they blindly walked through the fields and forest."

"I see," Kaede said as she thought over the details. "I will send my warriors to help your village,"

"Thank you," Umeko said as she bowed. "My village is just northwest of here,"

"Alright," Kaede said then bowed lightly as a goodbye.

"Wait," Umeko said. The old priestess stopped and looked at the girl. "I only asked the assistance of the female slayers,"

"The female slayers?"

"Yes, we do not want the assistance of a male," Umeko said in a serious voice. Kaede stared at the woman questioningly.

"I'll be sure to inform them," Kaede said, meaning a different thing than what the woman thought she did.

"Thank you," Umeko said before bowing again then climbing onto her horse and riding away.

'_Why female slayers? Females aren't even usually the ones fighting,' _Kaede thought before she felt a wave of an unfamiliar demonic aura. _'Where did that come from?' _

* * *

"Rika! Come in for dinner, honey!" a motherly voice yelled.

"Sorry, Shippo, I have to go," Rika said as she stood up.

"Yeah, it is getting late," Shippo agreed as he also stood up and looked at the setting sun.

"I'll see you later?" Rika asked shyly.

"Yeah," Shippo nodded. Biting her lip, Rika stood awkwardly with the fox demon in front of her. Within a blink of an eye, Rika pecked Shippo's cheek with a kiss before running to her hut. Blinking in confusion, Shippo touched his cheek before a blush exploded onto his face. He turned away from the hut, giving it one last look, before walking towards Kaede's hut. Just then, a white horse passed by him, nearly stepping on the little fox demon. Gasping, Shippo fell on his tail as he watched the woman on the horse ride off into the sunset. _'Did I just see her eyes flash green?' _Shippo thought as he got up to his feet before running to Kaede's hut.

* * *

"Lady Kaede," Kohaku called from the top of Ah-Un's back as the two headed dragon landed onto the ground. "Lady Kaede!"

"Yes, what is it Kohaku?" Kaede asked as she walked towards the boy from her garden.

"Have you seen my sister? Or maybe Miroku or Kagome?" Kohaku asked anxiously.

"Nay, child," Kaede said. "But if you see them first, be sure to send them to me. I will be in my hut making dinner,"

"Yes, Lady Kaede," Kohaku said politely as he bowed.

"Kohaku?" Rin asked behind him, still on Ah-Un with Jaken.

"Stay here," Kohaku ordered kindly before running deeper into the village.

"Um, okay," Rin said in confusion.

"Insolent brat," Jaken mumbled.

Slowing down to a jog, Kohaku looked around, his eyes darting back and forth around the village. The village women called their children inside for the night while the men were just finishing their daily jobs in the village. Not finding anyone he needed, the young demon slayer jogged further into the village.

"Shippo!" Kohaku yelled as he saw the fox demon walk towards him.

"Kohaku," Shippo said, surprised to see the demon slayer in the middle of the village.

"Have you seen the others?" Kohaku asked, only slightly out of breath.

"No, not since this morning," Shippo said with a negative shake to his head. "Why?"

"I need to tell them something," Kohaku said.

"Oh?" Shippo asked. "What is it?"

"There was this man on a horse," Kohaku said as he beckoned the fox demon to follow him while looking for the others. "I don't know what happened, but he had a demonic aura around him and his eyes glowed blue when their original color was brown."

"Really?" Shippo asked, confused. "There was this woman on a horse that ran through here. Her eyes flashed green,"

"A woman?" Kohaku asked as he looked down towards the small demon.

"Yeah," Shippo nodded. "She might've had a demonic aura, I'm not sure,"

"Maybe Lady Kaede and the others will know something about it," Kohaku said as he neared the end of the village on the opposite side of Kaede's hut. "Where could they be?"

* * *

"Perhaps we should ask Kaede if she knows anything," Miroku said as him and the two women walked towards the old priestess's hut.

"Yeah," Kagome agreed as they entered the village. The group walked towards the wooden hut, passing by the stairs that lead to Kikyo's shrine. The priestess stopped in her tracks and stared up the steps.

"Kagome?" Sango asked once she noticed her sister not following.

"Um… Go on ahead, I'm going to go… check something," Kagome said before stepping silently up the stone steps.

"Alright," Sango said softly while watching the priestess walk away from them.

"Is there something wrong?" Miroku asked once Kagome was out of ear shot. The couple stood at the bottom of the steps, confused.

"I don't know," Sango said. "We should leave her alone,"

"Good idea," Miroku said as they took a few more steps and went into the hut.

"Miroku, Sango, ye are back," the old priestess said. Kaede sat next to the fire with a ladle stirring some newly made stew. "Where is Kagome?"

"She went to go see Kikyo's shrine," Miroku said softly as he sat down, Sango following shortly after.

"Why is that?" Kaede asked.

"We don't know," Sango said.

"Perhaps she's seeking advice about Inuyasha," Miroku suggested.

"Perhaps," Kaede said, continuing to stir the soup.

"But, anyways, Kaede," Miroku said, shaking his head to dispel whatever thoughts about Kagome going up to see Kikyo's shrine for. "We have a question,"

"And what is it?" Kaede asked.

"There was this man that came by," Miroku started.

* * *

'_Why I felt the need to come here, I have no idea,' _Kagome thought as she looked down at the small shrine at her feet. Sighing, Kagome kneeled to one knee and stared forlornly at the gravesite. "Hey," Kagome said softly, knowing no one was going to answer her except the wind. "I hope you're doing okay." Sighing again, the priestess fell back onto her ass and tucked her knees to the side of her body. "I don't know what I'm doing here, honestly," Kagome then looked up into the darkening sky briefly before bowing her head and looking into the ground. "Maybe you're right, maybe me and Inuyasha aren't suppose to be together." She laughed dryly, no real humor, just sadness. "Maybe it was never meant to be this way, a priestess and a half demon. Funny thing is, I still love him." A tear ran down her cheek and dripped off from her chin to her lap. "I know how you feel, I know… I know I'm not good enough for him. He's better off without me… but you know the rest. Why I don't leave, why I don't tell him all of this. Perhaps I'm pathetic, weak… Selfish, even." Kagome lifted up a hand and gently wiped away the tears from her face, her head still bowed and looking at the ground. "I don't know what he's doing, but he doesn't want me. Not the same way I want him."

* * *

"A man came here saying that?" Kaede asked, making sure.

"Yes," Miroku nodded.

"A woman came here earlier claiming something similar," Kaede said. Just then, a soft rustle of the reed door cover was heard. Turning their heads to the silhouette, the group saw that the priestess has come back.

"Kagome," Sango said softly, noticing the girl's disposure. Kagome shook her head from side to side softly, silently telling the demon slayer to not worry about her.

"You said a woman came here saying something similar to the man Miroku encountered today, Kaede?" Kagome asked, turning their attention back to the subject at hand.

"Ay," Kaede nodded. "The woman claimed that she and her husband were on a trip when they returned to find their village overrun. She then said her husband went into the village and has yet to return."

"Did she say anything about only having men go to help the village?" Sango asked.

"Quite the opposite," Kaede said. "She asked for only female slayers to help,"

"Women?" Miroku asked, shocked. In the feudal era, men were the common warrior where as females were rare and hardly travelled alone.

"Ay," Kaede nodded. "And it is the same village?"

"Close enough," Miroku answered.

"There you are," A voice said from the door. Turning, they saw Kohaku and Shippo standing in the open door way, looking relieved.

"Kohaku, what is it?" Sango asked, noticing her brother's reassured face.

"There's something strange here," Kohaku answered softly as he and Shippo sat around the fire.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"Earlier when Rin and I were out in the forest, we saw this man on a horse," Kohaku said, sparking the attention of the older occupants. "I sensed a demonic aura so I took a look at his face and saw that his eyes changed from their regular color to a blue,"

"Was the horse black?" Miroku asked.

"I think so," Kohaku said, thinking over the memory.

"Is it the same man, Miroku?" Sango asked.

"Yeah," Miroku nodded. "I believe so,"

"And then there was this woman," Shippo said. "She was on a white horse and her eyes flashed green. She led her horse across the village and to the other side."

"Kaede?" Kagome asked.

"Ay, child, I do believe it is the same woman," Kaede said.

"So one asks for men and the other asks for women," Miroku said.

"Well, we should check this out," Sango said as she gratefully took a bowl of stew from Kaede's hand. "Thanks,"

'_Can we do this without Inuyasha and the others?' _Kagome seriously contemplated. _'Looks like we're running out of time faster than I originally thought,' _

"Kagome," Kaede called as she handed the priestess some food.

"Oh, thank you," Kagome said, snapping out of her thoughts and accepting the food.

"Has anyone seen Rin?" Kohaku asked suddenly. "I left her just outside the hut,"

"They're here," Kagome said, absently staring into her food. "I can feel their auras just inside the cover of the forest. Sesshomaru's back,"

"Oh," Kohaku said forlornly. Moving her eyes to look at her brother, Sango smiled softly.

"Why don't you go say goodbye before they leave?" Sango asked. "If you hurry, you can catch them,"

"Really?" Kohaku asked, hopefully.

"Hurry," Miroku encouraged. The young demon slayer nodded as he put his bowl down and went outside.

* * *

"Kohaku!" Rin said, startled as the boy popped out of the bush.

"Rin," Kohaku sighed in relief. _'I got to her in time,' _He thought.

"What are you doing here?" Rin asked as she walked up to the young boy.

"I… um… I just wanted to say bye," Kohaku blushed.

"We don't have all day, boy, come on," a shrill voice next to the two said. Turning cold eyes to the imp, Sesshomaru gave him a glare, patiently waiting for his ward and the human boy to finish.

"Oh," Rin said, intrigued. "Well sorry for leaving, Lord Sesshomaru came back and-"

"There's no reason for an explanation," Kohaku said kindly. "Just… goodbye and take care of yourself, okay?" The young girl nodded happily before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You too," Rin said into his kimono clad chest. Blushing, Kohaku shyly returned the hug. Once they let each other go, Kohaku felt the eyes of the dog demon on him. The demon slayer nervously straightened his blue kimono, not his demon slayers outfit, and fidgeted in his spot.

"I should get going," Kohaku said as he backed away slowly. "And like Jaken said, you don't have all day,"

"I'll see you again, right?" Rin asked as she cocked her head to the side.

"Yeah," Kohaku nodded before turning. "Bye," He then ran back towards the hut.

* * *

"We should go to our own huts for the night," Kagome suggested as she got up.

"Are you going to be okay all alone?" Sango asked.

"I have been for the past two days, haven't I?" Kagome asked with a sad smile. "I'll be okay,"

"If you need anything, you know where to find us," Miroku reassured. Nodding in gratitude, Kagome looked down at the sleeping fox demon.

"Kaede, do you mind if he stays here?" Kagome asked, referring to Shippo.

"Not at all," Kaede said. "Good night,"

"Good night," Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku chimed together as they left and walked out of the village and into the forest.

* * *

…1:30 AM…

Thunder crashed through the sky, shaking the earth below it as it released oceans of water upon it. Creatures of the night scurried to find shelter as the storm grew harsher and harsher as time continued. Lightning lighted the sky, not yet ready to strike the ground and stayed in the clouds, almost as if it were charging itself.

_Dream_

_Rain poured down on the ebony haired girl as she stood in the middle of a clearing, staring into the trees surrounding it. Thunder clashed and lightning flashed, lighting two figures that ran circles around her._

"_Who's there!?" the girl yelled as she wrapped her arms around herself in fright and to keep herself warm. Lightning struck the ground, illuminating the men once again. "What do you want!?" She yelled over the loud thunder._

"_Not over my dead body," one of the silhouettes said, protectiveness ringing through his voice._

"_Don't worry, this will be quick and painless," the second voice said. The voice was masculine and dark, echoing through the area while sending chills down her spine._

"_They can't hear me," the girl thought out loud as she stood in the middle of the two circling men._

"_What do you mean?" the first man asked._

"_I mean _this!_" He said hoarsely as he suddenly lunged at her. More lightning flashed, showing her that he was just in front of her. She screamed, waiting for the pain to explode in her body. Waiting, nothing came. Calming down, the girl's senses opened back up. What she heard made her eyes snap open. Growl upon growl was heard as things ripped into flesh. Opening her eyes, she looked and saw two silhouettes of men fighting each other._

"_I won't die so easily," the kinder of the two men said. "And you would have to get through me to get to her,"_

"_That's what I was planning," the dark man said in a hiss. "I will have your mate dead, don't worry. You will just have to go first,"_

"_Damn you!" the man yelled as he used all his strength to push the other into a tree. More white lightning flashed, illuminating the wet silver hair of the man that stood in front of the invisible girl._

"_Inuyasha!" the girl gasped. Just then the lightning went away and a roar was heard. For her, it seemed like hours passed by before her eyes adjusted to the dark and the fighting was over._

"_Pathetic," The dark man growled as he took his claws out of the half demon's chest. Groaning and gasping in pain, the half demon doubled over onto his stomach, lying in a pool of his blood that was mixed with rain water. "Don't worry half breed, your mate will meet you in hell soon," With that, the dark man walked away, his bloody hand quickly getting washed from the water pouring from the sky._

"_Damn it all," Inuyasha whispered as he struggled for a breath. "Kagome… I'm sorry," His eyes, which were still open, showed pain before they dimmed and glazed over with death. The last breath leaving him as lightning illuminated his lifeless face._

_End_

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as she bolted up to a sitting position. Panting hard, the priestess gathered her bearings before putting a hand to her sweaty forehead. As she tried to get her breathing back to normal, she noticed that she sat on her and Inuyasha's futon with a blanket over her legs. Thunder crashed outside, telling Kagome that a storm was not just in her nightmare. _'Fitting,' _Kagome thought dryly as she threw the blankets off of her and went towards the window in their room. It had wooden bars covering the hole so no unwanted visitors had the idea of crawling through it.

All of a sudden, lightning crashed into the ground, making the earth shake with it. Reminding her of Inuyasha's face, Kagome lightly yelled in fear and turned from the window, only to run into a wet and bare chest of a man. Gasping in panic, Kagome was about to use her overly-sensitive-to-emotions spiritual powers to blast the man.

"I'm right here," a familiar voice said calmingly to her. Panting hard, Kagome calmed slightly, though her heart rate wouldn't slow down.

"Inuyasha," Kagome panted in relief. Wrapping his arms around her securely, the half demon gently squeezed her. He came into the room, wet from the rain, just before she awoke from her dream, screaming his name. As he heard his name being called, Inuyasha took off his wet fire rat kimono and placed it to dry while observing his mate. _'It wasn't a premonition. Thank god,' _Kagome thought as a tear managed to run down her cheek. The priestess then put her arms under his arms and had her hands grab his wet shoulders, holding him as tightly as she could. "You're back," Noticing the relief in her scared voice; Inuyasha rubbed his nose into her neck, letting her do the same to him.

"I'll always be by your side," Inuyasha said softly as he kissed her neck lightly before resting his chin on her shoulder. "Stupid, what did I say about putting a barrier around the door when I'm not here to protect you?" He said softly while tightening his grip on her.

"Sorry," Kagome mumbled into his bare chest, still damp from the rain outside. Letting her go, Inuyasha picked her up bridal style and gently walked to the futon and placed her in it, covering her back up with the blanket. He then sat on his side of the bed, not lying down. The priestess turned on her side so she faced him, and then took his hand in hers, staring up into his golden eyes. Staring into each other's eyes, the half demon noticed urgency in his mate's brown ones. He leaned down he gently kissed her on the cheek.

"You can go to sleep. I'll still be here when you wake up." He reassured.

"Promise?" Kagome asked in a voice that matched a scared child. Kissing her lightly on her temple, Inuyasha then squeezed her hand.

"Promise. I'm not going anywhere,"

* * *

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	72. Catching Up

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Catching Up

Slowly fluttering her eyes open, the priestess focused her vision, seeing the brown wall of the wooden hut in front of her face. Sighing sadly, she slowly got up, one of her arms supporting her weight while lying on her hip bone.

'_I guess he never really was here,' _Kagome thought as she wished for her half demon to return, safe and sound. _'So was it a premonition and then a blissful moment to ease the dream… nightmare?' _

"What are you doing up so early?" A soft voice said from the bedside. Turning her head quickly, Kagome came face to face with golden eyes, staring at her curiously. "You're never usually up now,"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said in wonder. The half demon raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's the matter?" He asked as he sat down on the futon.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said happily as she launched herself into his bare chest. Not expecting the sudden launch, the half demon had the air knocked out of his lungs before holding her lightly on the waist.

"Kagome," Inuyasha sighed. "What's wrong?" He then put his arms fully around her, encasing her to him.

"You're here. You're actually here," Kagome said shakily into his bare shoulder, her breath fanning against the skin.

"I was here when you woke up from that dream of yours, too," Inuyasha said softly. "Did you forget?"

"No," Kagome said instantly as she buried her face into his neck. "I thought that was a dream, too,"

"It wasn't, stop worrying so much. What's freaking you out anyways?"

"That… that nightmare I woke up from,"

"What was it about?" Kagome stayed silent for a little bit while Inuyasha waited patiently for her answer.

* * *

Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh, the monk looked at the wet scenery ahead of him. He then inspected the mud covered ground before poking at it with his staff.

"Some storm," He murmured to himself.

"Yeah," a voice said from behind him. Turning quickly, he saw his lovely fiancé standing in the door way, carefully looking at the wet foliage.

"Good morning, lovely Sango," Miroku said charmingly as he walked over to her carefully and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Morning," Sango replied as she stepped out and really looked at the area around her. "Wow, that storm really did some damage,"

"Yeah," Miroku agreed as he eyed a fallen tree nearby.

"I wonder how Kagome is," Sango asked.

"Well right now, she usually isn't awake unless she has to be," Miroku said as he squinted and eyed the sun. "Perhaps we should get breakfast done and bring it over to her,"

"That's a good idea," the demon slayer agreed. "I'm worried about her being alone. Especially after a storm like that,"

"I agree," Miroku nodded. "Is Kohaku up yet?"

"No, he isn't," Sango said with a shake of her head.

"Maybe we should wait until he wakes, he shouldn't be left alone while we hunt," The monk said as the demon slayer nodded.

'_I can't leave him,' _Sango thought determinedly. _'Even if he can protect himself just fine on his own, I'm not leaving him,' _

* * *

"That's what happened?" The half demon asked, slightly shocked. The priestess only nodded her head sadly as she let it fall into the skin of his chest. "Kagome, you know I would fight to the death for you,"

"Don't say that," Kagome begged.

"It's true-"

"Don't say that!" Kagome nearly yelled as she gripped his shoulders tightly. "I don't want you to die because of me,"

"I would gladly do it if it meant that you'd live," Inuyasha whispered into her ear as he leaned down. "You said, once, that you'd do the same for me. I don't like that either, but I can't make a decision for you," Kagome released her grip on his shoulders and wrapped her arms around his neck as they sat on the futon in their room.

"I'm sorry," She whispered into his neck. "I just…"

"Just what?" Inuyasha asked as he tightened his grip on her body.

"I just didn't like the idea that you went off without me. Without telling me why."

"Sorry," Inuyasha whispered back. "You know I don't like leaving you behind, but I had to do this."

"Do what?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha didn't reply but let go of their embrace and stood up. "Inuyasha?" He looked at her and smiled softly before walking to his, now dry, fire rat kimono and dug through the insides of it.

"I went to have this made," He said as he pulled out a fang that was blood red and glowing with power.

"What's that?" Kagome asked as she watched him walk back over to her and kneel in front of her, being eye to eye since the futon was on the ground.

"This is a mate's bond," Inuyasha said with a soft smile. "Remember when you asked me how to make you live as long as I did?"

"Yeah,"

"Well instead of the bloody mess I described you, there's another way," He said as they stared into each others' eyes, the fang glowing between them. "This is my fang mixed with my blood and demonic energy," Kagome stared longingly at the tooth, wondering what it was for. "If you accept, I can put this into your body and you'd live as long as I do. You'll feel a little pain though," he said the last part solemnly.

"Do it," Kagome said instantly as she leaned forward and put her hands gently on his chest. "I don't care about the pain, I just want to be with you," Inuyasha smiled softly.

"I don't deserve you," He said while he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I don't deserve you either," She whispered.

"Feh, that's far from the truth. You're the one that's too good for a half breed," Kagome then pushed on his chest hard enough so that he fell onto his ass. "Kagome?" He asked, shocked.

"Don't," Kagome whispered as her bangs covered her eyes. "Don't say that about yourself,"

"You know-"

"I don't care what you are, you know that by now," Kagome said softly with a light smile as she looked up. She then crawled her way to where she pushed him and kissed him on the lips. "Sorry,"

"Don't worry about it, wench," Inuyasha said amusedly. "So is that your final decision?"

"Yes," Kagome said as she sat down, her legs tucked beside her.

"You know, unlike a mating mark, this one really can't be undone,"

"Good," Kagome said with a grin.

"And it'll hurt some," Inuyasha warned.

"I'll take it," Kagome shrugged back.

"And you'll live for a long time,"

"With you," Kagome smirked. Inuyasha sighed, happy.

"Whenever you're ready," Inuyasha said.

"How about now?"

"Now?" Inuyasha asked. "Well we have to…um…do something's before it will even work,"

"Oh? What would that be?" She asked curiously. The half demon mumbled incoherently. "What did you say?"

"I said we… we have to…" The half demon said as he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Yeah?" She urged. Swallowing soundly, Inuyasha bit his lip.

"Consummate our bond," he said quietly with a blush that matched his kimono robes.

"Consummate our… bond," Kagome repeated slowly, processing it through her mind. "We… we did once,"

"Yeah," He said with a nod while he looked away to the ground. "But you broke it off before you… died… remember?" At that, Kagome giggled softly before her laughter escalated in volume. "What's so funny, wench?" He asked, irritated.

"Silly," Kagome said affectionately as she raised her hand and combed her fingers through his bangs. "That was a little trick up my sleeve,"

"What do you mean?"

"An illusion," Kagome clarified, straightening his bangs. "Something I learned. I was just mad when I did it; I never intended to use it when I learned how,"

"An illusion?"

"It blocks off our connection with each other, making it seem like the bond disappeared. Then it makes the mark on our wrist seem like it vanished, but really it was still there, just covered by a barrier the color of your skin. It feels like skin, but if someone were to cut themselves there, they wouldn't bleed." She explained while dropping her hand to her lap. "Besides, didn't you say that _both _of us had to agree to destroy our mating mark for it to actually be gone?"

"I guess I forgot about that," Inuyasha whispered. _'I was just… scared that you actually did that.' _He thought. _'I still am. But as long as I don't want to, the mark can't be reversed,' _

"There's really no need to fear that I'll do that," Kagome reassured as she gently put a hand on his knee and leaned up to his kiss his nose gently. "I never will,"

"Good," Inuyasha whispered while leaning his forehead against hers. "But we still… um… you know… before I can give you that fang,"

"We already have. Once,"

"Yeah, but you… you died. Death destroys a mating mark." He whispered sadly.

"Oh," Kagome said dejectedly before getting an idea. "You up for it now?"

"What do-" Inuyasha started to say but was cut off as Kagome's lips were on his, her tongue taking advantage of his gasp and slipped into his mouth; running the length of his fangs.

"Or did you want to wait?" Kagome asked as she pulled away when he started to take control of the kiss.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Shippo mumbled sleepily as he sat up from his bedding.

"They are at their huts, Shippo," A kind, elderly voice said from beside him.

"Oh," Shippo said sadly as he looked around, seeing three smaller figures in the room. Blinking, the fox demon tried to get his vision to focus.

"_Well good morning to you too," _A bark came from the group amusedly.

"Keiko!" Shippo yelled as he flung himself into the group. "Kirara, Avion, you're back,"

"We came in late last night," Avion explained.

"Where'd you guys go?" the fox demon asked in a pout.

"_Inuyasha had us run an errand to Myoga," _Kirara meowed. _"Took us a while to find him," _

"_Yeah, then he made us go with him to see Totosai to get something made," _Keiko said with a roll of her purple eyes. _"Sure he's nice company, but why'd he drag us along?"_

"To make sure Myoga wouldn't run away," Avion said with a smirk and sides glance to the two tail dog demon.

"_Not like the little bugger has anywhere to go," _Keiko scoffed.

"_He finds places to go," _Kirara sighed.

"So, why'd Inuyasha go to Totosai in the first place?" Shippo asked. Kaede waited patiently to listen for the answer next to her boiling water.

"He needed something made," Avion said, leaving it vague. "For Kagome,"

"Oh? What did he bring her?" Shippo asked innocently.

"_Let's just say it'll mean a lot to her," _Keiko barked with a grin.

"At least the idiot isn't hurting her anymore," Shippo huffed.

"What information did ye need to get from Myoga?" Kaede cut in.

"Something concerning what he had Totosai make," Avion said.

"_It's not really our place to say." _Kirara meowed. The old priestess nodded her head in understanding.

* * *

"Kohaku, wake up," Sango said softly as she gently shook her brother awake. Groaning, Kohaku carefully opened his eyes and looked at his sister's blurry figure. He blinked his eyes then rubbed them to get the organs to focus.

"Do I have to?" Kohaku mumbled.

"Yes, now up you go," Sango said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a sitting position. "Breakfast should be ready soon, go to the river and get cleaned up,"

"You're acting like a mother," Kohaku said sleepily.

"I'm your older sister, I _will _take care of you," Sango said seriously as she gave her little brother a hug. "We're not alone anymore, but you're my only blood related family left," Kohaku tentatively returned the hug and nodded. "Okay, now go and come back to eat," She said as she pulled away and handed the boy his weapon. "Be careful,"

"I will," Kohaku said as he got up, still half asleep.

'_I wish Kirara were here to go with him,' _Sango thought absently as she went into the main room of their one story hut and spied Miroku tending to breakfast.

"Hey, how'd waking up Kohaku go?" Miroku asked, just witnessing the boy stumble out of the hut sleepily.

"Well," Sango answered as she walked over to him and took over cooking. "You didn't burn breakfast, did you?"

"Of course not," The monk reassured with a grin. "When Kohaku gets back, we should head over to Kagome,"

"Yeah," Sango agreed with a nod.

* * *

"Or did you want to wait?" Kagome asked as she pulled away when he started to take control of the kiss. Inuyasha's ears twitched to the side before he gently pushed his mate away.

"Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku are coming," Inuyasha whispered as he scented the air. He then looked directly into her eyes and smiled gently. "Later, I promise," he then gently kissed her and got up. Offering a hand, Inuyasha waited for the priestess to grab it before pulling her up.

"Well," Kagome said as she stretched her arms above her head. "Let's go greet them, shall we?" Nodding, Inuyasha grabbed his kimono top before following the priestess out the room.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled into the hut as she stepped through the mat that covered the door.

"Good morning," Kagome said calmly as she waited for her family to get in.

"Morning," Sango said before stopping and stared in shock, making the monk behind her run into her back. "Inuyasha, you're back,"

"Came in late last night," Inuyasha answered her unspoken question.

"Welcome back," Miroku said as he stepped to the side, away from the demon slayer's back.

"Does this mean we have to start going?" Kohaku asked.

"Start going? Going where?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," Kagome said as something snapped in her mind. "Keiko and the others are back too, right?"

"Yeah, I left them at Kaede's," Inuyasha said, staring at his mate in confusion.

"Perhaps we should go there and inform them," Miroku suggested. Nodding, Kagome turned to the half demon and took his hand, interlacing their fingers together.

"Come on, you'll find out soon," Kagome said as she started to walk out of the hut. Sango and Miroku left with Kohaku as the couple trailed behind.

"Did something happen while I was gone?" Inuyasha asked as he squeezed her hand lightly.

"You can say that," Kagome said. "We were waiting for you to come back before we went off,"

"Glad you did," The half demon said softly as he kissed her temple. "Or else I wouldn't be there to protect you, like I promised,"

"I can handle myself," Kagome pouted.

"I'll still be there to protect you," He said softly.

"They're so cute together," Sango whispered to Miroku as she looked behind her shoulder.

"You know," Miroku said. "I'll always be there to protect you too," Sango raised an eyebrow as she felt a familiar feeling on her backside.

"Right," Sango said sarcastically as she took his hand and dropped it at his side.

"I'm going to go ahead," Kohaku said as he ran in front of the monk and demon slayer and towards the village. _'I don't want to see that,' _He thought as a shiver ran down his spine. Sango and Miroku blinked as they watched the boy's back disappearing.

"Where is Kohaku going?" Kagome asked from behind the monk and demon slayer.

"Ahead," Miroku said.

"Keh, we were almost there anyways," Inuyasha scoffed as they stepped into the village boundaries. "Come on, let's go," The group then went into the old priestess's house and was greeted by the occupants.

"Kagome!" A fox demon yelled as he launched himself into the priestess's embrace. Letting go of Inuyasha's hand, Kagome grabbed the fox, making sure he doesn't fall.

"Good morning, Shippo," Kagome said while Inuyasha went and sat down next to the fire. Following, Kagome sat next to him and placed the fox demon in her lap.

"_Kagome," _Keiko barked happily as she rubbed her head into the girl's hand.

"Welcome back," Kagome said while petting her loyal pet. "Avion," She greeted.

"Hey," Avion said as she made her way to the priestess's shoulder.

"Did you have a good time?" Kagome asked as she graciously accepted a cup of tea from the old priestess and took a sip.

"I'd rather not repeat the trip," Avion said with a grin.

"Well, what did we miss?" Inuyasha cut in.

"We have been called to help a village," Miroku said.

"Two villages, actually," Sango corrected.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A man came and spoke to Miroku, and a woman came and spoke with Kaede," Kagome explained. "Their stories were the same, but each asked for something different,"

"Aye," Kaede said. "The man has asked for the help of men, while the woman asked for the help of women,"

"So what does that mean?" Avion asked.

"The man said not to have the girls come with us, while the woman asked not to have men go," Miroku explained.

"_What was their story?" _Kirara asked as she sat in the demon slayer's lap.

"Their story was that two villages were being overrun by a demon. For some reason, the demon made men go to one village and women go to the other," Sango explained.

"Keh, crooked demon," Inuyasha scoffed.

"But things get weirder," Shippo said with a shiver.

"Kohaku saw the man that talked to Miroku," Sango said as she looked at her little brother. "Right?"

"Yeah," Kohaku nodded. "I was out in the forest when he came by. His eyes glowed blue and he had a demonic aura around him,"

"Then Shippo saw the woman pass through the village," Kagome said as she looked down in her lap.

"Yeah! Her eyes glowed green," Shippo said as he opened his eyes with his fingers.

"So, Kagome made a plan," Miroku said. "Since we're working as a 'pack,'"

"_What's the plan?" _Keiko asked.

"Well I was thinking that the men leave the village ahead, and then half an hour later, we women can follow." Kagome said. "That way, we're far enough apart to not be suspected by whatever it is, but close enough to help each other,"

"No way in hell," Inuyasha growled.

"And why not, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked.

"I have to keep an eye on Kagome," Inuyasha huffed.

"Well we can't go together," Sango said.

"How about we travel behind them?" Miroku suggested. "That way you have an eye out for them,"

"Fine with me," Kagome shrugged. The half demon growled but settled down slightly.

"Feh," Inuyasha huffed.

"When do we leave?" Avion asked.

"Probably this afternoon," Kagome sighed. "We've used all of our spare time,"

"I don't agree with this, Kagome," Inuyasha huffed.

"Then what's your plan?" Kagome asked. "If we didn't wait for you, we would've gone with my plan,"

"My plan is to not split us up, Kagome," Inuyasha said pointedly.

"What other choice do we have?" Kagome asked.

"More choices than just splitting up," Inuyasha growled.

"Maybe we should just let the beta's decide, because, _obviously_, we can't lead this 'pack,'" Kagome growled back.

"No way," Inuyasha said lowly. "This pack listens to me," The half demon and priestess were up face to face as they glared at each other.

"Weren't they getting along just a minute ago?" Kohaku asked.

"Oh, this is normal for them," Shippo said nonchalantly.

* * *

…Afternoon…

* * *

"Damn, I can't believe I let her have it her way," Inuyasha grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Let it go, Inuyasha," Miroku said as he patted the half demon on the back.

"Well, we're off," Kagome announced as she put the last of her weapons onto her demon slayers outfit. The white dress with green leggings and green sash stuck itself to her body like a second skin while her white forearm guards protected her arm with its hidden blade. "Sango, are you ready?"

"Yeah," Sango said as she rode up to the priestess on Kirara.

"Keiko, Avion, let's go," Kagome called. The two scampered out from behind the men and went over to their leader.

"Kagome you promised you'll be careful," Inuyasha reminded.

"I know," Kagome said sweetly as she finished tying her hair in a high pony tail. "You too, remember?"

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed. The priestess rolled her eyes as she walked up to the half demon and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"See you later," Kagome said before taking a running start, following the dirt path that led out of the village. The female demon slayer quickly followed with the other two close to their side.

"Bye!" Sango yelled over her shoulder.

"Well, looks like it's just us," Miroku said as he looked over the group.

"I still don't like this," Inuyasha huffed.

"Then why'd you agree to it?" Shippo asked.

"That is simple, my fox friend," Miroku said. "Our dear, Inuyasha, simply wanted Kagome to be happy, therefore letting her have it her way."

"Oh," Shippo said softly.

"Then later, when they are alone, Inuyasha can get pleasure himself from our lovely priestess," Miroku said lecherously. Turning ten shades of red, Inuyasha fisted his hand and hit the monk over the head.

"Shut up, monk! That is not it at all!" Inuyasha yelled.

"What does he mean by that?" Kohaku whispered to the fox demon.

"I have no idea," Shippo answered.

"Let's go," Inuyasha huffed as he started walking while the others followed.

"Aren't we supposed to wait?" Miroku asked calmly as he nursed his injured head.

"Keh, like I'm going to wait and have them run off, unprotected," Inuyasha said. "We'll just walk slower than they're running,"

"But doesn't this mean that you aren't listening to Kagome?" Shippo asked.

"Feh, the wench won't even know," Inuyasha scoffed.

"But Inuyasha, Kagome will sense your demonic aura moving," Kohaku argued.

"What is she going to do? Stop, turn back, and make me wait? No way," Inuyasha said while the village disappeared from their view.

"You're hopeless," Miroku sighed.

* * *

"I didn't think they'd listen," Kagome said dryly as she hopped into the air and landed on Kirara's back.

"Who?" Sango asked as she watched the priestess sit down.

"Inuyasha and the others," Kagome answered. "They're following, but slowly,"

"Weren't they supposed to wait a little while longer?" Avion asked as she flew near Kirara.

"Yeah," Kagome said. "He never listens,"

* * *

…Dusk…

* * *

"We'll stop here," Kagome announced as she hopped off of Kirara and landed on the ground. The two tail cat demon looked down and landed with a thud before the demon slayer on her back got off. Keiko barked as she came up to the group then shook her body, unwinding her running muscles.

"I'll go look for a water source," Avion said as she flew just above their heads.

"Alright, I'll get some firewood," Sango said next.

"Keiko, Kirara, do you mind looking for dinner?" Kagome asked. "I'll start making the fire pit,"

"_No, come on, Kirara," _Keiko barked as she ran off into the forest.

"_Wait up," _Kirara called as she followed.

"I'll be back," Avion said as she flew straight up and over the tree tops.

"Are you going to be okay all alone here?" Sango asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Kagome reassured with a smile. "The faster you get done, the faster we'll be back in a group," Sango nodded before securing her weapon more on her back and walked away.

* * *

"Inuyasha, can we stop yet?" Shippo whined as he lay on his stomach on the half demon's shoulder.

"Keh, the faster we get there, the faster we'll be done," Inuyasha scoffed. _'Besides, I want to get this over within the next three days. The new moon is just around the corner.' _He thought.

* * *

The group of females sat around a campfire, waiting for their dinner of boar meat to cook. Just then, the bushes around them rustled. Turning their eyes from side to side, the girl's spread their auras to figure out what their new enemy was. Sango was about to get up with her hand securely on her weapon when she was stopped by Kagome's gentle hand on her knee.

"Everyone, just stay still," Kagome said in a peaceful voice as she looked at the demons in her group.

"But, Kagome, they're bandits," Sango whispered. The priestess nodded her head as the group of bandits' ring leader pushed his way out of the bush.

"Well, what do we have here?" The ring leader asked hoarsely as he stood in his bandit's outfit. Kagome quietly looked at the man before taking a sip of tea and closing her eyes. "What do you say men? Steal their food and take these women for ourselves?" The men around him laughed as they emerged from the forest.

"Kagome?" Sango whispered so only the priestess could hear her silent question.

"What about the demons, boss?" A man with a bald head said asked.

"And that bird?" Another man asked.

"Kill them," The ring leader commanded. Keiko and Kirara bared their fangs at the men in their smaller forms but didn't make a sound. The bandits started to approach the group.

'_Kagome, what are you thinking?' _Sango asked as she sat still. The priestess put her cup of tea down and slowly opened her eyes.

"Inuyasha," Kagome called softly into the trees.

'_What do you mean?' _Sango thought before she saw a flash of red crash down into their camp and threw the ring leader into a tree. Three other figures came out of the surrounding trees and fought with the bandits, scattering them throughout the forest and away from camp.

"Keh, wench, what did you think you were doing?" A gruff voice asked.

"I knew you were there," Kagome said softly as she looked into the golden eyes of her mate. "You were ready to attack, so I let you,"

"Feh, like I was going to let bandits get you," Inuyasha huffed as he walked to the priestess and sat next to her.

"My lovely Sango, you aren't hurt are you?" a smooth voice said as the owner sat next to the female demon slayer.

"No, thanks for asking," Sango said while looking at the monk. "You guys caught up,"

"Inuyasha wouldn't stop," The fox demon complained.

"Well since we're all together, what now?" Kohaku asked.

"We go together," Inuyasha said.

"We have to split up when we reach the village boundaries." Kagome explained calmly.

"Feh, I still don't like that idea," Inuyasha huffed.

"Whether it's her idea or not," Miroku started to say kindly. "We have to."

"Don't worry, we'll be alright," Kagome reassured as she leaned onto the half demon.

"You better come back in one piece," The half demon said gruffly while also leaning on the priestess. _'I just hope we're done in time,' _He thought.

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING!**

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	73. How You Love Someone

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

How You Love Someone

"Kagome, what are you doing out here?" a soft, masculine voice asked behind a priestess in a white outfit.

"No wench?" Kagome asked softly without turning around to look at him.

"Keh, if you want to be called that, just say so," The half demon behind her scoffed lightly.

"Right," Kagome said as one corner of her mouth lifted, but she stayed serene, looking above to the starry night sky.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Inuyasha asked, concerned. He walked up to her so their bodies barely touched.

"Shouldn't you?" Kagome countered tenderly.

"What are you thinking?" He asked when he wrapped his arms around her chest, pinning her arms to her sides while his kimono sleeves provided warmth. Kagome sighed and snuggled closer to his chest. The priestess stayed silent. "Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he leaned his head over her shoulder and placed his lips on the side of her neck, making a trail to just under her chin. "Come on, talk to me," Inuyasha whispered huskily as his breath fanned her skin before going back to lightly nipping and sucking at her neck.

"Just some things," Kagome whispered as she lifted up her chin, granting him more access.

"Like?"

"That fang,"

"Like I said, we'll do that when we get back," Inuyasha said as he kept his lips against her skin, but he wasn't kissing anymore.

"You never told me how,"

"I put it into your eye," He blurted out.

"What?" Kagome asked, shocked. She tried pulling away from his embrace but was pulled back.

"Like I said, we'll talk about it when we get back," Inuyasha said softly. "What else is on your mind?"

"Your trust in me,"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked. He then turned her around and stared into her brown eyes that had a golden and a light pink ring around the center. The half demon put his hand on her waist and held her against his body.

"You just," Kagome said, drawing out the last word.

"I what?" He asked as he leaned forward and placed his lips just a hair's width away from her lips.

"You don't trust me when I'm alone," Kagome said. He then put his lips on top of hers and savoring the feel or her lips. Kagome's eyes fluttered close slowly as she fell into his spell. Snapping out of it, Kagome pushed him lightly away from her. "Why can't you trust me like Miroku trusts Sango?" Inuyasha softly sighed before nudging the priestess's nose with his own.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," He whispered. "I do trust you like Miroku trusts Sango,"

"You do not," Kagome argued as she turned her head to the side and looked towards the ground. The half demon kissed her temple then nudged her cheek with his nose before lightly licking it. Gasping softly, Kagome turned her head. "Did you just lick my cheek?"

"It's a dog demon thing," Inuyasha softly.

"For what purpose?"

"To get your attention," Inuyasha smirked. "Looks like it worked," Kagome harrumphed softly before averting her eyes back to the ground while her body was still pressed against him in his embrace. "Kagome," He sighed.

"I trust you when you go off alone, I worry, but I trust you. Why can't you trust me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you,"

"Then what is it?" Inuyasha stared into her eyes while he leaned his forehead onto hers.

"I hate leaving you alone," Inuyasha said delicately and a bit shakily. "Not knowing if you're okay or not,"

"But-" Inuyasha gently put his lips on hers to quiet her sentence.

"Unlike Miroku, I've already lost you. I know what it's like, and I hate it." Inuyasha whispered as he held onto her tighter. "I trust you to take care of yourself, but I feel better when I'm there keeping an eye on you, when I'm the one taking care of you." He then hugged her tightly while he placed his head down on her shoulder. "I don't want to lose you again."

* * *

"What are they saying?" Shippo whispered.

"I think we should leave them alone," Sango whispered back as she turned her head away from the embracing couple.

"But we'll never know what happens if we don't spy. You know they'll never tell us," Shippo whined.

"Sango's right," Miroku agreed. "We should leave them be. This is something personal," The monk then picked up the whining fox demon while he followed the two demon slayers back to camp.

"Perhaps we should get some more rest. We need it for what's to come," Kohaku suggested maturely.

"Done snooping?" Avion asked as she flew down from the tree tops.

"Yeah," Shippo huffed.

"_Come on, Shippo. They deserve privacy, don't be a spoiled brat," _Keiko barked truthfully from her spot near the campfire. Shippo cringed from the comment, but stayed quiet about it.

"_Why don't we just get to sleep before they get back?" _Kirara meowed as she opened one red eye. The group nodded as they resumed their previous positions and closed their eyes.

* * *

"Akane," A female dog demon called. "Take part of the group and go inspect that second village."

"_Why are we doing this?" _Akane, the two tail dog demon, asked.

"Because we were passing by," the dog demon said. "Don't question me," They leaped over trees with a group of two tails following them. Suddenly, green and blue energy vines wrapped around each member of the group. "What is this?" The dog demon shrieked as her wrists, ankles, and waist was wrapped in the energy vine. The females were wrapped in green vines while the males were wrapped in blue vines.

"_Yuri!" _Akane barked loudly as she struggled. The blue vines were pulled to the west while the green vines were pulled to the east, segregating the sexes and splitting the group in two.

* * *

"Pathetic," a male dog demon said coldly as he raised three fingers, his claws glowing green.

"Y-you're the Lord Sesshomaru," a weasel demon stuttered in a hoarse voice.

"Seems you know who I am," Sesshomaru said in a cool, monotone voice. "Now leave these lands,"

"Oh?" The weasel said. "And why do you care about these lands? You rule the west, do you not? These are out of your territory,"

'_Because my brother and his pack live near here,' _Sesshomaru thought, still with no emotion. "Don't come back," With that, the dog demon swiped his hand across his body. Just then, something rustling in the bushes nearby caught his attention, making him halt his attack. Sesshomaru quickly, but gracefully, leaped to the side just as a group of other weasel demons emerged and bit at the spot where he previously stood. In a blink of an eye, everyone in the battle was wrapped in blue energy vines.

"What is this?" The main weasel demon screeched out as he struggled. The demons were pulled off, leaving nothing behind.

* * *

"Are you cold?" The half demon asked gently as felt her shiver next to him. The couple sat a few meters away from the main group, enjoying the sight of the stars next to each other.

"I'm alright," The priestess said stubbornly, but gave her mate a sweet smile before turning her head back up to the sky. Inuyasha sighed and shook his head, not believing the girl. He took off his fire rat kimono and draped it across her shoulders. "Inuyasha, I said I was fine,"

"Keh, don't give me that," Inuyasha scoffed as he put his hands behind him and leaned on them. "You'll get sick,"

"But what about you?" Kagome asked worriedly.

"I'm half demon, we don't get sick," Inuyasha gloated with a playful smirk. Kagome folded her legs to the side and snuggled into his side while clutching the jacket to her chest with her hands. Inuyasha looked down to his side as he felt her warmth seep into his skin. He gently moved her and put a hand around her shoulders as he leaned back and lay on the grass below. "Comfortable?"

"Mh-m," Kagome mumbled as she put her head on his chest, using him like a pillow. "Can we just stay here, like this, for a little while longer?"

"As long as you want to," Inuyasha whispered as he bent the arm around her shoulder and wrapped it around her waist, his hand lying peacefully on her stomach. Kagome scooted a bit closer to his body while closing her eyes sleepily.

"I love you," She whispered before slipping into a blissful sleep.

"Love you too," he whispered even quieter, but she didn't hear him. Inuyasha looked down and kissed the crown of her head. "I'll keep you safe; you just sleep and not worry about a thing,"

* * *

…Morning…

"They're still not back," Shippo noticed as he stood and stretched his stiff muscles.

"They're probably just recuperating from some bonding activities," Miroku said suggestively. Sango grabbed her weapon and hit him on the head with the corner of her Hiraikotsu.

"Shut up, monk!" Sango yelled. Kohaku cocked his head to the side before looking at the fox demon.

"You get used to it," Shippo shrugged.

"_Just be grateful it wasn't Sango getting woken up by him groping her," _Kirara meowed dryly.

"_That usually gives him a few slaps and a hit to the head," _Keiko added as she stood and stretched her paws forward.

"Hey, Avion, where are Kagome and Inuyasha?" Sango called up to the tree tops once she set down her weapon.

"Nearby," Avion said as she flew down and landed next to the two two-tails. "They stayed in the clearing just a few meters from here,"

"Don't you dare," Sango hissed as she noticed Miroku moving his mouth. The monk shut his mouth and held up his hands in defense from his seat on the ground after being knocked down.

"Maybe we should start breakfast?" Kohaku asked, noticing Miroku get up from the floor.

"I'll go get some water," Shippo said as he scampered off into the forest.

"Wait, I'll go with you," Kohaku said as he ran after the fox demon with some of Kagome's 'water bottles' in his hands.

"_I'll get us some fish," _Kirara meowed as she transformed and followed the boys towards the river.

"_I'll go with you," _Keiko said, following her. This left Sango, Miroku, and Avion.

"So, who's going to get the fire wood?" Avion asked, smirking because she couldn't do it.

"Miroku,"

"Sango," The two said at the same time. Miroku and Sango glared at each other before one of them gave in. "Alright, Sango, I'll go," He sighed.

"Thanks," Sango said, silently cheering her victory. The monk sighed before walking away to gather twigs.

"You've got him wrapped around your finger," Avion said joyfully.

"Do I?" Sango asked, a little shocked.

"Looks like it," Avion said. "But hey, you're better than Kagome. She can bend Inuyasha to her will no matter what. Most of the time anyways," Sango laughed as she put her hand in front of her mouth.

"Inuyasha is so lucky," Sango said sarcastically.

* * *

"Mm," Kagome groaned as she fluttered her eyes open.

"Awake?" Kagome looked up and saw golden eyes looking down at her. The priestess found her head lying on the half demon's stomach while he lay on the grass below them.

"Yeah," Kagome said before yawning and placing her hand in front of her mouth to cover it. She then sat up and looked down at her mate. "How long have you been awake?"

"A while," Inuyasha said softly, not really looking at her. Kagome raised an eyebrow before looking around.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" She asked knowingly. Inuyasha moved his eyes to look at her before averting them again.

"Feh,"

"Inuyasha," Kagome scolded as she put her hands on his chest and leaned over him. "Why didn't you?"

"Someone had to stay up and watch over," Inuyasha said as he looked at her, their faces just inches apart.

"Why didn't you just sleep?" Kagome asked. "I'm worried about you," Inuyasha leaned up and lightly kissed her lips before laying his head back on his arms.

"I'm half demon, I can go at least one day without sleep," He reassured softly.

"You could've woke me up," Kagome whispered while looking away. "I could've watched over," Inuyasha smiled.

'_I don't deserve her,' _He thought affectionately. "I wanted to," Kagome looked at him with sincere eyes before kissing him. The half demon kissed back before lightly licking her lips with his tongue, asking for acceptance. Opening her mouth a little more, Kagome felt warmth on her own tongue then her teeth.

"Inu, don't my teeth taste bad? It is the morning," Kagome whispered as she pulled back.

"Inu?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Still tired," Kagome excused as she laid her head under his chin.

"Do you want to get more sleep?"

"Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Why don't you stop worrying about me," Inuyasha countered.

"Because I love you," Kagome said tiredly while snuggled further into his neck. Inuyasha pulled his head back and kissed the crown of her head before going back to their previous position.

"Love you, too," He whispered. The half demon then gently pulled his hands from under his head and put them on Kagome's arms, pushing her to a seated position. "Why are you so tired?" He then sat up with her.

"I don't know," Kagome mumbled. "Something's pulling at my energy,"

"Avion, maybe?" Inuyasha asked, getting worried.

"Mm, no," Kagome said. "I recharged her a few days ago,"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kagome said, pulling her energy together and sitting up on her own. "Yeah, I'll be okay,"

"Maybe we should go back to Kaede's,"

"No, let's keep going," Kagome said as she stretched her arms over her head. "We're almost there,"

* * *

"Did you see them?" Sango asked, a bit tiredly, as four group members came back with water and fish.

"See who?" Shippo asked as he held two water bottles in his arms.

"Kagome and Inuyasha," Sango clarified as she helped the fox demon carry the water.

"Oh, no, we didn't see them," Kohaku said as he set the water bottles he carried down. "Were we looking for them?"

"No, I was just wondering," Sango said before yawning.

"_Where'd Avion disappear to?" _Keiko asked once she set down the fish in her mouth.

"She felt something weird so she went to check it out," Sango said. "Though I can't feel anything out of the ordinary around here,"

"_Why are you tired?" _Kirara meowed as she noticed the demon slayers behavior.

"I don't know," Sango said before shaking her head, trying to get the sleepiness to go away.

"_Are you okay?" _Keiko asked in concern.

"Yeah," Sango said as she rubbed her eyes with her fist. "Yeah, I'm fine,"

"What's wrong?" A male asked as he entered the clearing.

"Oh Miroku," Sango noticed. "Nothing,"

"She's tired," Kohaku announced as he went to his sister and put a hand to her forehead. "No fever,"

"Maybe you should get more sleep, Sango," Shippo suggested. Miroku laid the sticks down and went to the female demon slayer.

"Didn't you sleep yesterday?" Miroku asked worriedly.

"Guys, don't worry about me," Sango protested. "Let's just get breakfast ready and get going, I'll be okay,"

"_If you say so," _Kirara meowed reluctantly.

"Oh, did you guys get breakfast already?" a female asked as two pairs of feet crushed the grass on the ground.

"Inuyasha, Kagome, welcome back," Miroku said with a smirk.

"Yeah, thanks," Kagome said, oblivious to the monk's silent words. "Well Inuyasha and I brought some fruit for you guys, if you want some."

"Thanks," Sango said while starting to light the fire.

"Where's Avion," Inuyasha asked once he noticed one of his pack members missing.

"She went off to check something," Shippo said as he took one of the fruits and took a bite out of it.

"Check what?" Miroku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She felt some weird energy or aura or something, so she went to check," Sango said nonchalantly.

'_Weird energy?' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at the priestess. _'Is that the same energy that's pulling at Kagome's strength?' _

* * *

…Later…

* * *

The group split up accordingly, the girls a few paces in front of the boys who followed right behind them.

'_The girls look like they're dragging themselves. Are both of their energies getting pulled away?' _Inuyasha thought as he narrowed his eyes.

"What are you glaring at, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh, um, nothing," Inuyasha said as he crossed his arms.

"If you're sure,"

"Hey, Miroku, has Sango been tired all morning?" Inuyasha asked the monk.

"Well yeah, why do you ask?" Miroku asked.

"She woke up and she was fine, but then she started yawning and stuff," Shippo added innocently. Inuyasha glanced at the group of males before looking ahead to the girls.

"Kagome was more tired than usual when she woke up this morning," Inuyasha said softly.

"Are you sure that isn't because of your _activities _last night?" Miroku asked lecherously. A fist connecting with a skull sound was made as the girls looked back and stared at the bump forming on the monk's head.

'_Stupid monk, he doesn't give it a rest.' _Sango thought irritably.

"No," Inuyasha said blankly as he put his fist down and crossed his arms again. The girls shook their head in disappointment before turning back around and walking.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" Kohaku asked in his still not matured, shrill voice.

"Kagome said that she felt someone taking her energy," Inuyasha said quietly so the girls wouldn't hear. "Maybe the same thing is happening to Sango,"

"Why only the girls?" Miroku asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Inuyasha said before leaping over the gap between the groups and landed right next to the priestess.

"Inuyasha," Kagome gasped as she stumbled in shock. Inuyasha reached a hand out and steadied her. "What are you doing?"

"How are you feeling?" Inuyasha asked as he moved the hand that steadied her down her arm and grabbed her hand.

"Fine, I guess," Kagome said. "Why do you ask?"

"You were acting weird this morning," Inuyasha said as he tugged on her hand, urging her forward. The couple began to walk as the rest of the group followed. Sango fell back so she walked alongside the monk.

"Leaving them alone, I see," Miroku noticed. The demon slayer nodded before rubbing her eye with her fist. "Is something wrong?"

"Mm, no," Sango mumbled. "I'm just having trouble keeping my eyes open," Miroku cocked his head to the side slightly in confusion.

"You've been tired all morning, are you sure you're okay?" Miroku asked. _'Maybe Inuyasha is right. Something is taking energy from the girls,' _He thought as he narrowed his eyes in concentration while staring at the female demon slayer. _'But it's only Sango and Kagome,' _

"Yeah," Sango said as she stretched tired muscles in her arms and back by raising her hands in the air.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said worriedly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"For the last time, yes," Kagome said, getting irritated by his concern.

'_Something's going on here,' _Avion thought as she flew over the group.

"Ah!" Kagome yelled as a green energy vine wrapped around her wrists and ankles.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he kept his grip on her hand. "What the hell?" He asked as he saw blue vines wrap around his body, making a cocoon around him.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled, starting to rush toward the priestess before being caught herself.

"_What is this?" _Kirara roared as she transformed while the green vines wrapped around her.

"_They won't break!" _Keiko barked while biting the green vine that wrapped around her middle.

"Someone help!" Shippo yelled as he and Kohaku were trapped in one blue vine wrapping around both boys, making them stand back to back with their arms pinned to their side.

"Damn these things to hell!" Inuyasha yelled while his hand that was holding Kagome's was the only thing visible on the half demon as he was engulfed by the blue vines.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled back as she gripped his hand tighter.

"What are these things?" Miroku asked as he tried swinging his staff at them but instantly got held down by the blue vines.

'_Green vines for females, blue vines for males,' _Avion thought as she avoided most of the incoming green vines by flying through the air. _'Where are they coming from?' _She thought before screeching as one green vine engulfed her like the blue vine did for Inuyasha.

"Avion!" Kagome yelled as she noticed her spiritual helper disappear. Kagome started to charge up her body with spiritual power but found that her energy was drained. _'What?!' _Kagome thought in panic. Just then, the two colored vines pulled in different directions.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled as he tried to reach for her before getting pulled off into the forest.

"No, Miroku!" Sango yelled back as she was pulled in the opposite direction. Avion, Kirara, and Keiko were swallowed by the green light from the vines as they just disappeared into the air, not leaving a trace.

"Someone help!" Shippo yelled as he and Kohaku got dragged where Miroku was last seen.

"Inuyasha, Kagome!" Kohaku yelled as his voice disappeared with his body.

"Hold on," Kagome strained as she tightened her grip on his clawed hand. Inuyasha tightened his grip as much as he can without breaking a bone in her body.

"Kagome, use your spiritual power!" Inuyasha yelled through the cocoon. "We're the only ones left!"

"I… I can't," She said desperately.

"What do you mean you can't?"

"Whatever that drained my energy took my powers with it, they're gone!" Kagome yelled as the vines tightened their grip on her body. Kagome groaned as they cut off her blood circulation. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha,"

"Don't apologize!" Inuyasha yelled, though he was angry for everything that happened. As cliché as the scene was, their hands were slowly pulled apart, slipping from each other's grasp. "Kagome, don't you dare let go!" He yelled as he tried kicking his way out of his cage.

"I'm trying," Kagome strained while her other hand went to the vine around her abdomen. _'I can't breathe,' _She thought as the green energy vine tightened. Just then a rustle from both sides of the forest came out of the bushes. "Sango! Miroku! You made it out!" Kagome said happily as she saw her friends come out of the forest, unharmed. The demon slayer and monk walked up to the priestess and half demon. Sango placed a hand on Kagome's wrist that was attached to the hand that held the half demon's while Miroku put his hand on Inuyasha's wrist.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked.

"Sango, Miroku, what the hell do you think you're doing? Help me out of here!" Inuyasha yelled. Sango then looked Kagome in the eye just as her eyes glowed green, covering all other colors.

"Sango?" Kagome gasped as she stared into her friend's eyes. She then felt a shock through her wrist and was pushed back, into the forest. "Sango, what are you doing? Inuyasha!"

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled as he felt the loss of her hand. The monk then looked at the half demon, his eyes glowed blue all over. "Miroku, what the hell is going on?!" Miroku silently grasped the half demon's wrist and pushed it into the cocoon before it was dragged into the forest. _'Miroku, you bastard,' _Inuyasha thought.

* * *

"Damn you, Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled as his cocoon was dropped onto the ground and disappearing. The half demon quickly gathered his composure and launched at the monk. "What's wrong with you?"

"Ah-uh, Inuyasha," A male voice laced with malice said behind him. Turning quickly, Inuyasha faced a male demon with black hair and eyes that were completely blue, no white in his eyes at all.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha growled as he kept an eye on Miroku while he tried to pay attention to his enemy.

"I am Jun, demon of males,"

"Demon of males?" Inuyasha asked. "I've never heard of that,"

"I control all males, like a wind sorceress controls the wind, or a water imp controls water." Jun explain with an evil smirk.

"And what do you want with me?" Inuyasha growled.

"I finally have the strongest male warrior in my possession," Jun grinned as he walked closer to the half demon.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked as he took an involuntary step backwards, closer to the monk.

"Come and fight in my army, Inuyasha," Jun said in a dark tone. "Together, we will fight and defeat my lovely _'mate'_,"

"Why would you want to do that? She's you're mate," Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow. Jun just laughed.

"That is just a title," Jun said as he stepped closer. "Besides, you'll be doing what you've always wanted to,"

"And what have I always wanted to do?" Inuyasha asked as he eyed the demon carefully.

"To fight and destroy your mate," Jun hissed. Inuyasha leaped back, unconsciously into Miroku's range of attack.

"Why the hell would I want to do that?!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Hold him down," Jun ordered suddenly. A pair of arms suddenly pinned Inuyasha's own arms to the side of his body.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha yelled as he struggled. _'I can't hit you. Damn it,' _Inuyasha groaned in his mind.

"Now fight with me," Jun said as he came forward, staring his completely blue eyes into Inuyasha's golden ones. After struggling, Inuyasha was overcome by the evil aura surround Jun. A black glow was seen on his forehead.

'_I jewel shard?' _Inuyasha thought before his eyes turned completely navy.

"Join up with the others and we'll begin our war," Jun said with a smirk as he walked away.

* * *

"Finally, the best female warriors are under my control," A female demon said evilly as her eyes were pure green and a wicked aura surrounded her. A black shard was imbedded in her forehead, showing off power and control. She then walked up to an unconscious priestess with ebony hair and lifted up her head, chanting a demonic spell. The priestess then opened her brown eyes with golden and purple rings around her eyes before those colors were over ridden with green. "Now my army of females; go and attack my dear '_mate'_,"

"Yes, master Madoka," the females chanted as they got up and started forming a line, marching towards another village that was being used as the hideout of the male army. Madoka smirked evilly just as the priestess stood up. The demon of females gasped as her eyes briefly turned back to a green pupil while the white in her eyes returned. The shard in her forehead glowed happily with purity.

'_What… what happened?' _Madoka thought frantically as she looked at the priestess walk in the formation of the army. Just as the priestess was out of range, the darkness consumed the glowing shard, making Madoka growl as her eyes changed back to all evil green. "Go my minions! Attack and kill Jun!"

* * *

*

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING!**

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	74. Gender War

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Gender War

Crackles of energy surrounded the air as warriors leapt left and right. Men and women bounded at each other while the demons and spiritual humans put energy into the air. Different colors of power colored the skies and trees, striking down on their intended target.

Women in village kimonos fought with knives and swords sloppily, having not been trained. Female demons fought with precision with their demonic powers, their energy color from fire to poison surrounded them, attacking their male counterparts. Priestess's of the group fought with sutras and arrows, flinging the objects to and fro. The rare female demon slayers used their skills and knowledge of poison and demon's weaknesses to their advantage, large, sharp, and unbreakable weapons cascaded throughout the group.

"Beautiful," A demon woman said as she hid in the dark, her golden hair contrasting with the dark as her completely jade eyes showed with malice, no pupil in sight. A sinister smirk graced her lips, showing a fang with intentions of pain and agony. She watched as her precious warriors fought and fell, some overpowering their enemy, some dying after a failed attempt. "A beautiful day when females overrule a man,"

"War is beautiful to those with evil in their soul," a girl said as she walked up behind the demon silently.

"Kagome," The demon smirked.

"Master Madoka," Kagome greeted softly. "You require my service?" Madoka stayed quiet for a minute, observing the battle going on just in front of her. Neither demon nor human sensed her presence.

"It is time," Madoka sneered with glee as she walked around, still hidden in the shadows. Kagome nodded before leaping away. The demon suddenly gasped as purity entered her body, her eyes going back to their peaceful emerald color while the white around it returned. One look at the battle next to her turned her eyes back to an evil green. Snarling, the demon kept walking, getting ready for battle. _'Mate, you will cease to exist any longer after today,' _She thought.

* * *

Men, who were mixed into the crowd of females, fought hard and long; brute strength being their only true advantage over their opposite sex. Village men fought in their now bloody kimonos with whatever sharp weapon they gathered around the village their leader has kept them in. Male demons had their energy crackle through the sky and in between the bodies of their comrades and enemies while other demons used claws and swords to do their murderous drive. Monks and priests – corresponding person of a priestess – also used their spiritual sutras, but instead of arrows, most used staffs. The ever reliable male demon slayer took on whatever they can, demons to humans to spiritual leaders, striking them with weapons they use on a daily basis.

"Miroku, go out there and destroy them," A male demon with short ebony hair and eyes filled with dark blue growled. Nodding, the monk quickly ran through the darkness and into the battle. "Inuyasha,"

"Yes, Master Jun?" The half demon said uncharacteristically.

"Take out the most powerful priestess and demon," Jun ordered emotionlessly. Inuyasha nodded his head, leaping into battle. _'And I shall take care of my dear _'mate'_,' _Jun thought maliciously, his eyes glowing darker with evil.

* * *

"Say your prayer," A female demon growled as she sliced at a male demon with her claws that were surrounded by fire.

"I believe you should say yours," The male said calmly as he raised his arms, three of his claws glowed green as an energy whip cascaded towards the female.

"Fire not enough, Sesshomaru?" The female asked. She had long black hair; half of it was pinned up into a bun with two chopstick-like sticks except they were gold and pointed. Her eyes glowed green from the power possessing her while her claws glowed from red to black, depending on what element she chose to control. "Remember, my mother's powers don't limit itself to just one element. I have all the elements to defeat you,"

"Well, little sister, my mother was made for poison, natures lethal weapon," Sesshomaru said as his now completely blue eyes glared at the female. His long silver hair blew in the wind and gust as other warriors passed by them.

"Then give it your best shot," his little sister smirked evilly as she made her own nails glow purple, poisonous vapor leaked out into the air from them. With that, the two dog demons jumped at each other, trying to claw at the other's throats. Just then, an arrow surrounded by spiritual power came in between the fighting pair, effectively breaking them apart. The arrow narrowly missed the dog demon, slicing into silver hair instead.

"Sesshomaru, still quick I see," A voice laced with unfamiliar evil said in amusement. Looking around, the female demon found herself face to face with an ebony haired girl; her eyes also green like every other female fighting.

"I can handle him, Kagome," The female dog demon smirked as she turned her attention back to her brother.

"Very well, Yuri," Kagome said before putting down the arm that held the bow. "Do as you please," She then walked away, finding another target.

"My pleasure," Yuri said before baring her fangs in a smirk as her claws turned red with flames. "I'll make it feel like you're burning in hell,"

* * *

Flurries of fur rose into the air, floating with the wind and gravity. Two tail demons ran around, clawing and biting at each other. Some stopped into a group, targeting one enemy that stood in the middle of them. Tuffs of fur came off each of them as their fighting continued. The two tails growled and snarled before attacking, elongated fangs and claws did damage that should have been fatal if placed correctly on the body. Targeting each other's necks, the demons leapt and tumbled, trying to avoid while trying to attack. No humanoid demon or human dare interfere in their sub division demon war.

* * *

"Close your eyes," A female said as she caught a spinning weapon that was in the air. "It'll help,"

"Help?" a male asked incredulously.

"You won't expect it, so it'll be quick," She smirked as she raised her arm, getting ready to throw the heavy weapon.

"Unlikely, demon slayer," the man said as he ran forward with his staff in front of him. "Why don't you put that weapon down and let my staff make a hole in your body?"

"You think I'm stupid?" The female smirked again as she put the weapon in front of her with ease, using it as a shield as the man's golden staff hit against it. "For coming this close to me, I think you've taken the title," The monk grunted as he felt her sword slice across his abdomen.

"Sneaky," the monk hissed as he leapt backwards.

"Not as clever as you thought you were, now are you, _Miroku_?" She sneered in a mocking manner. Miroku's completely blue eyes bore into her green orbs.

"You're truly pathetic if you believe this scratch is anything, _Sango_," He said just as mockingly.

"Maybe, but at least I'm not the one going to hell first," Sango growled as she threw her sword at him, expecting to jump away to avoid it. Just as the demon slayer thought, the monk jumped away. Sango threw her large bone boomerang at the man, estimating where he was going to land. "Your luck has just run out. Now go burn in hell with all the others," Miroku screamed as the weapon hit him. A noise of something solid breaking came from within the monk as blood trickled down his body. Suddenly, the female demon slayer screamed as a blade was stabbed into her back.

"Follow him to hell, _sister,_" a voice of a young boy growled.

"Kohaku," Sango chuckled dryly as she fell to her hands and knees, his scythe still stabbed into her back. The young boy demon slayer roughly yanked the blade back to his hands as his sister screamed in pain again. Hiraikotsu flew by, imbedding itself into the ground, yards away from the siblings.

* * *

"You really think you can defeat me?" a bird with a body made of spiritual power asked as she flew steadily in the air. "Pathetic,"

"I'll show you," A young fox demon growled the best he can, his hands glowing with a blue green gas.

"You think a feeble demonic attack like that can hurt me?" the spiritual bird scoffed. "Please, a regular, fully grown demon can't even hurt me."

"Fox fire!" The fox demon yelled. The bird stayed where she was, not even flinching. Through the fog of the illusion fire, a white blur flew through it, attaching itself to the spiritual bird. Screaming, Avion fell to the ground in a heap.

"Hm," An unfamiliar monk hummed as he stood behind the small fox demon. The two males' eyes glow a darker blue, swirling with wickedness.

"Look who's pathetic now," Shippo scoffed with a smirk.

"Still you," Avion said weakly as she created a barrier around the two of them, not letting them out to help their comrades.

* * *

"Found you," A sinister voice said from behind a woman. Turning around quickly, the woman put her hands up just as a half demon jumped at her. She then fell to the ground and rolled her back so she flipped him over her with her legs.

"Looking for me, I see?" The woman said with satisfactory as she watched him get up from the ground. "How charming,"

"Let's see how charming it is when my claws are through your heart," The half demon smirked evilly.

"Flattering," The female smirked, playing his game. "I'll just show you how much you mean to me, dear _mate_," With that, she charged up her hand with spiritual power and punched into the ground directly in front of her. The rocks and debris that flew up got powered by the spiritual power and was flung at the half demon. A line that started from the priestess ran quickly to her mate, sending everything at him.

"I love you too," He said sarcastically with a grin as he jumped over her and landed just a foot away. "I'll end your suffering existence and send you to the nether world."

"Oh, Inuyasha," The priestess said cheerfully as she turned around and eyed the half demon. "You're threats are just as hollow as they always were,"

"Not this time, Kagome," He growled as he lashed out his clawed hand, grazing her cheek. Kagome quickly jumped backwards as she saw him bringing his hand down. Blood trickled down her cheek as they stood staring at each other.

"Ouch," Kagome said sarcastically as she reached for her sword and took it out. "Such damage,"

"I haven't even started," Inuyasha said as he took out Tetsusaiga. "Do you really think your pathetic sword can stand up against my fang?" He said amusedly.

"It can do so much more than that," Kagome smirked. The two charged at each other, their swords clashing. Kagome's sword emitted spiritual power every time it connected with the demonic sword, unknowingly purifying it. _'Soon, your precious fang will be a rusty piece of metal,' _She thought evilly. Entirely green eyes stared into blue as they locked swords, each smirking at the other.

"You'll lose with that puny thing," The half demon said smugly.

"You'll regret fighting me," Kagome countered back confidently as sparks of energy started to form around her body. Like electricity, her spiritual power surrounded the two of them. Inuyasha's body burned, his hands turning into burn scars as his sword glowed yellow, transforming back into a rusty piece of metal. "Still holding on? What a pity," She said, sarcastically sympathetic. Grinning a little, the priestess put more power into the purification process. The half demon grinded his teeth together in pain, his hands still holding the useless sword and pushing the priestess's sword back.

"I won't lose to you," Inuyasha said with a smirk, masking the pain.

"You're fighting a losing battle, give it up," Kagome growled as she pushed onto her sword more and breaking the stand still. Once she got her sword free, the priestess swiped at the half demon's neck. Inuyasha leaned back, narrowly missing the tip of her sword from cutting into skin.

Abruptly, clapping was heard next to the fighting pair. Blue and green eyes turned their attention from each other and looked at a male demon with short black hair and completely glazed over blue eyes. Kagome scoffed as she stood straight and flicked her wrist, cracking the kink in it.

"Master Jun," Inuyasha greeted, keeping a wary ear on the priestess.

"Finally show your face?" Kagome scoffed. "About time you coward,"

"And where exactly is that bitch, Madoka?" Jun asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Plundering your hide out," Kagome said with a smirk and narrowed eyes. "Don't worry; we'll use the bombs to blow you all to hell _together,_"

"Inuyasha, go and find the leader of all bitches," Jun snarled. _'Wait… what did I just say?' _Jun thought as his eyes turned back to normal for a brief second. The demon of all males then shook his head, his eyes glazed over. Nodding his head, the half demon complied, leaping into the air. Before getting too far, a rope was latched around his ankle, pulling him down to earth.

"And where do you think you're going, puppy?" Kagome asked playfully as she held the rope tightly in her hands. "We aren't done playing," Inuyasha growled.

"Incompetence," Jun growled. "I'll go myself," He then disappeared into the shadows.

"You'll be disappointed when I win if we keep this up," The half demon said arrogantly as he cut the rope that was attached to his ankle and stood up.

"Prove it to me, puppy," Kagome joked as she put her sword back in its sheath. "Hand on hand combat,"

"You'll be run through with my claws," Inuyasha growled as he cracked his knuckles without using his other hand. With demonic speed, the half demon sliced and clawed at the priestess, not leaving room for an attack of her own. Pushing her back, Inuyasha smirked as he saw her defend herself against his sharp, deadly claws. Before long, Kagome's back was pushed against a tree. Inuyasha's hand was laying flat on the tree next to her head while the other one was poised to gouge at her. "Ready to die?"

* * *

"Found me, huh, Jun?" A female said with a smirk as she held an explosive in her hand.

"Damn you, Madoka," Jun sneered as he looked at the village behind her. He found her half way between the village and the battle, meaning she already thoroughly checked it. "Using that priestess was cheap,"

"Cheap, but not against the rules," Madoka smirked. "You're the one that fell for it,"

"In the end, you'll lose, I promise," Jun growled as he lunged towards his mate with his claws extended in front of him. Madoka easily dodged the attack and leapt over him, bringing her foot down only to hit the ground below. Evenly matched, the demons stared at each other before engaging in a bloody battle.

"Is that all you've got?" Madoka egged on. "Damn, I bet a village man can do better than you," Jun took the bait, slashing at the female with all his might. _'Ha, men, so easily controlled,' _Madoka laughed in her mind.

"Say hello to your mother for me when you're in hell," Jun hissed, finally landing an attack on the demon. Madoka's arm was sliced, three lines going down from her shoulder to her hand.

"Don't make me drop these," Madoka said with a smirk, ignoring the pain in her arm. She then lifted her other arm and showed her mate the small bombs in her hand. "You wouldn't want these to destruct, do you?"

"Just try it," Jun said as he lunged towards her again. "You'll get blown up with it,"

'_Men, always charging recklessly into battle,' _Madoka thought as she leapt high into the air, avoiding his attack. The male demon then followed her up into the air. "You're truly pathetic," Jun harrumphed darkly as he caught her ankle and plummeted both of them to the ground. The explosives in the female demon's hands were dropped, creating smoke clouds and rocks to fly around them.

* * *

'_That's the signal,' _Yuri thought as she leapt over her brother and landed on his shoulders, pushing him to the ground. The female dog demon eyed the cloud of smoke in the distance. _'I should get the others,' _

"You should never avert your attention away from your enemy," Sesshomaru said emotionlessly as he raised his claws and swung down. Barely avoiding the attack, Yuri rolled to the side, her back lined with three parallel cuts to her skin, though they weren't deep.

"You're getting closer to actually hitting me directly instead of just skimming," Yuri taunted as she got to her feet. "Unfortunately, I'm going to have to cut our fun short,"

"Oh? And why is that, dear sister?" He spat.

"I have other obligations," She said before using her powers to create a smoke screen of poison around the male dog demon and weaving through the other battles of war.

* * *

Sango smirked and chuckled darkly as she was kneeled on the ground on her hands and knees. Kohaku loomed over her with his scythe in his hands, her blood dripping from the tip of it. The male demon slayer then kicked his sister in the side, earning a grunt from her.

"Father trained you better than that, _sister, _get up," Kohaku sneered.

"You're right, he did train me better than that," Sango said with a hidden smirk as she lowered her head. "But he certainly didn't train you well," With that, the female demon slayer stuck her leg out and swung it around, underneath her brother's feet. Losing his balance, Kohaku fell hard to the ground as he watched Sango get up and run to her bone boomerang. The boy turned to his side quickly and threw a metal ball that was attached to a long chain. The ball caught Sango at the ankle, stopping her run as she headed towards her sword near the monk's limp body.

"Cheap shot," Kohaku said as he pulled the chain, making her stumble but not fall.

"Big mistake," Sango smirked back as she yanked her foot forward, the chain getting pulled alone with it. His weapon then came up with the chain, slicing him across his cheek as he barely moved out of the way. The scythe flew forward, sliding across the barren ground and stopping right at the female demon slayer's feet.

"Sango," Another female called softly, not far from the two demon slayers. "It's time," Sango nodded before turning her completely green eyes to her younger brother. The female who called for Sango disappeared into the crowd of other battles.

"Well, brother, looks like I have to leave," Sango said.

"No you're not, we're not done fighting," Kohaku scolded. Sango shrugged as she put her foot under her brother's weapon and kicked it into the air towards him. The scythe shot through the air, making Kohaku jump back to avoid it.

"Now we are," Sango said referring to him backing out.

"I was dodging," Kohaku growled. The female demon slayer shrugged before waving goodbye.

"Later," With that, Sango left.

* * *

"If I wasn't nice, you'd be dead," Kagome said emotionlessly as she was pushed back into a tree trunk. "You left plenty of openings for me to attack,"

"Then why didn't you, _priestess_?" Inuyasha hissed as he leaned his face closer, trying to be more intimidating.

"Like I said, I'm too nice," Kagome smirked as she eyed his arm up to the hand that was ready to rip her to shreds. "Well? Are you attacking or what?" The half demon growled as he heard her statement. He then raised his hand higher, trembling.

"You'll regret wanting me to," Inuyasha hissed in her ear as his claw descended. A pained grunt was heard from the priestess as large amounts of blood dripped down from just below her left clavicle (shoulder) where his hand was still punctured in her body. Slowly taking his hand out, Inuyasha prolonged the pain. The wound, itself, went deep into her body but didn't penetrate to the other side, while its size was that of the half demon's hand. "Regret it now?" Inuyasha asked, amused. Kagome laughed dryly as pain wracked her body, but she ignored it. Blood went down the side of her body, coating her left side, hip, and leg, going all the way down to her left foot to pool on the ground.

"It's just a scratch," Kagome said with a smirk, trying to hide her pain and panting.

"Can't handle a battle with my little brother, Kagome?" a female said as she came up beside the two. "Or should I say, your mate,"

"I can handle myself just fine, Yuri," Kagome said, still keeping a wary eye on the half demon. She then charged up her body and blasted purifying energy. Inuyasha screamed in shock and pain as he was flung back onto the dirt ground, skidding to a stop.

"And that wound on your shoulder?" Yuri asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A scratch," She repeated Inuyasha's familiar words again. "What are you doing here?"

"It's time to go," Yuri said before her absolutely green eyes caught a movement at the corner of it. Kagome's now green eye's flashed purple-pink with spiritual power before returning to their possessed color. A glow surrounded the half demon's body as he slowly got up. Inuyasha screamed as more purification energy shot at him.

"Let's go," Kagome said, not caring that the half demon was screaming in pain. The two females walked away together, weaving through the crowd.

* * *

"Damn you, Madoka," Jun hissed as he stepped away from the smoke. "It took days to make that,"

"You should've kept guard in your village then," Madoka smirked. _'Now all I have to do is wait for the girls and this war is as good as ours,' _She thought evilly. "Typical man, never thinking ahead and just jumping into battle,"

"Worry about yourself, for soon you'll be dead," Jun said as he leapt towards her. Surprised, Madoka was knocked to the ground with Jun over her.

"Big mistake," Madoka said darkly as she slammed her palm into his chest, something round in her hand. A bright light was seen as the small bomb was sent off, flinging Jun a good distance back. "Those jewel shards aren't working to their full potential. Maybe you should hand them over to someone who knows how to use them,"

"Ha, they're working to their 'potential', alright," Jun said as he slowly sat up from the crater he created. He then lifted up his right hand, his claws sparking with the evil energy from the tainted jewel shard like black electricity.

"You don't think I can't do that?" Madoka asked, unimpressed. She then did the same to her claws, standing impassively in the middle of the clearing. "Well?"

"Perish in hell, dear mate," He said in a low, dark tone before shooting towards her. Reacting, the demon of females raised her claws to meet his in the middle, dark energy colliding with each other. A light appeared between their claws, blowing them back from each other before they did it again repeatedly.

Jun flipped over Madoka just as she lunged at him, making her stumble slightly. He then turned around and quickly slashed into her back with his black claws. Madoka screamed in pain as blood rushed out of her body and dark energy coursed through her veins. The demon of males then kicked his leg out, tripping the woman in front of him.

"Bastard," Madoka groaned as she put her hands flat on the ground and struggled to stand back up.

"Any last words?" Jun asked while forming a black energy ball that radiated the evil that tainted the jewel shards.

"Even if I die, your pathetic army can't stand up to mine," Madoka smirked despite the pain rushing through her body. Jun raised an eyebrow.

"An army fails without a leader," With that, the male demon put his hands in front of him and released the energy ball towards his mate, hitting her square in the chest. Madoka was forced back into the dusty ground, skidding as the attack took its effect. She then slumped to the ground, unmoving. "Pathetic," A whizzing noise caught his attention. He turned around just in time to see a large boomerang coming towards him and stepped to the side to avoid it. "You're too late, Madoka is dead," The females approaching him seemed unfazed by the news as the demon slayer caught her weapon from the air.

"It doesn't mean our army doesn't have a leader," Kagome said evenly.

"And that means our army won't fail," Yuri added as she lifted up her arm, showing the back of her hand to the male demon. She then flexed her claws out, making them appear sharper.

"Don't you think it's time to put up the white flag?" Sango asked as she nodded her head towards the main battle field. "It doesn't look so good for you,"

"Women are inferior," Jun scoffed.

"Are we?" The priestess asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then how come we just out smart you?" Jun raised an eyebrow in confusion before he felt a hand go through his back and came out at his chest.

"Are we inferior now, mate?" Madoka hissed in his ear as she slowly pulled her hand out. Jun grunted in pain, but otherwise didn't make a sound.

"Four against one isn't fair, don't you think?" A male voice said from behind the group. Turning their eyes to the man who said it, the girls and Jun saw four other males.

"Thanks for blowing our surprise entrance, monk," a half demon hissed at his friend in purple robes.

"Well if you are all here, isn't it unfair to us now?" the priestess asked as she looked at the five males.

"By one, big deal," the young, male demon slayer scoffed.

"Alive, I see," the female demon slayer said as she looked at the monk and her brother.

"Sesshomaru, nice to see you again," the female dog demon said sarcastically with a smirk. "Shall we continue our battle?"

"I'll end it," The male dog demon said confidently. Yuri giggled joylessly.

"So self centered," Yuri smirked before leaping towards the dog demon with unnatural speed. Sesshomaru easily leapt backwards, dodging the attack before swiping his poison whip at his sister. Growls were heard from the two siblings as the clawed at each other's throats. Their battle was being pushed back from the group as each relentlessly spilt blood.

"Well, monk? Do you want your other arm broken?" Sango asked as she averted her eyes from the two dog demons battling. The female demon slayer lifted her bone boomerang above her head, getting ready to launch it.

"How's that wound in your back?" Kohaku asked, not sounding a bit concerned.

"How's that broken foot of yours?" Sango countered.

"What broken foot?" Kohaku asked.

"This one," Sango sneered before slamming her weapon towards the ground, making it rotate on the ground before slamming into the male demon slayer's toe as he barely dodged.

"You've got to be quicker than that," Miroku said as he raised his staff.

"Scolding your own comrade, monk?" Sango asked as she caught her weapon easily before twirling it above her head. "How about less talk and more action?" She then let go of the Hiraikotsu, letting it easily fly towards the monk. Miroku ducked as the weapon soared over his head, not noticing Sango run at him as she took out her sword.

"How's that wound near your heart? Infected yet?" The half demon asked coldly.

"You regret missing now, don't you?" The priestess smirked as she put a hand over the wound. "It's funny how you missed and I wasn't even moving,"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha growled loudly as he recklessly ran towards her with his claws stretched out in front of him. "You'll regret ever meeting me,"

"Ironic, isn't it, _mate_?" Kagome asked as she jumped backwards, easily dodging his claws. "Too bad my spiritual powers didn't kill you. You're hands and feet look quite burned though."

"Keh, this is nothing," Inuyasha huffed as he landed on his feet and took out his sword.

"Oh? Then how come your left hand is that of a human? Your demonic blood too weak?" Kagome asked, pushing his anger.

"If I'm weak, then you're nothing but flesh and bones," Inuyasha insulted as he jumped at her, making her back up into Madoka's side as she flared out her spiritual powers.

"Half breed," Kagome mumbled with a sneer as she shot out her powers, bending them so it looked like a dragon roaring at its enemy.

"Well, Madoka, looks like your backup just got distracted," Jun said amusedly. "Looks like you're going to die after all."

"Says the man with a hole through his chest," Madoka mocked as she felt a jolt go through her body. Jun harrumphed as he jumped high in the air and did a flip, making his feet directly over the demon of female's head. Madoka was about to jump away when her vision became black then colorful again. _'What was that?' _Madoka thought confusedly before looking up. _'Jun!' _She thought frantically as she did a somersault and barely avoided the attack.

"For a second I thought you weren't going to move and make it easier for me," Jun said with a grin as he got up from the impact on the ground.

"Jun, snap out of it, please," Madoka pleaded as she also got up from the ground. Her eyes changed from the malicious green to emerald green with white surrounding the center. _'The shard isn't controlling me anymore. How?' _She thought as she dodged another attack from her mate. Quickly, Madoka looked around her then further into the forest, seeing battle after battle. "What have we done?" She whispered.

"What are you mumbling about? Are you praying to go to heaven?" Jun asked amusedly. "Well let me tell you one thing, it isn't happening."

"Jun, please, stop," The demon of females said as she backed away again. "I don't want to hurt you anymore,"

"Tricking me into trusting you? Not going to happen," The demon of males scoffed.

'_What do I do?' _Madoka thought. _'Maybe if I release the girls that are fighting right here, they'll help. The men are their mates and siblings too,'_

"Are you giving up already?" Jun asked with a raised eyebrow as he cut his claws down from her chest to her stomach. Gasping, Madoka fell to her knees as blood pooled from her new wound. Her body glowed for a second before she heard gasps from the other females in the proximity.

"Shit," Yuri swore as her eyes turned back to their golden color. She then did a back flip and jumped away from her possessed older half brother. Kagome gasped as pain wracked her body from her chest.

"Inuyasha, stop," Kagome said in a strained voice; her eyes changing to chocolate brown.

"Pleading won't help any," Inuyasha said as he noticed her slow movements. "Die, dear mate," Kagome closed her eyes as she tried to move away without getting dizzy from the blood loss.

"Kohaku," Sango whispered as she put a hand behind her shoulder and felt the blood from her brother's weapon earlier that day. "Miroku, are you two okay?"

"Why do you care?" Kohaku asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you've grown a human heart," Miroku asked with a smirk as his one mobile arm held the staff. He then threw the spiritual staff in between the female demon slayer's ankles as she tried to step back, making her trip. "Now, Kohaku," The male demon slayer threw his chained scythe towards his falling sister.

'_The priestess,' _Madoka thought as she looked around and saw the priestess struggling to keep her injuries to a minimal. The demon of females leapt over her possessed mate and picked up the priestess under her arms, lifting her away from the half demon. "Kagome, right?"

"Yeah," Kagome said as she hissed in pain from her injury.

"Can you do me a favor and purify my mate's jewel shard like you did mine?" Madoka asked as she landed high in a tree. "Getting close to him and having your power just brush over isn't working, the jewel will become corrupt again, like it did before,"

"Before?" Kagome asked as she saw Inuyasha jump towards them. Madoka noticed the movement as well and jumped away again.

"Yeah, you purified my shard for about a minute before by just skimming your power over it. But before when you bumped into me and used your powers, some of it went into my body. That's why I'm talking rational right now," Madoka said before grunting and jumping away again as Jun and Inuyasha came at them.

"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked amusedly.

"Running away? Surrendering?" Jun added with a smirk.

"Well, can you?" Madoka whispered into the priestess's ear. "Are you well enough?"

"Keep Inuyasha busy," Kagome said as they dropped to the ground. "Don't hurt him,"

"You got it," Madoka said with a nod as she let the priestess go and came head to head with the half demon.

"Switching? Am I too strong for you, Madoka?" Jun asked with a glint in his eyes. Madoka huffed before grabbing the clawed hand that was coming towards her. "Well, this priestess needs to die anyways," He then used his demonic speed and stood in front of the wary priestess. "Ready to die, little girl?" Kagome didn't move. Raising an eyebrow, Jun shrugged before lifting his hand up, ready to strike. The priestess put her hands on his chest and sent waves of spiritual power into the demon. Jun screamed in pain as he fell to his knees, his eyes returning to their original deep blue.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked softly as she went to her knees too.

"Yeah," Jun said softly, his voice less gruff. He then lifted his head and looked around at the battling males. "Madoka,"

"Yeah?" Madoka asked as she dodged another attack.

"Ready to release all of them?" Jun asked, referring to the battle meters away from where they stood.

"Yeah," Madoka answered with a kind smile as she jumped away and towards her mate. Both of their bodies glowed before the light disappeared. Screams of pain came from the monk's mouth while whimpers came from the half demon as he clutched his hands and feet.

* * *

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* * *

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	75. Healing

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Healing

Miroku screamed in pain as the broken bone in his arm was set back into place by the old priestess, Kaede.

"Sorry, Miroku, but this needs to be done," Kaede said kindly as she kept pulling on the bone and setting it to its broken piece. Miroku ground his teeth together as he tried to hold in the pain.

"What's with all the yelling?" Inuyasha asked groggily as he woke from unconsciousness. The half demon slowly sat up and looked at the monk who was in pain then at the slumbering fox demon and the male demon slayer who lay in a corner of the old priestess's hut. "Where's Kagome?"

"The girls are in another hut," Kaede said as she gently put Miroku's arm down onto a make-shift splint.

"Why? We're always in the same hut," Inuyasha said, getting worried.

"We have visitors," Kaede said as she motioned her head towards the main room of the extended hut.

"So?" Inuyasha asked. The half demon heard the monk hiss in pain as the splint was wrapped in medical tape.

"The girls' injuries lie where it is inappropriate for male eyes to see. Would you rather have other's see?" Kaede asked softly as she put down Miroku's splinted arm and gave him an herbal tea.

"No," Inuyasha grumbled as he started to stand.

"Where are you going, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, a little out of breath from the pain going through his arm.

"I'm going to see Kagome," Inuyasha said gruffly. _'I need to know she's okay. That wound I gave her…' _He thought, trailing off slightly at the memory of him shoving his hand through her chest. _'Oh god,' _He shivered in disgust, ready to puke.

"I want to see my sister," A voice said suddenly from the corner of the hut. The three conscious people turned to see the young, male demon slayer sit up next to the fox demon. "I… I gave her a wound,"

"We all wounded each other," Miroku said as he looked at his arm then at the half demon's hands. Inuyasha noticed his glance and hid his hands in the billows of his kimono.

"Inuyasha, why don't ye put your hands and feet in this herbal water?" Kaede asked, looking at the burns going up from his feet and on the hands that were hidden. "It'll help with the burns from spiritual power,"

"Keh, I'm half demon. This is one of the handful of times my human blood is actually helping me," Inuyasha scoffed as he started to walk out to the main room. "What the hell are you two doing here?" He asked with a growl as he saw two familiar demons sitting in the main room.

"Hello, Inuyasha," A demon with black hair and deep blue eyes said almost sadly. "You are well, I hope?"

"Keh, why do you care? You're the one that made us fight in the first place," Inuyasha hissed.

"Calm down, Inuyasha," Kaede said as she walked up to the half demon. "Once everyone is here, they will explain,"

"Oh, but first," A female demon with golden hair and jade colored eyes cut in as she dug into her kimono and pulled out two sparkling shards. "Here are the jewel shards, give them to the priestess Kagome for us?" Inuyasha grudgingly took the shards while baring his fangs at the couple.

"Will it hurt to be civil, Inuyasha?" Miroku said weakly behind the half demon.

"They're the ones that made me hurt Kagome," Inuyasha snarled at the monk. "I'm going to go find her," With that, the irritable half demon stormed out the mat door.

"I'm sorry for his behavior," Kaede said. "He is worried about his mate,"

"The priestess? Yes, we know," the male demon said with an understanding nod. "We're sorry for all the trouble,"

"It's understandable. The tainted jewel shards took control over your actions. We've seen it many times," Miroku said as he shifted his splinted arm in the sling around his neck. "I would like to go see my beloved though, excuse me," He then made a quiet exit out of the hut, following Inuyasha's lead.

"Wait, Miroku," Kohaku said as he rushed from the other room and towards the outside world. "I'm coming with you,"

"Me too," Shippo said quickly as he ran out the door on his hands and feet.

"We are truly sorry for all the trouble," The female demon said sincerely. "We are peaceful demons,"

"I do not doubt," Kaede said kindly as she slowly sat down, her old joints protesting against the action. "Thank ye for bringing all of them back,"

"It is the least we could do," the female said. "The two tail cat led us here," Kaede nodded.

"I am sorry; you didn't give me your names,"

"Oh, how rude of us," The female said, surprised. "I am Madoka, and this is my mate, Jun."

* * *

"Have you seen Kagome?" Inuyasha said as he stopped a village woman.

"Lady Kagome? Yes, I have," The woman said with a nod as she held a basket full of herbs. "I am taking care of her and Sango,"

"Where are they?" Inuyasha asked eagerly.

"Follow me, Inuyasha," The woman said kindly, knowing the name of the protector of the village. Inuyasha nodded as he followed the woman to a wooden hut near the center of the village. "Right in here," She said as she moved the mat used for a door. Inuyasha nodded his thanks and let the woman enter first, being a gentleman.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he entered.

"Inuyasha," A female said from the side of the hut. Looking, the half demon was disappointed to the see the female demon slayer, but was glad she was alright.

"Sango, where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. Sango opened her mouth to answer but was cut off as three more people came in.

"Sango, my dearest, are you okay?" Miroku flirted as he suddenly appeared next to the demon slayer.

"Yeah, how are you?" Sango asked, concern lacing her voice. "You're arm…" She trailed off as she saw the sling.

"Don't worry, Sango, it will heal." Miroku said gently.

"Where's Kagome, Inuyasha?" Shippo asked as he and Kohaku entered. The male demon slayer instantly went to Sango's side while the fox demon stood next to the half demon who was towering over him. Inuyasha shrugged and looked around the one room hut. The village woman set the herbs down and started to grind them to make medicine with while a clump of fur was huddled in the corner.

'_Keiko and Kirara,' _Inuyasha thought as he looked at the different colored fur mixed together. _'Avion's missing,' _

"Oh," Sango said, remembering his question. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha,"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, his hackles rising.

"She couldn't wait any longer," Sango said.

"What does that mean? Where'd she go?" Shippo asked innocently.

"The wound on her chest got infected, she had to go to the waterfall and purify it," Sango said. In an instant, the half demon disappeared, only leaving the flapping mat a clue that he ran out.

"What about your wound?" Kohaku asked shyly. "I…"

"Don't worry, Kohaku," Sango said with a soft smile as she put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "My wound wasn't as deep as Kagome's, or as close to my heart," Her mood depleted as she thought of her sister.

"Is it that bad?" Miroku asked, not really wanting the answer.

"About two centimeters over to the left and it would've been at her heart, Miroku," Sango said as she silently cried. Shippo crawled over to the group and curled into a ball.

"Inuyasha won't like this," Shippo whispered.

"And it got infected?" Kohaku asked. "What do you mean she went to the waterfall to purify it?"

"Well a waterfall is the purest place because when water falls, it loses all its sins." Miroku explained. "Kagome would then collect the water and put herself in a bubble and purify her body. It's the only way she's going to survive if it's that close to her heart,"

"Oh," Kohaku nodded.

"Lady Sango, how are you feeling?" The village woman asked as she put some crushed herbs into boiling water.

"Better, thanks," Sango said kindly. Out of nowhere, Miroku appeared in front of the village woman, clasping her hands in his.

"Thank you for taking care of our reckless Sango, here," Miroku said flirtatiously. The village woman looked confused while Sango furrowed her eyebrows. "For your kindness, will you bare my child?"

"Give it a rest, monk, if you didn't already have a broken arm, I would personally have your head meet my Hiraikotsu," Sango growled as she fisted her hand.

* * *

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought worriedly as he raced through the forest, slowing down when he reached a river leading towards a large pond that housed a waterfall. Under the waterfall's currents, a bubble was seen, the water splashing around it. Inuyasha slowly wadded his way through the water, getting his pants wet in the process. The half demon walked right up to the familiar barrier and placed his scarred hand on it. The person inside was curled in a ball, hugging their knees to their chest with their eyes closed. _'What have I done?' _He thought sadly as the water from above pounded on his head harshly. _'That wound is too close to her heart,'_

Suddenly, the half demon felt warmth go through the hand that was on the barrier. Looking up, he saw the priestess's hand over his, but on the other side of the wall between them. She looked sad and guilty, but also glad.

"_Inuyasha," _She said into his mind without moving her lips.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered back as he laid his forehead on the barrier, knowing it wouldn't harm him. "I'm so sorry. I didn't…"

"_Neither did I," _Kagome smiled as she looked sadly as his burned hands. _"I'm sorry about purifying your hands and feet. Where else?"_

"It's not important. These can't kill me," Inuyasha said, mad at himself. "But-"

"_Don't worry, I won't die," _Kagome reassured, knowing what he was thinking.

"But it was so close to your heart," Inuyasha said softly, disgusted with himself.

"_I know," _Kagome shrugged. _"I'm in this thing, I can't die unless something attacks," _Kagome then yawned.

"Damn it, I should've tried to stop myself," Inuyasha growled as he fisted the hand that had hurt his mate. "I shouldn't have been so weak,"

"_Even if you were stronger, you couldn't have stopped it." _Kagome said softly before yawning again. _"I'm not supposed to be awake,"_

"Sleep, then," Inuyasha said as he softly ran his hand over the barrier. "I'll be here when you wake,"

"_No, go back to the village," _Kagome said softly as he eye lids fell. _"I love you," _

"I love you too," Inuyasha whispered as she fell into a spell. The half demon stood next to the barrier for half an hour, just reminiscing the last few days. _'I'm still sorry.' _He thought before walking over to the shore and sitting on the ground. Inuyasha looked around while spreading out his senses, keeping guard over his defenseless mate.

* * *

"You're such a grump," A female huffed as she followed her brother into a mansion.

"Be quiet, Yuri," The male growled in a threatening tone.

"Oh, why should I, Sesshomaru?" Yuri asked with her hands on her hips. "I just lugged your unconscious body all the way to my place and not even a single thank you."

"I didn't tell you to," Sesshomaru said emotionlessly. Yuri rolled her eyes.

"Well, _brother, _I was being the good sibling," Yuri said. "What's gotten your pants in a bunch?" (I know it's panties in a bunch, but panties don't exist in the feudal era.)

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're back!" A shrill voice said. The siblings looked ahead of them and saw a green imp demon run up to them with an oversized staff – oversized for the imp's size.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru greeted coldly. "How is Rin?"

"Still sick, my lord," Jaken said as he bowed his head.

"Rin's sick?" Yuri asked as she leaned her shoulder against the wall and crossed her arms. "Is she okay?"

"She's in the best of care," Jaken defended.

"Don't think I'm threatened by you," Yuri said evenly, though slightly amused. Sesshomaru walked past the bickering demons and towards the little human girl's room in the mansion. Yuri shook her head as she watched her brother walk away gracefully. _'He cares for the girl more than he admits,' _She thought wryly. _'Same thing happened to Inuyasha, and then he and Kagome became mates,' _She mentally chuckled joyfully.

"What are you looking at?" Jaken demanded. Yuri looked down towards the floor at the shorter demon.

"Just thinking how Rin is like his daughter," Yuri said with a smirk as she pushed off wall without using her hands and walked forward, following her older half brother's path. "A daughter he never wanted, but glad to have."

* * *

"Finally, after all this time," A female said, almost happily.

"We are free," Another female voice said softly with no emotions.

"What are we going to do now? We are finally healed back to our full potential,"

"Anything we want,"

* * *

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kaede asked as she put down a cup of hot tea. The group of nine warriors was now depleted into seven as the remaining members entered the old priestess's hut.

"He went to see Kagome," Miroku answered as his one mobile arm helped the female demon slayer stand by latching around her waist.

"Where is Kagome?" Kaede asked, confused.

"Her wound got infected. Normally she would just let it go and have her body fight it off on its own, but it was too close to her heart for her liking, so she went to the waterfall to heal." Sango explained weakly as Miroku set her down near the fire, away from the two demons responsible for the war between the genders. Kohaku held Kirara and Keiko in his arms as he followed the couple inside while Shippo stood at his feet.

"Poor Kagome," Madoka whispered, more to herself. "Is she alright?"

"We're hoping," Miroku answered; his voice colder than usual.

"Is something the matter, monk?" Jun asked, not liking the monk's tone with his mate.

"No," Miroku said, only giving a side glance to the demon. Just then, Avion came into the room, flying through the mat used as a door.

"How's Kagome?" Shippo asked as he watched the spiritual animal land next to him and Kohaku.

"She's fine," Avion answered as she warily eyed the two demons that weren't part of their pack, the tension in the hut rose as the group stared down Jun and Madoka.

"Perhaps you should tell us why ye are here," Kaede suggested to the demons.

"Good idea," Jun mumbled under his breath. Madoka jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Well we were just going to tell you that we are truly sorry," Madoka began.

"How did we get here?" Sango asked, motioning towards the village. "You don't know where we live."

"The two-tail led us here; she was the only one conscious. Then we carried you all back," Madoka said.

"And what about the other demons and villagers you controlled?" Miroku asked.

"We didn't know where they lived so we left them all there," Jun said.

"What?" Miroku, Kohaku, and Sango said in unison, shock adorned their faces.

"What he means is," Madoka supplied as she put a hand on her mate's shoulder. "We are controlling one last demon to look after them until they are conscious and return to their homeland,"

"Then why are you still here?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Just to make sure you're all okay," Madoka said with a kind smile. "We truly, truly are very sorry,"

"We gave the once tainted jewel shards to the half demon," Jun added.

"Where did you get those shards?" Kohaku asked, popping into their conversation.

"We were in the forest," Madoka started to explain. "We found three tainted shards in a tree, though at first we didn't know what they were, Jun picked them up and put one in my hand. Before we knew it, they went into our body, you know the rest,"

"Why would three tainted shards be imbedded into a single tree?" Kaede asked before sipping her tea.

"Miroku," Sango said sternly and emotionlessly as she saw the monk try to slink out of the hut. Miroku sighed before clearing his throat.

"Um, yes, I can probably answer that," Miroku said. The group, besides Sango, raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"Miroku, what have you done now?" Shippo asked.

"Well before I started traveling with Inuyasha and Kagome," The monk began to say. "Whenever I would find a shard that was tainted, I would put it into a tree because I couldn't carry it with me if I didn't want to be possessed."

"Understandable," Jun mumbled.

"I always said to myself that I would find someone that could purify them and take them to the trees then take the jewel, but as fate would have it, I joined up with our friends and completely forgot about them," Miroku said as he laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. The group glared at him.

* * *

…Just After Dusk…

* * *

"Well, we'll be taking our leave," Jun announced as he stood up, pulling his mate with him.

"Oh?" Kaede said. "Well have a good trip back,"

"Thank you," Jun said as he walked to the door.

"Goodbye everyone," Madoka said with a wave and a smile while the others did the same. "Don't be afraid to come to us for help, we'll be glad,"

"Thank you, Madoka," Miroku said, being the spokesman of the group. "You and your mate stay away from jewel shards, okay?"

"You can count on it," Madoka said with a slight laugh.

"If you happen to find any, would you mind telling us?" Sango asked.

"Sure," Madoka said. "I'll send Jun to you,"

"Hey, why me?" Jun asked, offended.

"Hush," Madoka said with a playful smirk. "Come on, we've bothered them enough,"

"Bye," The group chimed as they walked out of the hut's door and into the forest.

"It looks like rain," Shippo mumbled loud enough for the hut's occupants to hear.

"Should we call them back?" Kohaku asked.

"They're okay," Avion said as she flew and landed on the young demon slayer's shoulder. "They smelled the rain long before Shippo looked out to the sky,"

"She's right," Sango agreed. "Demons tend to know by their senses,"

"Oh," Kohaku said softly. "I guess I still have much to learn." Sango smiled and gave her brother's hair a ruffle.

"Don't worry, you'll be okay," Sango reassured.

"Shall I go get Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.

"Perhaps ye should leave the couple alone, Miroku," Kaede said.

"But Kaede, it's about to rain," Shippo argued.

"He will be fine," Kaede said calmly. Kirara and Keiko curled next to each other, sleeping the day and night away while the group worried over their half demon friend.

* * *

"Die!" Inuyasha yelled as he swung the Tetsusaiga forward, straight into a centipede demon. The demon screamed in pain before falling to the ground, dead. "Feh, that should do it," The half demon then sheathed his sword and walked back towards the waterfall. _'Safe again, Kagome,' _He thought as he looked at the girl floating in a barrier. He then heavily dropped to the ground on his butt and looked at the dying fire he made. He sighed and grudgingly got up and went to get more firewood, cautiously scanning the area. Once he got back, he dumped some sticks into the fire and let the others rest on the ground. His stomach growled but he ignored it, more focused on his mate. A light sprinkle from the sky started to rain on the half demon, steadily gaining in pressure and the amount of water. Inuyasha cursed under his breath as his fire started to go out again. Unexpectedly, a pink color clouded Inuyasha's vision. He looked up and saw a barrier around him and the small fire he made, preventing either to be pelted by the rain. "Kagome," He whispered as he looked towards the sleeping girl. He saw that her body glowed a light pink, extra coloration with the barrier around her. "Thank you,"

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

Inuyasha awoke softly from a gentle pressure on his shoulder and cheek. Opening his golden eyes, he looked ahead and saw nothing but the waterfall. He then turned his head and felt lips gently on his, his eyes opening wide before relaxing.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he leaned off the tree he used as a wall last night to sleep against.

"Morning, sleepy," Kagome whispered back, amused. Kagome sat with her feet flat on the ground and her knees to her chest; her hand was on his shoulder, keeping her slightly balanced. Inuyasha leaned forward and gave her the welcoming kiss she wanted, sweet and tender.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, putting his hand on her waist.

"The infection is gone, the wound's still healing though," Kagome said softly with a kind smile. "You were here all night?"

"I couldn't leave you here alone," Inuyasha said as he leaned his forehead on hers. "Especially with demons lurking around,"

"I love you," Kagome said with a bright smile as she leaned back and sat on the ground, letting her legs fall in front of her.

"Love you too, wench," Inuyasha said playfully. "Why are you so wet?" He asked as he brushed his fingers through her dripping bangs.

"Oh, I just got out of my bubble. It was filled with water, you know," Inuyasha nodded his head in understanding.

"Are you sure you're not in pain?" Inuyasha asked, concern lacing his voice.

"I won't lie, it hurts a little, but I'll live," Kagome said as she picked up his clawed hand and examined it. _'Still burned,' _She thought as she stood, his hand still in hers. "Come with me," Inuyasha stood up in confusion, but followed her nonetheless. She took him to the edge of the large pond that held the waterfall and pushed him to sit at the ledge.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked as he watched her walk into the water and stand right in front of him. She took his right hand in both of hers and softly dipped it into the water. Inuyasha stared, transfixed, as Kagome's powers engulfed his hand and a foot radius around it. After about five minutes, Kagome lifted their hands out of the water, letting it run off of their skin. Inuyasha took his hand back and saw that the burns from her spiritual powers were gone. "Thanks,"

"It's the least I could do," Kagome said kindly as she took his other hand and did the same, then his two feet. "Anywhere else?"

"No," Inuyasha shook his head. He then stared sadly at her chest where the wound was. "I'm sorry I can't do anything,"

"It's okay," Kagome said contentedly as she moved forward and sat on his lap. "It'll heal,"

"It'll take a while," Inuyasha said as he put his head on her shoulder. "I'll take care of you while you're healing."

"Don't you do that anyways?" Kagome giggled.

"Feh, I'll do anything you want me to this time,"

"Like a servant?"

"F-fine," Inuyasha said reluctantly, but he really would be one if it was for his mate. Kagome laughed louder and happier as she heard him say that. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around. "Are you done here?"

"Yep,"

"Let's go back to Kaede's, you're probably hungry," He said as he stood up with her in his arms, still dripping from the water.

"Hey, Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?" Inuyasha said as he looked down at the girl in his arms.

"Thanks for killing that demon yesterday," Kagome said as she smiled up at him.

"Thanks for the barrier against the rain," Inuyasha said back as he walked into the forest.

* * *

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* * *

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	76. Sugar Coated Love

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Sugar Coated Love

"Kagome, Inuyasha, you're back!" Shippo said excitedly as he jumped into Kagome's stomach since she was held in Inuyasha's arms. "Are you okay now, Kagome?"

"Hey, runt, get off, she's still wounded," Inuyasha said warningly. Shippo quickly jumped off and went back over to Keiko, Kirara, and Avion.

"Is your infection at least gone?" Sango asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Kagome said as Inuyasha sat against the wall, putting her in his lap. "How are you doing? No infection yourself?"

"I've felt fine," Sango reassured with a shrug.

"What about you guys?" Kagome asked, leaning her head on Inuyasha's chest while his arm supported her back.

"Fine," The group chimed.

"Inuyasha, how are your hands and feet?" Kaede asked as she took the half demon's free hand that was resting on his mate's stomach.

"They're gone," Miroku said, stunned. The group huddled around the couple and looked at the half demon's hand.

"I know you're half demon, but I don't think it should heal that fast," Kohaku said, looking to his sister for approval.

"They shouldn't," Sango agreed with her brother.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he took his hand back and put it back on Kagome's stomach as she leaned into his arm. "Kagome healed it for me,"

"Kagome?" Shippo asked, wondering how it was possible.

"Well spiritual power burn marks are easy, all you do is take out the power and then smooth over the wound, then poof, the wound's healed." Kagome shrugged. Under his hand, Inuyasha felt her stomach growl silently, not making a noise but a protested rumble.

"Hey, do you guys have any food?" Inuyasha asked.

"We have some left over stew from this morning," Avion said as she flew to her master.

"Would ye two like some?" Kaede asked.

"Thanks, Kaede," Kagome answered. The old priestess kindly warmed up the stew again and handed two bowls to the priestess.

"Kagome, can I go play?" Shippo asked innocently as he crawled up to the priestess.

"Sure, you don't need permission," Kagome said. Shippo smiled brightly before scampering off. "Kohaku, why don't you go join him?"

"Yeah, Kohaku, you've been cooped up in here for a while," Sango said.

"Alright," Kohaku said as he stood up and went out, trying to find the fox demon.

"_I'm going to go explore," _Keiko announced, she stood up and jumped onto Kagome's shoulder, giving her cheek a small lick before going out the door.

"I'll go with her," Avion said. "Coming, Kirara?"

"Mew," Kirara agreed as they all went out the door.

"Kagome and I will be at our house if you need us," Inuyasha said as he took both of their finished bowls and handed them to the old priestess. The half demon then stood up with Kagome still in his arms.

"What are you going to do there?" Miroku asked suggestively. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the monk just as Sango jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, careful of his broken arm.

"You're such a lecher," Sango growled.

"Ah, but you like that," Miroku smirked. The demon slayer took a deep breath before standing, heading out the door.

"Inuyasha, let's go before they fight. I don't feel like breaking it up," Kagome whispered into her mate's ear. The half demon nodded as he silently crept out the door.

* * *

"Rika!" Shippo yelled as he ran on all four hands and feet towards the girl.

"Shippo, you're back," Rika, a girl the fox demon was infatuated with, said happily as she stood and greeted the fox demon. "How was your trip?"

"I'm worried about my friends, they were hurt badly," Shippo admitted as he and the girl sat on some grass just on the edge of the village.

"Oh? What happened? Are they okay?"

"There were these two demons that were making us hurt each other," Shippo started to tell as he made a face to represent the demons. "But of course, I had to step in and stop them,"

"You're so brave," Rika admired. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am, they couldn't hurt me even if they tried," Shippo boasted. Rika smiled and gave him a sideways hug before letting go. The fox demon blushed before stuttering, "Y-yeah, well I-I am the only f-full demon in the group besides Kirara."

"You must be really strong,"

"Yeah," Shippo said proudly as he puffed out his chest. Rika giggled at the fox demon's antics as she silently adored his strength.

* * *

"Where'd he go?" Kohaku whispered to himself as he walked around the village, looking for the fox demon.

"Oh, Shippo, you're so fearless. Can you show me your power?" A female giggled excitedly. Kohaku raised an eyebrow as he followed the sound. The demon slayer spotted his friend with a young village girl and he was showing her his fox fire. "Wow, Shippo, that's amazing. What other powers did you use to protect your friends from the demon?"

'_Protect his friends from the demon?' _Kohaku thought confusedly as he hid behind a hut, his back against the wall.

"Well, when they were possessed, I kicked and punched the demons that possessed them," Shippo gloated as he kicked and punched the air.

'_Oh yeah, that happened,' _Kohaku thought sarcastically as he continued to eavesdrop. _'What is he doing? Impressing that girl?' _

"Then I had to knock my friends out to stop them from killing each other, but they're all okay now," Shippo said smugly.

"Wow," Rika said, impressed. Her eyes suddenly widened as she saw a shadow block Shippo from the sunlight. "Eep! Shippo, watch out!"

"Huh?" Shippo asked; his gloating over. The fox demon looked behind him before being smacked away. "Ow," He groaned as he looked up. "A worm demon!"

"Shippo, help me!" Rika shrieked as she put her hands over her head. Shippo got up and jumped over the girl, biting the worm demon in his long, pink body.

"Take that!" Shippo growled; his mouth full. In a blink of an eye, Shippo was knocked to the ground, barely conscious.

"Shippo," Rika whimpered as she prepared to be eaten. A chain sounded from near the couple as the demon was sliced in two. A scythe flew by and back towards its owner.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kohaku asked as he ran over, his weapon in his hand.

"I'm okay, but Shippo…" The girl said sadly as she looked down at the fox demon.

"He'll be fine," Kohaku said as he gently lifted up the fox demon to stand.

"Ow," Shippo groaned. "Rika, are you okay?"

"Shippo, I'm so glad you're okay!" Rika said as she ran and hugged the fox demon. Kohaku smiled before standing back up.

"I'm sure you could've handled it, Shippo," Kohaku reassured, trying to go along with the story the fox demon told the girl previously. "You just got caught off guard,"

"Y-yeah, I wasn't ready," Shippo said with a blush. "Thanks for the backup, Kohaku," Kohaku nodded with a kind smile before putting his weapon back into the sash on his back and leaving the two alone.

"I should probably get someone to clean that up," Kohaku said as he put his hands behind his head and looked up into the sky, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

* * *

"_Where are we going this time?" _Kirara meowed as she walked through the forest.

"_I don't know, wherever we want," _Keiko barked happily as she jumped from one rock to the other, playing a game by herself.

"Keiko, you're just a ball of energy," Avion commented as she flew low to the ground before transforming herself into a small cat and started to walk on the ground.

"_Well there's not much to do in the village," _Keiko said as she crouched on the rock she was perched on before flying forward, the farthest leap she had to do yet.

"_You act like a hyper puppy," _Kirara said as she watched Keiko jump.

"_Well, I am a puppy, and I'm just happy, that's all," _Keiko said, looking back at the cat demon.

"Hey, look, a cave," Avion said as she looked at the darkness inside it.

"_You think there's something in there?" _Keiko asked; eager to look inside.

"_Whether there is or isn't, you're going in anyways, aren't you?" _Kirara asked, knowingly.

"_Come on!" _Keiko barked happily as she ran inside.

"Don't go alone!" Avion yelled for her as she and Kirara ran inside.

* * *

"Yes, Sango, but I'm only a lecher with you," Miroku flirted confidently as he leaned towards the demon slayer and kissed her on the cheek. Sango huffed as she saw the half demon carry the priestess out of the hut.

"Sure you are, Miroku," Sango said as she stood. "I bet half of the women in this village can honestly say they were asked to bare your children,"

"That was before," Miroku said sheepishly as he stood up as well.

"Sure it was," she said incredulously. "Before we got engaged or before we lived in the same hut?"

"Um… the first one?" Miroku answered, but it sounded more like a question. Sango looked at him and raised an eyebrow. The demon slayer then scoffed and left the hut, almost laughing. "Sango?"

"That was definitely a lie, monk," Sango said, walking away. Miroku quickly followed like a puppy as he waited for her to continue. "You flirted with everything that moved as we were engaged,"

"But I never did anything with them," Miroku said desperately. "It was harmless flirting,"

"If we get married, will you stop?"

"If?" Miroku asked, stopping in his tracts.

"Naraku's dead and we still haven't gotten married. Do you not want to?" Sango asked softly, turning around with her arms crossed.

"Of course I do, love." Miroku said while walking up to her and putting his good hand on her upper arm.

"Then when?"

"Soon, my dear, very soon," Miroku said as he leaned down and kissed her lips gently.

"How soon?"

"Whenever you believe the moon in the sky prays for our happiness,"

"What does that mean?" Sango asked as she stared confusedly at him.

"It means whenever you think the time is right." Miroku smirked at her. "It could be tomorrow, or a whole moon cycle from now, I'm ready when you are," Sango smiled and leaned her head on his chest, finally letting her arms uncross and fist in his monk robes.

"Promise me to stop flirting?"

"Uh," Miroku said as he laughed nervously.

"Miroku," Sango hissed.

"Yes, Sango, I here on out promise to be faithful,"

"Faithful isn't what I'm worried about," Sango sneered.

'_Damn, she caught on,' _Miroku thought. "Of course, Sango, I won't look at any other women except you. No flirting, no nothing,"

"Good," Sango said, snuggling her head further to his chest.

* * *

Inuyasha carefully walked to his and Kagome's home with her in his arms. Kagome leaned her head on the half demon's muscular chest as her arms were wrapped around his neck.

"Mm, Inu?" Kagome mumbled as she snuggled further into his hold.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked, concern lacing his voice. "Does it hurt?"

"No," Kagome whispered as she closed her eyes. "I'm just going to sleep," Inuyasha paused on his response as he stared down at the priestess. He then gently placed a kiss onto her forehead.

"You don't need my permission,"

"That's okay," Kagome said sleepily as she drifted off into dream land.

Later, Kagome woke up to a gentle feeling going across her face. The feeling of something soft, but had a rough texture, it was warm, and somewhat moist. Not thinking too much about it, the priestess kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the odd sensation. The gentle lapping of the object made it to every crevice of her face before going down to her neck. Curious now, Kagome slowly opened her eyes and saw a head of silver hair.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome groggily asked as she identified the silver hair and pointed dog ears.

"Cleaning you," Inuyasha said against her neck as he continued.

"With your tongue?"

"The dog demon way," Inuyasha said simply.

"Do I need a bath or something?" Kagome asked, thinking a hidden message was in the half demon's words.

"No, you smell great," Inuyasha admitted. "Like you always do,""Then why are you cleaning me?"

"To comfort you,"

"Comfort me?"

"Or put you at ease, they mean the same thing." Inuyasha mumbled as he went back up to her face and kissed her lips gently. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Mm, yeah," Kagome said before lifting her hand to cover a yawn.

"Need anything?"

"Water would be nice," Kagome said as he looked at him.

"Sure," Inuyasha said instantly as he kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. Kagome finally looked around and saw that she was in their bedroom on the futon and snuggly warm under a blanket.

'_He's being extra helpful,' _Kagome thought as her half demon walked back into the room, carrying a bucket of water and a ladle.

"Open your mouth," Inuyasha instructed as he took a spoonful of water in the ladle and put it to her lips.

"I could do it, thanks," Kagome said as she turned her head away.

"No you can't, do you want this or what?" Inuyasha asked.

"I'm not helpless," Kagome said as she sat up.

"Stop and just let me help you," Inuyasha growled as he pushed the ladle to her lips again. "Drink," Kagome grudgingly accepted the water and drank it down. "Good,"

"Stop babying me," Kagome accused.

"I'm just looking out for you," Inuyasha huffed as he roughly put the ladle into the bucket and let it sit there.

"Well I'm not a child,"

"Fine then," Inuyasha stood up and stalked out of the room. If there were a door, like in the modern era, he would've slammed it.

"Inuyasha, wait," Kagome said as she watched him turn the corner. "What did I say?" The priestess asked herself as she quickly, but carefully because of the injury on her chest, got out of their futon and followed the half demon out. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?"

"If you don't want to be taken care of, then I won't bother," Inuyasha said gruffly as he took the extra bucket of water and poured it over the fire that was keeping some freshly cooked fish warm.

"Inu, stop," Kagome begged silently as she went up to him and lightly traced her fingertips on his chest. She then skimmed them over his shoulder and to the back of his neck. Inuyasha's angry, golden eyes stared down at her, a hidden emotion through all the turmoil. "This isn't like you,"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha growled as he showed his fangs to his own mate.

"Well for one, you've never bared your fangs at me," Kagome said softly as she fearlessly put a finger to the corner of his mouth. Inuyasha instantly cooled down and pinned his ears to his head in shame before closing his fangs off from the world to see.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and put his head on her shoulder, her cheek was pressed against his hair. "Forgive me," Kagome gently put a hand on the back of his head and held him close.

"It's alright," Kagome said softly, turning her head and kissing the side of his.

"I'm sorry for treating you like a baby. I just… I'm worried about you."

"That not all," Kagome whispered knowingly. "You forget that I know you quite well,"

"I'm just angry at myself," Inuyasha mumbled into her shoulder as he put his forehead there. "I couldn't stop myself from hurting you so badly. You could've died!"

"Shh," Kagome hushed as she gently rubbed the back of his head with her hand.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Shippo asked as he and a girl walked through the village.

"I'm just fine," Rika said as she held his hand in hers. "What about you?"

"I'm a demon, I don't get hurt that easily," Shippo said, puffing out his chest. _'I'm sounding a lot like Inuyasha,' _He thought absently.

"I'm glad," Rika said, pushing herself closer to his side and smiling joyfully. The fox demon blushed harshly as he looked away from the girl. "So, where are you taking me?"

"Oh," Shippo said, forgetting about his earlier embarrassment. "I'll show you this place that me and my friends go, come on," With that he tugged her along excitedly. Rika giggled happily as she followed. The couple eventually made their way towards a small grass cliff that looked over the village's rice fields. The hill that connected to the cliff went down and into the land that made squares around the ponds of water.

"Wow, I never knew this was here," Rika said in awe.

"Well you're new," Shippo stated matter of factly. "But you really shouldn't come out here without protection; it is away from the village,"

"You're with me, so I have protection," Shippo blushed again but kept his gaze on her.

"So, what do you want to do?" Shippo asked, trying to break an awkward silence.

"I don't know," Rika said innocently. Suddenly, the fox demon felt pressure on his cheek as she kissed him then ran off. "Catch me if you can!"

* * *

'_I wish Rin were here,' _Kohaku thought absently as he walked right out of the village on accident, but he didn't notice. _'I wonder where she is right now,' _There was a rustle in a bush as something, or someone, jumped out of it. Kohaku stared for a moment as he looked at the black hair on the creature. _'A rabbit. Not exactly who I wanted to see,' _

* * *

'_Keiko, wait up!' _Kirara meowed loudly as she ran after her friend.

"This cave has to end somewhere," Avion said as she flew over Kirara.

"_Ouch, watch it!" _A masculine bark sounded.

"_Sorry, I didn't see you there," _Keiko barked as she got up from the ground and shook out her fur.

"Keiko, be careful," Avion chastised as she and Kirara caught up.

"_Keiko?" _The male barked questioningly. _"Is that you?"_

"_Yeah? Do I know you?" _Keiko asked as she got up and looked at him closely. He was a two tail dog demon with grey fur and black paws. The tip of his two tails were also black, a common feature, and his eyes were yellow, showing that he was a demon of electricity. _"Masao?" _Keiko asked.

"_Hey, you remembered," _Masao barked jokingly. Keiko smiled and walked up to her long lost friend, giving him a one paw hug.

"_What are you doing here?" _Keiko asked. Avion and Kirara stood quietly as they waited to be introduced.

"_I was sent out to get rid of a demon that was in the western lands, he led me here," _Masao explained.

"_In a cave?" _Keiko said with a tilt of her head.

"_Well not exactly. I got rid of the demon, but one of my legs is broken so I decided to stay here to heal," _Masao said as he eyed the broken limb.

"_Oh my gosh, are you okay?" _Keiko asked frantically as she looked at his injury. _"Let me take you to my master and her mate, they'll take care of you," _Suddenly Avion cleared her throat, breaking Keiko out of her conversation. _"Oh, Masao these are my friends, Kirara and Avion. Guys, this is Masao. We use to live together with Yuri," _

"_Nice to meet you," _Kirara meowed politely.

"Likewise," Avion said.

"_Oh yeah, I heard that you travelled with Inuyasha's mate. A priestess?" _Masao asked.

"_Yep," _Keiko answered as she gently nudged the male demon. _"Come, we'll get you patched up,"_

"_You must be hungry," _Kirara added as they started to walk out of the cave. Masao was slightly slower because he had to walk on three legs, but not too much.

"How long have you been in here?" Avion asked.

"_A few days," _Masao said as he saw Keiko walking protectively next to him.

"_You should've come into our village." _Keiko scolded.

"_I didn't know this was your village. Any other village and they would've killed me," _Masao defended. Keiko gently nudged the other dog demon in the side then licked the side of his face. Masao looked at her confused slightly but smiled anyways.

"_Well now you know," _Keiko said.

* * *

"So, what do you plan on doing today, my lovely?" Miroku asked, sticking close to his fiancée's side as they walked into the forest.

"I don't know," Sango shrugged. "Relax in the hot springs, help out the villagers, and maybe plan a wedding,"

"What?" Miroku asked, stumbling in his steps.

"Nothing," Sango said innocently, keeping her pace steady.

"No, no, what was that last thing you wanted to do?" Miroku asked.

"Help out the villagers?" Sango guessed.

"No, after,"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sango said, coming across a river and stopping.

"Sango," Miroku said sternly.

"You said we'd get married after Naraku's down fall, and oh, look at that, he's dead," Sango said sarcastically without looking at the monk. She kneeled down and stared at her reflection against the water. Miroku smiled sadly as he sat next to her.

"Okay, I'll start everything," Miroku said in a promising voice. "Tomorrow, I'll ask Kaede and Kagome. Maybe they can bless us," Sango smiled, leaning against him.

"Shouldn't we wait until Kagome heals?" Sango asked.

"But you just… never mind, whatever you want, my dear," Miroku said, giving up the fight. "Just tell me when. We'll start on the plans tomorrow but we won't have the wedding until Kagome is healed, happy?"

"Very," Sango said, leaning up to kiss him lightly. "I know we just talked about this, but I wanted you to start the planning,"

"You're as evil as Kagome," Miroku mumbled.

* * *

"What are you looking at?" Inuyasha asked as he stepped into the bedroom with a bowl of steaming stew. Kagome didn't hear him as her attention focused on a fang in her hands. The half demon walked towards her and placed the food next to the futon while sitting next to her. "Kagome?"

"Huh? Oh, hey," Kagome said, snapping out of her daze. The priestess put her hands down and sat up.

"Here," Inuyasha said, handing her the bowl while taking the fang.

"Thanks," Kagome mumbled, staring into the liquid.

"Is there something wrong with it?"

"No, it's fine," Kagome reassured softly. Inuyasha looked at the fang in his hands then back at his mate.

"You really want to be tied down to me forever, don't you?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome glanced at him with the corner of her eye.

"I don't want to grow old while you stay young," Kagome said delicately. "It wouldn't be fair,"

"I don't care if you look like hell hit you, you're still Kagome," Inuyasha said, snuggling his noise into her neck. "And you're still pretty to me,"

"Just pretty?" Kagome said jokingly, her voice still soft. Inuyasha chuckled breathlessly into her neck, giving it a small kiss.

"Beautiful, then," Inuyasha said, smiling into her skin. "I love you and I'll never stop,"

"I love you too," Kagome said, leaning against him slightly.

"And when you're healed up, I'll give you this," He said, sitting back up and holding the fang to her line of sight. "What you want is what you get,"

"Really?" Kagome asked.

"I'll get you anything if you want it, even if it's something ridiculous," Inuyasha said, smirking. Kagome lightly slapped his chest but leaned up and gave him a kiss to his lips anyways.

* * *

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	77. Wedding Plans

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Wedding Plans

"Kagome," He whispered.

"What is it?" Kagome asked as she turned to the half demon speaking to her. Her eyes became soft as she saw him struggling with his own emotions. "What's wrong?"

"I…" Inuyasha struggled to say. "I mean…"

"Go ahead," Kagome encouraged, walking up to him and placing her hands on his chest.

"Miroku and Sango said they were getting married,"

"So?" Kagome asked, confused. "I'm happy for them,"

"I am too. I just…" Inuyasha said softly before sighing.

"Inuyasha?"

"That look in your eyes when they walked away," Inuyasha said. "You were… sad,"

"Was I?" Kagome asked innocently. "Why would you think that?"

"I just thought maybe you wanted one too," Kagome giggled slightly, raising her hands so her arms were around his neck and their body's pressed together.

"Only if you want one. As long as you're my mate, I'm already happy," Kagome said, leaning up and kissing him gently. Inuyasha pulled back and hugged her close.

"How are you feeling?" Inuyasha asked after a comfortable silence, the couple basking in their relationship. It's been three weeks since the group made it back to the village. Miroku and Sango were finally planning the wedding they deserve while the group is all healed nicely from their wounds.

"It's just a scar now, don't worry. My spiritual powers and your demonic blood that runs through my veins helped a lot." Kagome said tenderly, leaning back to look him in the eye. "You're okay, right?"

"Don't worry about me," Inuyasha said.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" A shrill voice said from beside them. The couple looked to see a little boy with red hair and green eyes running towards them. "I thought you were heading to your hut?"

"We are, Shippo," Kagome reassured as she let go of the half demon and kneeled down. The fox demon ran up to her open arms and stared up into her face. "We just had something to talk about,"

"What about?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Sango and Miroku's wedding," Kagome said with a wink. The priestess picked him up and stood back up. "Well, shall we go?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha nodded as he led the way, Kagome only a step behind him.

"What about their wedding?" Shippo asked, looking at them.

"Just saying that they deserve it," Kagome said, smiling down at him. Shippo nodded before looking ahead.

* * *

"_Leaving so soon?" _Keiko asked while pouting. The two tail dog demon in front of her laughed light heartedly as he stood up and shook his fur out.

"_It's been three weeks, Keiko, I'm sure they're worried about me," _Masao barked. The two of them stood at the edge of the village, staring at each other's eyes.

"_Yeah, I guess," _Keiko admitted, looking down at the ground. Masao's eyes soften as he moved forward and nudged her face with his nose.

"_Don't get all sad," _Masao said kindly. _"We'll see each other again,"_

"_When?" _Keiko barked pitifully.

"_I'll come visit," _Masao said, staying close. _"Maybe you should come visit us too," _

"_Promise me that we'll see each other again," _Keiko said sternly. Masao took a step back and looked her in the eye.

"_I promise," _Masao said, licking her cheek. If dogs could blush, Keiko would resemble a tomato that recently turned ripe. _"Stay safe, Keiko,"_

"_You too, Masao." _Keiko said. They looked at each other one last time before Masao stepped forward before running into the distance. 'Please come back,' Keiko thought, watching his retreating form.

* * *

"_Did you see that?" _Kirara meowed as quietly as she could while she and Avion hid behind a wooden hut.

"Yeah," Avion whispered back. "Looks like Keiko is infatuated with her previous pack member,"

"_No kidding," _Kirara said, staring at Keiko's saddened form. _"Do you think we should go over there and comfort her?"_

"Maybe in a second, let's let her think through this first." Avion answered, staying hidden behind the shadows.

* * *

"Miroku!" Sango yelled as she sat inside her and Miroku's hut. The monk calmly came in through the door and looked at his soon to be wife.

"Yes, Sango?" He sighed. All day, he has been called to do various tasks while everyone around him watched at a safe distance.

"Miroku, help me pick a cloth to make my new kimono with," Sango ushered as she sat in the middle of what seemed like a cloth circle. Different kinds of material lay around her in various designs and texture. "After that, can you get me something to eat? I'm starving," Sango went on, without looking up at him. "Oh, then after that, can you get Kagome? She can bring Inuyasha along with her,"

"Anything else?" Miroku asked. Even with incredible patients and understanding, it was wearing thin.

"Find Kirara for me, too? I've been worried about her," Sango said, putting her thumb nail in her mouth and chewing. "Oh, which cloth do you think is best?"

"Maybe I should go get Kagome to help you," Miroku asked, still standing at the doorway.

"But what do you like? It's your wedding too," Sango insisted, feeling the texture of a cloth piece behind her.

"It is also yours, I only want what you want," Miroku answered, finally going over to his fiancée and kneeling in front of her. "I think you should take a break,"

"No, no, no," Sango said quickly, twisting her spine quickly to look back in front of her then to her right. "There's no time for a break,"

"Sango, the wedding doesn't have to be _right _away. We can take our time planning," Miroku tried to reason.

"I want to get this done so we can finally live the life we've dreamed of since Naraku was still alive," Sango said, still chewing her thumb nail. "What do you think of this one?" She held up a simple white cotton cloth with pink flower designs that were outlined in black then faded to grey as it went closer to the pink flower.

"I think you need to relax," Miroku said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You're stressing yourself out,"

"There's no time to relax, Miroku," Sango insisted again. "This is only the dress. We still have to pick a place, a time, a day, the music, the food, how we're going to invite all the villagers, who we're going to invite from other villages, and so much more,"

"How about," Miroku said quickly, catching her shoulders again before she twisted away. "You go to the hot springs and I'll deal with everything except the dress?"

"But Miroku-"

"No, you're going to relax," The monk said sternly.

"I at least want to finish picking out the cloth for my dress," Sango argued. Miroku sighed and let her go. "So what about this one?"

"I think they're all pretty," Miroku said tiredly. "I'm going to go get you some food."

"Okay, thanks," Sango said, her attention still half on the cloths around her. Miroku stood up and walked of the hut, looking behind him for a final look. He sighed as he stepped into the vast of forest that surrounded their home.

"Kagome!" Miroku yelled. "Inuyasha!" His voice echoed through the trees, scaring off any birds that were perched in them.

* * *

'_They're getting married,' _Kohaku thought as he sat on a large rock near the shore. He threw a rock into the stream, watching as it hopped a few times before sinking into the cold water. _'I'm happy for sister, but what about me? Where will I live now?' _He stared into the rippling blue liquid, silently thinking of all the possibilities. _'I could be thrown aside, left on my own. Or I'd have to live with Lady Kaede or maybe Kagome and Inuyasha? No, Kagome and Inuyasha would probably want their privacy, besides; they already have Shippo, Keiko, and Avion, but what about Kirara? No, I'm sure Sango will keep her in the house.' _Kohaku thought, putting his hands flat behind him and leaning on them, bending his head back to stare at the clear blue, late morning sky. _'What about me?' _

* * *

Shippo's ear twitched in time of the half demon's as Inuyasha stopped in his tracks and looked off into the forest.

"Did you hear that?" Shippo asked, effectively halting Kagome in her steps and looking back at her mate.

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed, nodding.

"Hear what?" Kagome asked, turning her body to face where Inuyasha was staring at.

"Miroku's calling us," Inuyasha said. "Come on," He said, putting one hand out for her to take. Kagome adjusted Shippo into one arm before taking her mate's hand in hers.

"Oh? Why?" Kagome asked, letting him lead the way to their friend's hut.

"I don't know," Inuyasha shrugged. "I haven't seen them since they told us they were going to get married yesterday,"

"Well do you think something bad is going on?" Shippo asked, a shiver running down his spine. "Maybe it's something with Kohaku?"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"I haven't seen him since this morning," Shippo said. "He ran off somewhere in the forest."

"Do you want me to go look for him, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, looking at his mate, ready to do whatever she wanted him to.

'_Desperate to make her happy?' _Shippo thought with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's get to Sango's house first and find out what's going on," Kagome said, smiling up at the half demon since he was a good ten inches taller than her. She moved closer to him and let their arms tangle, hers closer to his body and his arm closer to her body.

"Look, there's Miroku!" Shippo said excitedly; glad that he could get out of the couple's flirting in front of him. The fox demon quickly jumped out of Kagome's arms and rushed to the monk. "Miroku!"

"Shippo?" Miroku asked, a bit confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I was with Kagome and Inuyasha when you called them," Shippo explained, hopping up to his shoulder and whispering in his ear, "They're being all love sick to each other. Inuyasha probably said something and is doing whatever Kagome wants him to,"

"I see," Miroku said, watching the said couple walk out of the line of trees.

"Miroku, did you call us?" Kagome asked. "Inuyasha and Shippo said they heard you,"

"I did," Miroku said, looking at their adjoined hands. "Kagome, I need your help."

"What's wrong?" The priestess asked, stepping closer to him.

"It's Sango, she's over working herself and won't listen to me," Miroku said. "Please, Kagome, get her to relax," He begged.

"I'll try," Kagome said, and then she let go of Inuyasha's hand and let her fingers brush against his. "Is she inside?"

"Yeah, she's in our bedroom," Miroku said. Kagome nodded with a soft smile and went inside.

"You look like you haven't slept in days," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms together. "Sango stressing you out?"

"She's had me run around this entire village doing things that we don't even need for the wedding, and she doesn't need it either! Except for the food I'm suppose to get right now, all the other stuff was… I don't even know," Miroku said, putting a hand to his face and sighed. "What about you?"

"What do you mean, what about me?" Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You and Kagome," Miroku clarified. Shippo silently sat on the monk's shoulder, hoping to get the answer.

"Nothing's wrong with me and Kagome." Inuyasha said confidently.

"Then why are you so eager to make her happy?" Shippo accused. The half demon raised an eyebrow.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "Aren't you supposed to get food, monk?" Miroku snapped his head up before running into the forest, unconsciously bringing Shippo with him.

* * *

Kirara silently crept up beside the two tail dog demon and sat down beside her, being a quiet comfort. Avion made her appearance, landing on the other side of the dog demon and looking off into the direction where Masao disappeared in.

"Keiko?" Avion asked as softly as she could. "Are you okay?" Keiko blinked, coming out of her thoughts before turning her purple eyes to the spiritual animal.

"_Yeah," _Keiko said, sadness lacing her voice.

"_You really liked him, didn't you?" _Kirara asked, anxiously waiting for they answer she and Avion already knew.

"_Yeah," _Keiko said, a smile crossing her face at the thought of him.

"He'll come back," Avion assured. "Don't worry," Keiko nodded before standing up and turning towards the village.

"_Where do you guys want to go?" _Keiko asked, her spunk coming back. Kirara grinned as she also got up.

"_Tag, you're it!" _Kirara meowed as she touched Keiko's side with her paw before running off into the village.

"_Hey!" _Keiko said with amusement clear in her eyes. _"Come back here!" _The two tail dog demon ran after the cat demon while Avion changed her form into a medium sized dog and followed.

* * *

"Come on, Sango, we'll deal with it later," Kagome complained as she dragged the demon slayer out the front door.

"No! Kagome, I need to do this!" Sango hissed as she pulled back, trying to walk to her room.

"You have plenty of time," Kagome growled back. "Don't make me get my mate," Inuyasha, since he was standing just outside the monk and demon slayer's hut, quirked an eyebrow but then shrugged it off as a compliment.

"Kagome, please," Sango begged.

"Sango, Miroku's worried about you," Kagome sighed, still pulling on the reluctant demon slayer's arm. "I'm worried about you. You're working yourself to death,"

"But-"

"Sango, just relax," Kagome pleaded, pulling her further outside.

"Kagome, it's going to be my special day where I can feel special. I want everything to be perfect. Don't you want to feel like the prettiest woman in the village for one day, where everyone's attention is on you?" Sango asked. Unbeknownst to the women, the half demon's ears dropped to his head. Kagome smiled at her kindly while stopping their tug-of-war.

"When you spend a day with the one you love, you already feel like you're their entire world. You feel pretty every time you're around them even if you're a mess. That one day, is just one day, but you'll always feel special." Kagome explained softly. "Do you get it?" Sango stayed silent for a little bit.

"It doesn't need to be perfect," Inuyasha added in a quiet voice as he walked up to the priestess wearing her own fire rat kimono with black swirls on it. "Miroku doesn't expect anything; he just wants to do what you want." Inuyasha put his hands on Kagome's shoulders as he stood behind her. "Besides, you guys aren't demons, a wedding is the only way to make things final," He scoffed with no real gruffness to it. Kagome smiled up at her mate before looking at Sango.

"So, how about the hot springs?" Kagome asked, tugging on Sango's arm slightly.

"Sounds great," Sango said, smiling. _'You and Inuyasha have everything you want. Once this wedding is over, hopefully Miroku and I will be the same.' _The demon slayer thought hopefully. "But can I just-"

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, slightly in a commanding voice. The half demon turned his golden eyes at his mate before walking over to the demon slayer and lifting her over his shoulder, carrying her.

"Inuyasha, let me go!" Sango yelled, pounding into his back.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, many questions laced around her name silently.

"To the river," Kagome said with a brilliant smile. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips before leading the way.

"Let me go, I can walk just fine," Sango huffed, kicking and punching.

"Knock it off, Sango," Inuyasha said, putting a hand to her hip so she didn't fall off his shoulder.

"I stop when you let me go," Sango countered.

"I warned you, Sango," Kagome said happily, skipping along the forest path. "I told you if you didn't go on your own, I'd get Inuyasha to do it for me."

"Do you listen to everything she says?" Sango asked the half demon.

"Keh, no," Inuyasha huffed.

"Of course he doesn't. If he did, he wouldn't rush blindly into battle," Kagome giggled as she turned around and skipped backwards towards the hot springs.

"Feh," Inuyasha scoffed. "Well we're here," Inuyasha announced. Kagome quickly turned back around and eyed the chilling water. "Where do you want her?"

"Just dump her in," Kagome said as if it were nothing.

"What!?" Sango yelled before screaming as Inuyasha pushed her forward and off his shoulder, only to fall into the water.

* * *

"What are we looking for?" Shippo whispered as he watched Miroku crouch behind a bush and stare through it.

"Food," Miroku said as he eyed a brown rabbit that was innocently chewing on some grass.

"Miroku, you don't know how to-" Shippo began to say but was cut off as Miroku let out a banshee cry and broke through the bush. "Hunt," Shippo sighed, finishing his sentence. The fox demon walked around the bush and silently watched the scene unfold. Once Miroku was out of the bush, he had lifted his staff above his head, aiming for the rabbit. The creature looked up in time and saw the crazed man before deciding to bolt out of the area. Now, Miroku chased after the speedy animal with all his training as a monk and all the time he had to run alongside Inuyasha. When it came to man versus a rabbit, usually a man's brain is suppose to be smarter. The brown furred rabbit quickly high jacked out of the monk's path and ran down a hole. Miroku followed down the hole with his arm only to get his fingers bitten and scratched.

"Ow," Miroku cried as he took his arm out and sat on the ground. He watched as his fingers bled from the small puncture wounds and scratches.

"That is, by far, not how you would catch a rabbit," Shippo said, shaking his head negatively.

"Well I'd like to see you try," Miroku countered.

"I don't know if I'd catch anything, but I know it would be better than that," Shippo laughed lightly.

"That's not fair, Inuyasha's been training you," Miroku accused. The fox demon shrugged.

"That's because they're my parents. They're supposed to teach me," He said proudly.

"Parents?"

"Well, you know when someone takes in a kid that has no parents. Kagome and Inuyasha did when they first met me,"

"I see," Miroku said.

"Yeah," Shippo said, going over to the monk. "I would try catching fish instead of rabbits, Miroku."

"Good idea," The monk said, standing up and brushing off the dirt from his robes. "Let's go to the river,"

"Okay," Shippo said, climbing onto Miroku's shoulder. "If you fail at this, you are going to be a pretty bad husband,"

"Why is that?" Miroku asked.

"Aren't husbands supposed to provide for the wife? That's how it is with mates most of the time, or at least he has to prove that he can do it." Shippo explained.

"So it's like a turn on for the females?" Miroku asked lecherously with raised eyebrows and a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Uh…" Shippo hummed, unsure of how to answer.

* * *

"_Kirara, transforming is not playing fair!" _Keiko yelled as she began her own transformation. _"I can't fly!"_

"_Then I'm at an advantage," _Kirara roared playfully as she soared through the air.

"_Not fair!" _Keiko accused, only looking at the skies. _"Avion!" _Keiko barked loudly as she saw her spiritual creature friend transform back into a bird and flew into the air.

"I'd like to see you try tagging us now," Avion jokingly mocked as she flew above Kirara's back.

"_I hate you guys," _Keiko growled. The group ran through the forest at a fast, demon pace. The creatures in the sky flew by everything first, followed by a breeze of wind before Keiko brought in another gust. They passed by their pack members, seeing their confused faces as they left.

"Hey, guys we just made a complete circle," Avion commented, looking at their path.

"_We'll turn here," _Kirara roared, flying over a bush.

"_Oof!" _Keiko growled as she tumbled forward and into the stream with another body landing next to hers.

"_Keiko, you okay?" _Kirara asked as she and Avion flew down and landed on a boulder.

"Kohaku, is that you?" Avion asked, eyeing the boy who was spluttering from his fall in the water.

"_I'm sorry, Kohaku, I didn't see you there," _Keiko barked softly as she nursed her paw.

"It's alright," Kohaku said sheepishly, rubbing his head.

"_Are you okay?" _Kirara asked, walking into the water and looking over the boy. She stood taller than him as she inspected his body for injuries.

"Keiko, you should be more careful," Avion said, looking at the two tail dog demon for injuries.

"_Well sorry, not like I had an aerial advantage," _Keiko barked, standing up and shaking out the water in her fur. _"Besides, the bush I ran through covered my vision."_

"Alright," Avion said. "You hurt?"

"_Nah," _Keiko barked nonchalantly. _"Kohaku, are you okay?"_

"Just fine," Kohaku repeated. He then stood up with the help of Kirara's bigger form and brushed off the water on his blue kimono.

"_What are you doing out here?" _Kirara asked, rubbing her head into his hand.

"I just needed time to think," Kohaku said softly.

"_About?" _Keiko asked, still slightly wet from the river.

"Just stuff," Kohaku whispered.

"About?" Avion said, copying Keiko's words.

"What'll happen to me when sister and Miroku get married," Kohaku said reluctantly.

"_What do you mean?" _Kirara meowed.

"They probably want their privacy, so where will I stay?" Kohaku asked.

"_Well give them a week, then you can go back," _Keiko advised. _"Same thing happened with Kagome and Inuyasha. Avion and I stayed at Kaede's for a week then we went back home." _

"_Yeah, why are you worried? They're not going to dump us." _Kirara meowed playfully.

"Are you sure?" Kohaku asked.

"Positive," Avion said, flying back up into the air. "Let's get you cleaned up and into dry close, huh?"

"Alright," Kohaku said, getting on Kirara's back.

* * *

"Was that…" Kagome said, leaving the sentence unfinished as a gust of wind passed by.

"Looked like Keiko, Avion, and Kirara." Inuyasha informed.

"Looks like they're having fun," Sango said, still floating in the water with her clothes soaked.

"Yep," Kagome agreed with a nod. The priestess then turned her head to Sango and motioned with her hands. "Now take off your clothes and give them to me to dry."

"What?! Kagome," Sango hissed, motioning her eyes to the half demon.

"Don't worry, he's not a pervert," Kagome said, going over to the half demon's side and placing a gentle hand on his arm. Inuyasha silently looked down to his shorter mate then turned his back to the demon slayer. "See?"

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Don't peak," Sango said, slowly stripping.

"As if I'd want to," Inuyasha said.

"Hey! What is that suppose to mean?" Sango yelled, feeling insulted.

"Don't worry, he said the same thing to me when we just started to travel together," Kagome said, patting the half demon's back.

"Now you're her mate. How do you feel now?" Sango joked, handing Kagome her wet clothes.

"I feel like you should mind your own business," Inuyasha grumbled. Kagome smiled despite his gruff voice. The priestess then hung the wet clothes on a low tree branch right after she shook out the water.

"You don't have to hang around, Inuyasha. Go find something to do if you're so bored," Kagome commented.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed again, but nonetheless walked over to Kagome and placed a light kiss on her lips. "I'll be scouting out the forest,"

"Alright," Kagome replied as she smiled a goodbye to him while he took off.

"Hey, Kagome," Sango asked.

"Yeah?" The priestess said, turning around once she was done hanging the clothes.

"Are… Are you happy without a wedding?"

"Yes," She said truthfully as she walked over to a twig and picked it up. "I'm as happy as ever,"

"You never wanted to publicize your relationship?" the demon slayer continued to ask.

"The villagers already know," Kagome argued lightly. "It doesn't matter, he makes me happy."

"I envy you right now," Sango sighed, falling deeper into the water.

"Why's that?" Kagome asked, piling a bunch of sticks into a pile below the wet clothes and started to try and light a fire.

"I wish I could just say Miroku and I are married then just be on our merry way, but with humans you have to do this ceremony to make it official." Sango sighed again.

"It's not going to be bad, Sango," Kagome encouraged. "You're going to be so happy that day,"

"It's a special day, then, huh?" Sango said, chuckling dryly.

"Not necessarily," Kagome said, walking to the river once she was done lighting a fire. The priestess then took off her shoes and dipped her feet and calves into the water. "The special day is really when you met the man you fell in love with," Kagome winked, swooshing her feet back and forth in the water. Sango smiled at her then looked ahead.

"Thanks, Kagome,"

* * *

"Whoa," Miroku gasped as a cream colored blob passed by his face, followed by a pink glow. Then something splashed into the water, but the monk didn't see it.

"Hey, that was Kirara, Keiko, and Avion," Shippo commented as he sat on the edge of the river.

"Was it?" Miroku asked, sighing with relief. The monk stood in the middle of the river with his robe rolled to his knees and his sleeves to his elbows. "Thank god, I thought something was trying to hit me,"

"You're jumpy today," Shippo said, leaning back on his hands. "How's the fishing?"

"Huh?" Miroku asked, spacing out. "Damn it, whatever hit the water scared them away,"

"This could take a while," The fox demon sighed, from one side to another. "Hey, isn't that Sango?"

"Where?" Miroku asked eagerly, forgetting about the fish.

"Down there," The fox demon pointed to his left. Miroku squint his eyes to get a clearer vision.

"I do believe it is," Miroku said happily, relaxing his eyes. "Let's go pay her a visit," With that, he waddled through the water.

"Wouldn't it be easier to walk on land?"

"It's more of a surprise this way," The monk shrugged. Shippo sighed as he got up and walked towards the demon slayer.

"Hey, Kagome's there too," Shippo said, his tail wagging once.

"Interesting," Miroku heaved, having trouble walking through water.

* * *

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer," Inuyasha yelled, running his claws through a low level demon. The enemy screamed as his bloody and battered body hit the ground. "Too easy," Inuyasha said, shaking the blood off of his claws. "Damn, there's nothing to do," He complained, looking towards where he came from. The half demon then looked around and spotted something on the ground. Kneeling before it, he picked it up and twirled it in his hand.

* * *

"Hello ladies," Miroku said charmingly as he walked up to them.

"Miroku," Sango gasped, not noticing him until now.

"Hey, Miroku," Kagome said, not fazed by his appearance at all considering she was watching him struggle with the water with the corner of her eye. "Hey, Shippo,"

"Kagome," Shippo greeted, sitting onto her lap. "Hi Sango, how's the relaxing?"

"Well after Inuyasha dumped me in here, it's going good," Sango said, sending a glare towards the priestess.

"Inuyasha dropped you into the river?" Miroku asked. "Without clothes?"

"No!" Sango yelled, getting a rock from the edge and throwing it at her fiancé. "I had my clothes on. AH!" Sango said, instantly yelling once she realized she was naked. The demon slayer put her hands up to her chest and tried to preserve her modesty.

"Give it up Sango, you didn't notice for too long," Kagome said playfully.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Sango accused her.

"Too much fun," Kagome said, winking.

"I sure didn't mind the site," Miroku commented.

"Pervert!" Sango yelled. Kagome and Shippo laughed merrily as they watched the familiar scene unfold. Just then, a pulse ran through from Kagome's wrist until it went throughout her body. Blinking, the priestess folded a corner of her forearm cover over and saw her mating mark glow purple.

"What's wrong?" Shippo asked.

"Nothing, Inuyasha is just calling me somewhere," Kagome said nonchalantly. She then placed Shippo on the ground next to her and took her legs out of the water. "Miroku, can you watch Sango?"

"My pleasure," Miroku said, grinning.

"K-Kagome, don't leave me with him," Sango stuttered, backing away from the advancing monk. Kagome laughed lightly as she put her shoes back on her wet feet and legs.

"Shippo will be here," Kagome said. "Besides, aren't you getting married to the guy?"

"Yeah, Sango, I'm hurt," Miroku pouted.

"I'll go get some towels while I'm gone," Kagome said, waving. "Have fun, but not in front of Shippo,"

"Kagome!" Sango gasped.

"Shippo, leave," Miroku said playfully, putting his hands on either side of the demon slayer. Shippo cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"Don't let the clothes burn," Kagome said as she retreated into the forest.

* * *

"There ye go," Kaede said, handing over a cup of tea.

"Thanks Lady Kaede," Kohaku said, accepting the liquid with gratitude.

"Ye clothes should be dry soon," Kaede said. Right now, the young demon slayer sat with a blanket covering his nude body.

"_Sorry, again, for pushing you into the river," _Keiko barked sheepishly.

"It's alright," Kohaku answered, giving her a smile.

"_So you're okay now?" _Kirara asked, concerned.

"I was never hurt," Kohaku said, confused.

"_No, I meant about Sango and Miroku," _Kirara correct.

"Oh," Kohaku whispered then smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay,"

"You can come stay with us," Avion suggested.

"My hut is open to all of ye too," Kaede added.

"Thanks," Kohaku said.

"_I wonder what the others are doing," _Keiko said absently.

"_Well we passed them by the river, so fishing or bathing or something probably," _Kirara answered with a shrug.

"Yeah, besides, things have been stressful on Sango," Avion said.

"Has she chosen a time and day yet?" Kaede asked.

"_I don't think so," _Kirara said.

"She's been planning her dress," Kohaku added. The group nodded as they agreed with the young demon slayer.

* * *

"Inuyasha?" Kagome called, coming into the clearing of her hut. "Where is he?" She asked herself. She had gone from the river to Sango and Miroku's house, then she went to the Sacred tree, and then she went to the Bone Eater's well, and now she has gone to her own hut.

"Finally, you got here," Inuyasha said, jumping down from a tree. "You didn't think of using your senses to find me?"

"Oh, I guess I didn't," Kagome said sheepishly while smiling brightly. "Well you didn't help by using your own senses and finding me," She huffed. Inuyasha just gave her a closed mouth smile as he stepped closer, pecking her on her forehead. Kagome put her hands on his upper abs and let his lips press onto her head. "So, what did you call me for?"

"You know it isn't really a call," Inuyasha reminded.

"Well, I know, but since you were here somewhere, I thought you'd use it like that." Kagome said softly. "And it was purple, so you weren't in danger,"

"Smart," He chuckled. Kagome gave him a joking slap to his chest.

"So what'd you need me for?" She asked again. Inuyasha just lifted his hand and brushed her hair on the right side of her head behind her ear and put a flower behind it.

"Just to give you that," Inuyasha answered, slightly blushing. The flower was a beautiful shade of red that matched the fire rat kimono they both wore while the middle of it was a dark brown. The petals looked like a chamomile but it those didn't come in red. Kagome smiled and put her arms around his waist, hugging him to her.

"Thank you," Kagome smiled, kissing him on the lips.

"Glad you like it," Inuyasha said back. The priestess then stepped back while taking his hand in hers and dragging him into their hut. "Where are we going?"

"I have to get towels for Sango and Miroku," Kagome said, noticing his disappointed look. "Later," She promised in a whisper as she stepped close to him again.

"I'm holding you to that," Inuyasha said jokingly.

"You're acting unusually casual about this," Kagome giggled, pulling him towards a few towels that were stacked on top of each other.

"In a good mood I guess," Inuyasha answered with a shrug. She kissed him on the cheek then dragged him, by the hand, outside of their hut and towards the river again.

"Hey, guys, I got your towels," Kagome said, coming up to the group still soaking in the river.

"Finally, my skin is starting to wrinkle," Sango said, lifting her prune looking hands out of the water.

"Sorry," Kagome said sheepishly as she chuckled nervously. "Here, Miroku,"

"Thank you, Kagome," Miroku said, gratefully accepting the cloth.

"When did you get here, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked.

"Sometime when you weren't here," Miroku answered, climbing out of the water. He then turned back and put a hand out to help his fiancée.

"Uh… Thanks," Sango whispered, a blush blossoming on her face.

"Kagome, where'd you get the pretty flower?" Shippo asked, noticing the red petals in the girl's hair.

"Inuyasha gave it to me," Kagome said, hugging her mate's arm.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed lightly, relishing the contact with the priestess.

"Sango, hurry and get dressed," Kagome said with a bright smile. "Let's go make that dress of yours,"

"Right," Sango said hurriedly. She put the towel around her, grabbed her clothes, and then ran behind a few trees and bushes.

* * *

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* * *

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	78. Finally Together

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. Please don't use the ideas and characters that do belong to me.**

* * *

Finally Together

"Miroku, get out of here!" Kagome ushered hurriedly as she looked up towards the sky to see the position of the sun.

"Wh-why Kagome?" Miroku stumbled as he tripped on his own feet, but managed to catch himself. The priestess pushed the monk out of the clearing of his hut.

"Its bad luck to see the bride twenty-four hours before the wedding ceremony, "Kagome explained, still pushing on Miroku's back to get him to walk.

"Is it?" Miroku asked.

"Oh…" Kagome said softly, realizing something. _'This is five hundred years in the past. I forgot about that. Oh well,' _The priestess thought with a shrug. "Well whether you know about the superstition or not, you're not going to see her until tomorrow."

"A superstition?"

"Yeah, like when you talk about someone behind their back, the person you're talking about will sneeze," Kagome explained. Miroku looked plainly at the girl.

"I know what it is, Kagome. I just didn't think that you'd have one like that," Miroku explained.

"Oh, well it's a new world thing,"

"New world? What new world?"

"Don't worry about it, now go," Kagome commanded in a kind voice as she rushed him off towards the village.

"Where will I stay?" Miroku asked, curiously. "You just kicked me out of my own house,"

"You'll stay in Kaede's hut with Keiko, Avion, and Shippo to watch over you," Kagome explained, pushing him along still.

"Why does Kirara get to stay with my love?" The monk pouted.

"Because Kirara isn't the husband-to-be," Kagome giggled as they made it to the edge of the human domain.

* * *

"Where is she going?" Sango asked confusedly as she stood in her hut, watching the priestess take away her fiancé.

"She said something about bad luck," Inuyasha explain, having followed Kagome inside before she left.

"_I guess it's a tradition in her time," _Kirara meowed, blinking and still in confusion.

"Keh, let her go," Inuyasha huffed, leaning his back against the wall next to the door. Silence swept through the room, leaving the demon slayer, half demon, and two tail demon in discomfort. The half demon cleared his throat. "So are you ready for tomorrow?"

"A-as ready as I'll ever be," Sango said nervously, looking down at the burning fire pit. The half demon nodded before turning his head to look out the cracks through the bamboo mat covering the doorway. Silence. Sango became increasingly fidgety, but it wasn't because she was uncomfortable with him and her being alone, hell they travelled together for the longest time; it was because of the subject they left off on. Sensing her anxiety, the half demon moved his golden eyes towards her before staring back out the door.

"Nothing's going to change," Inuyasha said seriously.

"Huh?" Sango asked, confused after the long silence.

"When you marry him; nothing's going to change. Yesterday will be the same as the day after tomorrow, before and after," He then pushed off the wall using his back. Sango smiled and gently pushed hair behind her ear.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," She said sincerely. "I know you're not into words as much as action, but that helps a lot."

"Keh," Inuyasha said softly.

"Kagome's lucky," Sango said, walking towards him with her arms crossed gently. Inuyasha looked at her as she stood in front of him. The two friends stared at each other, gold eyes to brown ones.

"No, I'm lucky in more ways than one." Inuyasha said, looking away and towards the door again. "Our past isn't exactly a good one."

"But your present and future are things people like me can envy," Sango said, smiling. "Inuyasha, you and Kagome are like my siblings just as much as Kohaku is."

"You and Miroku are to us too," He said quietly, having discussed this same topic with Kagome already.

"From a sister to a brother, I recommend you forget your rough past and focus on the now and later," Sango then walked a little closer to the door and held out her hand. "Come on, brother; let's get out of here,"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, tentatively taking her hand. They stepped out of the hut and let go of each other.

"Where are we going to go?" Sango asked, looking around.

"Kagome's probably with Miroku, and since she won't let you see him, that's out of the question," Inuyasha grumbled, looking around for something to do. The half demon then got an idea. "Sango, come with me,"

"Where are we going?" The demon slayer asked curiously, following wherever he led her like when they travelled to destroy Naraku.

"Kagome wanted to bring you here one day, but since she's busy, I'll do it," He said nonchalantly, going further into the forest.

"Oh," Sango said, blinking in confusion.

* * *

"Come on, bro, be a man," Kagome said, imitating a male voice before bursting into laughter.

"Bro?" Miroku asked through laughs.

"Short for brother," Kagome said, lightening the mood. Miroku laughed harder.

"You're a great sister to have," Miroku said, still chuckling, as he slung his arm around her neck and pulled her into half a hug. Kagome laughed and put her arms around his chest, letting go shortly after.

"And you," Kagome said, pointing at him with humor. "Are one perverted brother,"

"I resent that," Miroku answered, keeping up with her act. Kagome laughed and hugged his chest again.

"But a loving one," Kagome said softer and more seriously.

"And like Inuyasha, I won't let anything happen to my little sister," Miroku said, hugging her back. "But you know, he's your mate, so he can do all that while I protect Sango," Kagome slapped his chest playfully and pulled away.

"Sango and I can take care of ourselves just fine," Kagome argued, though the smile on her face belied the tone.

"We're still a family, don't you think?" Miroku asked, taking his arms off of her.

"Of course," Kagome answered cheerfully.

* * *

"Wow, Inuyasha," Sango gasped as she looked around.

"Keh, Kagome and I found it one day when we went out patrolling,"

"You mean on a moonlit walk?" Sango said, giggling as her hand covered her mouth.

"Keh!" Inuyasha scoffed a blush staining his face as he crossed his arms in defiance. Around them was a small clearing, a lazy river weaving around a tiny peninsula while flowers covered the land just starting where the peninsula connected back to the mainland. The only spot of green grass was seen on it, making it look like an island. The sun shone perfectly through the trees, illuminating the clearing and making the water shine.

"Thanks, Inuyasha," Sango said again. "Why don't we go back?" Inuyasha only nodded and turned around to leave.

* * *

…Night…

* * *

"Don't worry, Sango, Miroku's safe and tucked into bed," Kagome said jokingly as she gave the demon slayer a hug. Sango giggled lightly, letting the priestess go.

"Thanks," Sango said.

"Keiko, Avion, and Shippo agreed to watch over him tonight so he won't try anything," Kagome reassured before looking at the cat sitting patiently on the floor. "Kirara's here with you, so you won't be too lonely, but if you need us, you know where to find us,"

"Okay," Sango smiled. "Thanks for everything, Kagome, really,"

"That's what sister's are for," Kagome said, winking. She gave Sango another quick hug, and then walked over to her half demon. "I'll see you in the morning and get you ready,"

"Good night," Sango said, heading into the back of her hut.

"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome ordered lightly, taking his hand. Inuyasha followed silently, keeping an attentive ear on their surroundings. The moon that just showed itself to their gaze illuminated most of their surrounds, but the couple's advance eyesight helped a lot too. "So, how was your day with Sango?"

"Fine," Inuyasha replied softly. "I took her to that place you wanted her to see,"

"Did you?" Kagome said excitedly, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, smiling lightly from the affection. He squeezed her hand once before relaxing it again. The rest of the journey home was made in a comfortable silence under the moonlight.

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered once they were inside their bedroom.

"Hm?" Inuyasha asked looking down at her shorter form.

"Kiss me," Kagome demanded in a whisper, moving her body to press against his chest. Inuyasha looked confused for a second but didn't deny his mate. He leaned down and gently pressing their closed lips together, his hands on her hips while her hands were laid flat on his stomach. The kiss was tender and loving, both of them silently saying they loved the other with everything they've got.

"Is something wrong?" Inuyasha asked softly, his lips only millimeters apart from hers. The priestess stayed quiet and stepped a little closer. With great patients, Inuyasha waited, his hands lightly on her hips, rubbing gentle circles with his thumbs on the fire rat kimono she wore that ended at her mid thigh.

"Make me yours," Kagome whispered, kissing his clothed chest.

"You're my mate, you're already mine and I am yours," The darkness of the room created a calmness that both of them we in need of.

"I meant forever,"

* * *

"You ready, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he panted. The both of them lay naked on their futon while Inuyasha was on top. In his hand, he held a fang that was blood red and was glowing slightly. They had consummated that night for the first time since their new mating mark, thus making it acceptable to give Kagome the life bonding fang.

"Yes," Kagome whispered back, breathing harshly herself. She then lightly placed a hand on his cheek. Inuyasha slowly brought the fang to her right eye. A spark between the fang and her organ marked the moment she screamed in pain. Blood ran from the corner of her right eye and down her face. The half demon looked helplessly at her, wishing there was an easier way.

"Forgive me," Inuyasha whispered under her screams. The fang, with the power it held, pushed its own way down into Kagome's eye, increasing her screams of pain. Inuyasha let the fang go and let it do its job. He put both of his hands in both of hers and intertwined them together while laying his head down on her chest, kissing the top of her breast lightly. "I never wanted to hurt you," He closed his eyes and lent whatever comfort he could for her by just being there. Her screams slowly died down as the fang made a home inside her eye, linking her life force with his. The priestess's body glowed as their spirits mixed just slightly. Inuyasha waited a second before looking up and licking away the blood that made its way down her face. He then licked over her right eye as she closed her eye lid. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Kagome said weakly.

"I'm sorry, I wish there was another way," Inuyasha whispered, kissing her closed right eye.

"It's okay. I'd rather feel that all over again if it meant I could be with you for your life span instead of mine," Inuyasha stared down at her, both of her eyes were closed now as she relaxed her body from the pain.

"Let me see," Inuyasha demanded softly, kissing her right eye lid again to get her to open it. Kagome slowly fluttered her eyes open. Her left eye was the normal chocolate brown with a ring of gold and a ring of pink around her pupil while her right eye was gold, like his. "Can you see?" Kagome closed her left eye and looked at his face, searching for the features she was so familiar with.

"I can see blur of things, not really that clear," Kagome admitted, opening her left eye again. "Will it come back?"

"It should by morning," He then kissed her nose. "The gold probably will go away too,"

"Gold?"

"Your right eye is the same color as mine," He explained, leaning his body on hers, having almost all of his weight on her.

"Do you regret this?" Kagome asked after minutes of silence. She lightly squeezed both of his hands that were still intertwined with hers.

"I don't deserve you, but as long as you'll have me, I won't regret a single moment," He said sincerely, leaning his forehead against hers.

"You'll always have me," Kagome whispered back. "You deserve more than just me," Inuyasha snorted lightly. "After everything, the world owes you something,"

"They already gave me you," Inuyasha nuzzled his nose into her neck. "Nothing is going to top that,"

* * *

"Sango, where are you going?" Kagome asked as she watched the demon slayer nearly burst out of the hut. Kagome was in Sango's home, helping the bride-to-be with simple make up and clothing.

"I can't do this," Sango nearly sobbed.

"What do you mean, Sango?" Kagome asked softly, running after her and putting a comforting hand on the demon slayer's shoulder.

"I don't feel pretty, I don't feel like I deserve him, I don't feel like I'm the right one for him." Sango said, rushing to the river near her home. Kagome quickly ran after her, followed by Kirara and Keiko, who came early that morning. The demon slayer fell to her knees at the bank of the river and dipped her hands in, cupping out some water.

"Sango," Kagome said in a stern voice as she gripped Sango's wrists tightly but not enough to bruise. Kagome then softened her face and knelt down next to the distraught girl. The priestess slowly lowered their hands back into the river and made Sango let go of the water. "Sango, you're beautiful, don't doubt that," Kagome then started to fix Sango's hair.

"Kagome I don't-"

"Shh," Kagome hushed, putting her hands on the demon slayer's elbow then lifting them both up. "You're just nervous, trust me, you're beautiful, and you deserve him. It's him that has a lot to make up for," Kagome kidded softly as she winked. Inuyasha was right, her sight came back by morning after a good night's sleep and the gold coloration went away.

"Mew," Kirara meowed, rubbing her head on Sango's ankles. Keiko put her two front paws up on Sango's calf, standing on her hinds legs as she tried to reassure the anxious girl. Sango gingerly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and blushed lightly.

"Thanks," Sango said in a quiet voice. Kagome took Sango's hand and started tugging her forward, back towards Sango's hut.

"Let's get you fixed up before Avion comes and tells us it's time to go," Kagome said, a bright smile on her face. Sango smiled back and looked at the priestess she considered as her sister. Kagome wore a traditional priestess garment, red pants and a white kimono top. Of course, Kagome only wore the garments to help Kaede with the ceremony.

* * *

"Hey, Miroku, you ready?" Inuyasha asked, going into Kaede's hut without invitation. The half demon looked around with uneasy eyes as he saw the chaos.

"Miroku, stay still!" Shippo yelled, climbing onto the monk's head.

"Ow, watch your claws and maybe I will!" Miroku yelled back.

"Miroku, watch out for the water," Kohaku warned as Miroku's foot hit the pot over the fire.

"Ow!" Miroku yelled, boiling water falling on his left foot and calf.

"What is going on here?" Inuyasha asked as his booming voice cutting through the screams.

"Miroku won't let me fix his hair," Shippo complained, motioning his hands towards the monk's black hair. Strands of Miroku's hair stuck in random places while his dragon tail seemed to have loosened even further to the point of falling off. If this were the twenty first century, Miroku's hair would've been described as someone rubbing a balloon on his head.

"And he just got hot water on his wedding kimono," Kohaku complained under his breath as he got a cloth and cleaned up the water.

"Well Shippo keeps slicing off my hair," Miroku complained right back. Inuyasha's clenched his fist together as he growled. The yelling between the monk and two young children continued.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled, his voice echoing through the village. All went silent. "Shippo, fix his damn kimono with fox fire or something, Kohaku you do his fucking hair," He growled.

"Yes sir," Shippo and Kohaku said instantly, scared of their leader. The two of them scampered at each other, switching places.

"And Miroku, this is your damn wedding, you can at least stay still," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Hey, guys, are you rea-" Avion said as she flew in, cutting herself off as she saw the destruction in Kaede's hut. "What happened?" She asked, calmly.

"Damn idiots," Inuyasha said under his breath, letting Avion land on his shoulder.

"We're ready outside," Avion announced.

"I'll make them be finished soon," Inuyasha said in a commanding, but annoyed, voice. "Check on the girls and tell them we need more time,"

"Alright," Avion said, agreeing with her master's mate's orders. The spiritual bird then flew out the door and headed towards the demon slayer's hut.

* * *

"Congratulations," Kagome and Kaede chimed together as they stood in front of the monk and demon slayer. "You two are now officially husband and wife,"

"Kiss her," Kagome whispered with a wink. Miroku took Sango's hand and pulled her to his body. Cat calls and clapping were heard around them as the villagers cheered in their protectors union. Everyone was on the shrine steps that led up to Kikyo's grave and Kagome's unused grave while a small shrine was in the middle between the two. The villagers all stood on different steps, littering them until the very bottom. Inuyasha, Kagome, Kaede, Shippo, Kohaku, Kirara, Keiko, and Avion all stood at the top, standing side by side with Sango and Miroku. Sango wore and elegant deep blue kimono with a white flower pattern adorning it while Miroku wore something that resembled his monk robes except that his outer kimono was black and his inner one was white. The group was laughing in merriment as the villagers continue to clap, waiting for Miroku to stop kissing his new wife. Shippo and Kohaku blushed as they turned their heads away.

* * *

…Later….

* * *

Ancient music was roaring throughout the village, celebrating the new wedded couple. Dancing was seen in the middle of the village, other men dancing with their wives while children went and danced with their friends. The newly wedded couple sat in peacefully, thanking those who congratulated them while sipping on their sake filled wooden cups.

"Finally, my dear, Sango, we are married," Miroku said, slinging his arm around her shoulders as he kissed her cheek.

"Yes," Sango said, blushing slightly but smiled nonetheless.

"Come on, guys, get up," Kagome said excitedly as she ran towards them and held out her hands for them to take. "This is your wedding celebration, join us,"

"Kagome," Sango began to say but gasped as Kagome grabbed both their hands and tugged them up, running towards the middle of the crowd. The priestess laughed in giddiness as she ran towards the villagers.

"I got them!" Kagome yelled into the crowd. The villagers cheered as the saw the newly married couple enter the group.

"Kagome, what's going on?" Miroku asked curiously.

"You'll see," Kagome said with a wide smile on her face.

"Why do I have a feeling that this isn't going to be good?" Sango asked. The priestess smacked the demon slayer lightly on her arm.

"No, you'll love it," Kagome argued. "Inuyasha!" She called. The half demon came strolling down from the other side of the village with a large pack on his back.

"Here," Inuyasha grunted, dropping the bag onto the ground.

"Hey, careful," Kagome scolded softly before turning bright eyes towards the couple. "Well, this is from everyone in the village,"

"What do you mean?" Sango asked, awed at the pack standing before them.

"It's a gift from everyone," Shippo chimed in, running towards them. Cheers of 'open it' came from the villagers around them.

"Miroku?" Sango asked. Miroku nodded as he went to it and untied the knot holding the bag together. Once it was open, objects big and small went tumbling out of it, flopping onto the ground. Fabric, clothes, fur, fruits, vegetables, anything anyone can name littered the ground as cheers were heard. "Wow," Sango gasped. Kagome smiled widely and walked to the demon slayer and gave her a hug.

"I'm so happy for you," Kagome whispered in Sango's ear.

"Thanks so much, Kagome," Sango whispered back, happy tears gathering in her eyes.

* * *

…Sunset…

* * *

"Can you believe people are still celebrating?" Sango asked with a giggle as she sat side by side with Miroku. He put his arm around her shoulder.

"It has been quite a day," Miroku answered. Sango smiled as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. "Do you think they'll notice if we leave?" Sango hit him on his chest as he chuckled.

"Kagome has been on us like vultures," Sango stated. "I think she'll notice if the 'golden couple' isn't here,"

"Why does she call us that, exactly?"

"I don't know, something from her time, I guess," Sango shrugged as she saw Kirara, Keiko, and Avion run up to them. "Hey, guys,"

"_Are you not enjoying yourself?" _Kirara meowed, cocking her head to the side.

"Of course we are," Sango said, petting Kirara's head gently.

"_Then why don't you go celebrate with us?" _Keiko barked next, hopping onto Miroku's lap and looking at the demon slayer. _"Miroku?" _

"I'm still learning how to speak demon, sorry," Miroku said sheepishly with a shrug as he looked at the dog demon.

"Well we really just wanted some time alone. It's been a lot of fun," Sango said.

"Want me to tell Kagome that you will be retiring for the night?" Avion asked.

"Sure," Miroku said, standing up which made Keiko jump off his lap with a huff.

"Miroku," Sango said, shocked. "But Kagome planned all of this for us, we can't just leave,"

"I'm sure she'll understand," Miroku said, looking at the group of people celebrating. "Besides, people are starting to head home,"

"The least we could do is say good night," Sango argued. The two two-tails and spiritual helper looked on curiously before running off back to the party.

"You're right," Miroku said, taking her hand and following the other pack members.

* * *

"Hey," Inuyasha said, walking up to his mate who seemed to disappear at every corner.

"Hey," Kagome said, happily as she looked on at the party she created.

"Here," He said, handing her a cup of sake. "You look like you need one,"

"What's that suppose to mean?" Kagome asked, taking the cup and sipping at it.

"You seem exhausted," Inuyasha explained with a slight smile as he picked her up bridal style.

"Hey," Kagome gasped, careful not to spill the drink.

"I think you should go home," Inuyasha said, walking towards their house.

"But what about the party?"

"The villagers can clean it up," Inuyasha said, kissing her forehead. "You've worked hard today,"

"But Inu," Kagome whined. Inuyasha laughed lightly and kissed her lips. "We at least have to say good night to Sango and Miroku,"

"Well they're coming this way," Inuyasha said with a smirk. Kagome looked and saw Miroku, Sango, and their smaller friends coming towards them.

"Hey, how'd you like your wedding?" Kagome asked, a bit drowsy.

"It was wonderful, thank you, Kagome," Sango said, holding the priestess's free hand.

"No need," Kagome said, giving her a dazzling smile before breaking it with a yawn.

"I'm taking Kagome home," Inuyasha announced.

"We are retiring for the night as well," Miroku said.

"Kirara, Keiko, Avion, you guys are staying with us," Inuyasha said, looking around for two other group members.

"I'll go get Kohaku and Shippo," Avion said, leaving the group.

"Where has Kohaku been, anyways?" Miroku asked.

"The last I saw him he was sitting by Kaede's hut," Kagome said, her eyes closing as her hand loosened on the cup of sake Inuyasha had given to her earlier.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked worriedly, watching her intently. He quickly put her feet on the ground and grabbed the cup before it spilled down his back. He handed the cup to Miroku and picked the priestess back up. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Mm-hm," Kagome hummed, slipping further into darkness.

"Maybe she's just exhausted, you should take her home," Sango suggested.

"Yeah," Inuyasha agreed softly, worried about his mate. "Bye guys, have a good wedding night," He said, not trying to imply anything.

"Bye," Miroku and Sango chimed, happily skipping to their home.

"So, Sango, we have the entire hut to ourselves," Miroku said suggestively. Sango blushed so hard that it was seen through the darkness of the setting sun.

* * *

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**THANKS FOR READING!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	79. Honeymoon Hoax

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Honeymoon Hoax

"Are you sure you're okay?" Inuyasha asked as he entered his hut.

"Yeah, I actually feel a lot better," Kagome said happily, hopping out of the half demon's arms and landing perfectly on her feet.

"Wasn't she just tired a second ago?" Kohaku asked in a whisper. The two two-tail demons nodded as Shippo and Avion looked on in confusion.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're acting kind of weird," Inuyasha said cautiously.

"Is that supposed to imply something?" Kagome asked in a dark tone, glaring at her mate. Inuyasha swallowed a lump in his throat harshly as he put his hands up in surrender.

"Her mood really changed," Shippo commented, following the couple inside the home.

"Okay, you guys can sleep wherever you want," Kagome announced, going towards the fire pit. "Inuyasha help me light this fire,"

"Sure," Inuyasha said, getting the wood from the corner.

"So is anyone up for a small night snack?" Kagome asked, getting up and walking over to the corner of the front room. There lay a basket full of herbs used to make tea. The priestess grabbed some and put them into a pot. "Inuyasha, do we have water?"

"I don't think so," Inuyasha said, putting the wood inside the fire pit. Keiko, Kirara, Avion, Kohaku, and Shippo watched the two mates silently.

"Oh, I'll go get some," Kagome said, about to walk out the door when her wrist was seized.

"I'll go, it's dark out," Inuyasha said.

"But I'm perfectly capable-"

"No, it's dangerous out there," Inuyasha argued.

"So you don't trust me to take care of myself?" Kagome asked, getting mad all over again. Inuyasha just glared at her through the fire light. "So if we have kids, you won't trust me alone with them?" Inuyasha softened his glare. Kagome pulled her wrist out of his hand and stomped to the newly lit fire. "Fine, go, see if I care!"

"Kagome," Inuyasha softly said. The half demon knelt next to her and kissed her cheek, not caring who saw at the moment. "I'm sorry, alright? I just don't like it when I'm not protecting you,"

"I've never heard Inuyasha apologize," Shippo whispered to the small group, away from the half demon and priestess.

"_There's a first for everything," _Kirara meowed.

"Actually, he's apologized to Kagome a bunch of times," Avion commented.

"He's probably just getting on her good side," Kohaku shrugged. Their conversation was still unheard by the couple arguing by the fire.

"_Or he just loves her," _Keiko barked. The other's shrugged and turned back to the arguing couple.

"I'll go get some water," Inuyasha whispered against her cheek, brushing his lips against her skin.

"Okay," Kagome said softly. With that, the half demon lightly kissed her lips and walked out the door with an empty bucket. When Inuyasha came back, Kagome made some tea for everyone while they talked aimlessly.

"What do you think Sango and Miroku are doing?" Shippo asked innocently, looking up at his surrogate parents. The whole group blush a tint of pink before biting their lip to stop the laughter.

"Well, Kagome, aren't you going to tell him?" Inuyasha asked, not laughing.

"No, I think you should. It's more of a father-son thing, you know?" Kagome avoided.

"You're too young, Shippo," Avion cut in, patting the fox demon on the back with her wing.

"I'm too young for everything," Shippo pouted. Kohaku blushed at the topic but kept quiet.

"You know what I think?" Kagome asked rhetorically. "I think that they should go away on a little vacation, just the two of them,"

"Won't they be lonely?" Shippo asked, his emerald eyes gleaming in innocence.

"_I don't think so, Shippo. They have each other, after all," _Keiko barked a bit uneasily.

"How do you suppose we get them to go?" Avion asked.

"Knowing Sango, she'll argue to stay here with everyone," Kohaku chimed in.

"_We can always say that there's a demon that needs to be killed in another village," _Kirara suggested.

"But the one of them will say that one of us can go if it's just a small demon," Kagome argued.

"We'll say it's a big demon," Shippo piped in. Inuyasha looked at the fox demon with a raised eyebrow.

"Well then how about we say that one of us is sick and the others have to take care of them?" Avion said after a pause in their discussion.

"_Alright, but I don't think we need six other people to take care of one," _Keiko barked.

"_Well, okay, so if we have one person be sick, one other person takes care of him or her," _Kirara said, counting off the people who have been taken out of the equation. _"That leaves five of us,"_

"How about Kirara and I say we're going to slay a different demon somewhere else?" Kohaku asked.

"Good idea, Kohaku," Shippo said happily.

"Well if Kohaku and Kirara are going, then they'll ask why I'm not and why I'm sending a younger pack member to slay it," Inuyasha said, catching up with the arrangements.

"Well then we'll say I'm sick and you have to take care of me," Kagome said.

"_Four down," _Keiko barked, counting everyone.

"_Three to go," _Kirara meowed.

"I can stay and help Kaede," Shippo said. The group nodded approvingly.

"_That just leaves me and Avion," _Keiko stated. Everyone sat and thought in silence.

* * *

"Miroku," Sango moaned.

* * *

"I got it!" Kagome said suddenly.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked, his knee brushing her thigh as he moved his head to look at her.

"Well Sango will probably be suspicious if we all have something to do, so why don't Keiko and Avion just say they don't want to go?" Kagome asked, excited about her plan. The group blinked at the mention of the simple plan. "It's like Occam's Razor,"

"O-kam's what?" Inuyasha asked, letting one of his ears fall to the side in confusion.

"Occam's Razor, it means that sometimes the simplest things are the solution," Kagome said, waving her hand to dismiss it. "But what do you think?"

"_About that razor guy or the plan?" _Kirara meowed, cocking her head.

"The plan," Kagome clarified.

"_It might work," _Keiko barked, shrugging.

"Tomorrow, we follow the plan," Kagome said in a finalizing voice. The group nodded. "Now who's up for a snack? I could go for ramen with chocolate mixed in," Inuyasha, Kohaku, Shippo, Keiko, Avion, and Kirara looked at the priestess with confusion and disgust.

"You have the weirdest cravings," Avion said softly.

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

"You guys sure got up late," Avion snickered as she saw the newly married couple walk out of the forest and towards Kaede's hut.

"We had a long night," Miroku answered with a perverted gleam in his eyes. Sango blush bright red as she stood by his side.

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked as he sat on the ground, playing with his spinning top. Keiko and Kirara were taking a nap by the door when they heard the conversation and each opened one eye while Kohaku sat near them.

"Nothing!" Sango said a bit too quickly. Just then, a horrible vomiting sound rang through the area. The group turned and ran towards the forest. Once the group got there, they saw Kagome kneeling on all fours behind a bush as Inuyasha jumped next to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome just nodded as she wiped her mouth with her arm.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked worriedly, walking up to the priestess.

"No, its okay," Kagome said, looking up and coughing her lung out.

"Maybe we should stay home if you're sick," Inuyasha offered.

"Stay home? Where were you going to go?" Miroku asked.

"They were going to slay this demon in another village far south from here," Kohaku explained.

"Who's going to go now?" Avion asked.

"Well I'm going to stay here and help Kaede," Shippo said, almost unconvincingly.

"And I have to slay a different demon up north with Kirara," Kohaku said.

"Wait, when did all of this happen? How come we didn't hear any of this?" Sango asked, looking worriedly at the pale priestess who was being held by the half demon. _'He doesn't look as concerned as he did the last time she was sick,' _Sango thought.

"_I guess you guys were too busy at your wedding when a couple of men came to ask for help, not that I blame you." _Kirara meowed.

"_I hate to ask, but can you and Miroku go and slay it?" _Keiko asked.

"What about you and Avion?" Miroku asked.

"Well I'm running low on spiritual power and Kagome's sick," Avion said, improvising. "And Keiko's staying with me," Miroku put a finger to his chin.

"What do you say, Sango? Just us two?" Miroku asked.

"We can't just let innocent people die," Sango said, determined.

"I'm sorry, guys," Kagome choked out, coughing into her arm.

"Don't worry, Kagome. You just get better," Sango said, a sympathetic smile on her face. "Well, Miroku, let's go get ready,"

"Sure," Miroku nodded. "Where is it?"

"It's a four day journey to the village," Inuyasha said. "With me and Kagome, we could've gotten their quicker,"

"Don't worry, we'll manage," Miroku said, looking worriedly at his sister.

"Kohaku?" Sango asked.

"Yes, sister?" Kohaku asked.

"You be careful, okay?" The demon slayer said sternly. Kohaku nodded. With that, the newly married couple went to their hut to gather their weapons.

"Wow, good acting Kagome," Shippo commented happily. Inuyasha smiled approvingly at her and took his arms back.

"I'm not acting," Kagome choked out, coughing again as she fell to her knees. Inuyasha instantly got true worry in his eyes as he saw Kagome throw up her breakfast.

"Kagome," The half demon gasped, getting to his knees and holding her hair out of her face. The others got closer in distress.

* * *

"Poor Kagome," Sango said, putting her kimono on over her demon slayer's outfit.

"She looked so pale," Miroku commented, grabbing his monk staff. "I hope she'll be okay,"

"Me too," Sango then strapped on her Hiraikotsu and walked out the door. "I'm going to see her before we leave,"

"I'll go with you," Miroku said, following his wife. "Hey, Sango?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't you think it's kind of weird this all happened the day after our wedding? And no one else was available to kill the demon except us,"

"I don't know, Miroku. Would they really do that to us?" Sango asked, watching as he matched her pace.

"They would try to get us alone together," He said, actually thinking about it. "But Kagome really looked sick,"

"No one can fake what she just felt," Sango agreed. The two of them made it back to the part of the forest where the others were last seen.

"They're probably at Kaede's hut," Miroku commented while the demon slayer nodded.

"I don't want to just leave her, but I know we have to do something for the villagers," Sango said, referring to the village south of them who had a demon problem.

"She has Inuyasha, he'll do everything he can to get her better," Miroku reassured as they made it to the old priestess's hut. "Hey," The monk greeted.

"Hey," The group whispered. The newlywed couple saw everyone solemnly sitting, scattered, around the entrance room of the hut, watching a pale Kagome lay on a futon with a blanket on her body and a wet cloth on her forehead.

"How is she doing?" Sango asked, sitting next to the half demon who sat directly to the left of Kagome's head. After a minute of silence, Sango looked up and saw that the half demon didn't want to answer, so she looked at Kaede, hoping the old priestess will have relatively good news. Kaede sighed.

"Well she has stopped throwing out the contents in her stomach," Kaede said softly while looking at the bowl in her hands which held crushed herbs in it.

"That's good," Miroku said, trying to cheer the mood.

'_This wasn't supposed to happen,' _Inuyasha thought, staring at his mate's pale face and her slightly irregular breathing. _'Are the gods punishing us for lying to Miroku and Sango? It wasn't even that bad,' _

"What did she do this morning?" Shippo asked, hoping there was an answer.

"She woke up normally and took off ahead of me," Inuyasha answered, keeping out the part that Kagome wanted to start the plan. "I guess she started feeling sick when she ran,"

"I don't want to see her like this," Kohaku said, standing up with his bangs in his eyes. Kagome was the one who brought him back from the dead the second time, the one who gave him a second chance at a real life. "I should go,"

"Mew," Kirara meowed worriedly as she stood up and followed the young demon slayer out the hut.

"Besides, I should go and kill that demon." Kohaku said, not looking back at his companions as he left the hut, the two tail cat demon following shortly.

"Kohaku," Sango said worriedly.

"Not even her spiritual powers are affecting the illness?" Miroku asked, kneeling by the young priestess's feet.

"Nay," Kaede said, shaking her head negatively. "It is like her spiritual powers are allowing it to happen."

"That's odd," Miroku said, putting a gentle hand on Kagome's ankle.

'_Kaede's right, Kagome's powers aren't doing anything.' _Avion thought as she sat and stared at her mistress. _'If they were, I would be feeling weak.' _

"_Come on, Shippo, why don't we go get some herbs from the garden?" _Keiko barked suggestively, trying to get the young fox demon's mind off of what was happening. The two tail dog demon stood up and walked out of the hut, waiting patiently for the fox.

"Sure," Shippo whispered, getting up and slinking out the door.

"I'll keep an eye on them," Avion announced, flying out the door.

"Here, Inuyasha," Kaede said, handing the half demon a hot cup of water mixed with crushed herbs. "This should help Kagome," Inuyasha nodded as he took the cup.

"Maybe we should go," Miroku said, tugging on Sango's arm as he noticed the need for Inuyasha to be alone with his ill mate. Sango stared up at him in confusion. The demon slayer then saw the answer in his eyes and stood up.

"I hope she gets better," Sango said, smiling sadly. "We'll be back in a few days," Inuyasha nodded deftly, setting the cup on the ground and lifting Kagome's upper body to lean on his arm. His free hand grabbed the hot cup. Sango took one last look before turning to leave with her husband.

"Call if ye need me, Inuyasha. I will be helping Shippo and Keiko pick the right herbs," Kaede informed, slowly standing up with her old joints. Inuyasha nodded again, still holding the cup but not doing anything with it. The old priestess left her hut.

'_What happened to you?' _Inuyasha thought, staring into Kagome's pale face.

Later that day, when the sun started making orange lights dance in the sky, Kohaku came back with Kirara and Shippo, Keiko, Avion, and Kaede trotted back from the herb garden. When they entered the hut, they saw the half demon with the priestess sitting in between his crossed legs. Inuyasha sat against the wall, holding her to him while he dabbed the cold cloth around her face and neck.

"Any better?" Shippo asked tentatively.

"She hasn't even woken up yet," Inuyasha whispered back. The half demon then put the cloth down and gently laid the priestess back on the futon, covering her with the blanket.

"Did anything strange happen the last few days?" Kaede asked, sitting down near the pot on top of the fire pit. The group replayed their memories from the last few days, sitting in silence as the fire crackled against the burning wood.

"Well remember on Miroku and Sango's wedding day, she went from being tired to hyper in a few minutes?" Avion asked.

"Could've been the sake I gave her," Inuyasha informed.

"_How about that Ramen mixed with chocolate thing?" _Keiko barked, making a disgusted face at the thought. _"How she finds that good, I have no idea,"_

"Oh yeah," Shippo said, shivering from the thought of the taste. Kaede raised an eyebrow and continued to listen.

"Besides throwing up, nothing else happened," Kohaku said.

"_Maybe she's not sick," _Kirara suggested. _"Maybe it's from the sake she drank," _

"I don't think she would pass out from that," Avion said.

"Inuyasha? Anything between just the two of ye?" Kaede asked, keeping each piece of information stored in her mind, searching through her mental book of illnesses.

"Um," Inuyasha said uncomfortably, his face burning up in embarrassment. "Nothing that I can think of to make her pass out… I don't think."

"Well what have you done?" Shippo asked, raising his green eyes to meet golden eyes. Inuyasha's face rivaled his clothing.

"I have a theory," Kaede said, sparing the half demon from answering. "Perhaps this is the effect of something demonic growing inside her,"

"_What does that mean?" _Kirara meowed.

"Kagome is human," Kaede said. "Craving, mood swings, nausea." The old priestess listed. "Perhaps she is pregnant with a demon child and her body is trying to hold the stronger being by making her pass out."

* * *

"Shall we set up camp?" Miroku suggested as he stops walking.

"Sure," Sango replied, putting down her weapon. "Do we have any food?" Miroku blinks at his wife. "Don't tell me we just came out here without anything to eat."

"Uh," Miroku said uneasily.

"Miroku," Sango sighed, hiding a small smile.

"Well I was worried about Kagome and I guess I forgot!" Miroku said, trying to get her to understand. Suddenly, Sango began to lightly giggle, escalating the sound into a full out laugh. "Sango?"

"This is why I love you," Sango said, still giggling behind her hand. The demon slayer then picked up Hiraikotsu again and took the monk's hand. "Let's at least get some fire wood,"

"As you wish, love," Miroku said, a smile cracking his lips. The two of them walked into the dark forest. Trees obscured the light from the setting sun. "Stay close; I don't want either of us to get lost,"

"Alright," Sango agreed, bending down to pick up a twig.

"I don't think that will be enough," Miroku chuckled. Sango took her hand from his and smacked him on the arm.

"Shut up,"

"Let's see if we can find a river or something," Miroku said, changing the subject. He took her hand again and led her deeper into the forest. A long, comfortable silence fell between them as they each enjoyed their darkening surroundings.

"Miroku," Sango called in a whisper, her body tensing. "Do you feel that demonic aura?"

"Shh," Miroku hushed, silently saying he does as well. The couple stopped walking and fanned out their senses to pin point the threat. "Be on your guard, I think it has a jewel shard." Sango nodded, letting go of his hand to put it in the handle of her bone boomerang. Silence. The wind whistles around them, rustling the branches and leaves on the trees surrounding the dense forest. Miroku swallowed nervously. Just then a bush rustled loudly from more than just the wind. Sango took a step back while Miroku took a step forward since he was more experienced with close range attack while the demon slayer was a long distance professional. Staring at the bush intently, the warriors stood rigid, their eyes focused on one thing rather than the other surroundings. A brown, furry head popped out of the bush before its body pushed its way through the foliage. The creature had soft brown eyes, a long neck, long, skinny legs, hooves, and a short tail.

"A baby deer," Sango said, relaxing her body. Miroku raised an eyebrow but refused to relax too much.

"There's still something out there," Miroku whispered. Just then, Sango screamed as her weapon was being tugged away from her, Sango's brown eyes meeting the blood red eyes of the real demon. The baby deer cocked its head to the side before bending down and chomping on some fresh grass. "Sango!" The monk yelled, whipping his body around. Sango let go of Hiraikotsu and jumped back, taking out her sword.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Sango asked.

"That other deer must've been there to distract us," Miroku answered, taking out sutras from his robes. He then mumbled a spell, creating blue flames around the paper before throwing them. The deer demon, that was the size of a three story building, screeched in pain, letting go of the large boomerang from its mouth.

Just as the monk was about to smash his staff into the demon, he was stopped by the voice of his wife, "Miroku, wait, don't kill it!"

"Why not?" He asked, confused.

"Deer, even if they are demons, are peaceful. I've never had to kill one," Sango informed, dodging a flying hoof. "There has to be something wrong."

"If you say so," Miroku answered, trying to spread his senses. "Jewel shard,"

"What about a jewel shard?"

"It has a jewel shard… somewhere," Miroku said, taking out more sacred paper.

"Where?" Sango asked, running for her Hiraikotsu but was stopped by giant hooves.

"I don't know, Kagome finds them," Miroku grunted, the impact of a stomping hoof sending him into a tree.

"Miroku!" She yelled worriedly. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm sorry but I think we have to kill it." Miroku said, grunting in pain as he got up.

'_But that baby…' _Sango thought, looking into the innocent eyes of the young deer. "Sorry," Sango whispered to it. She then ran towards her weapon again and dived for it before the demon noticed her. "Hiraikotsu!" The weapon spun towards the deer demon's mid section. Screaming in pain, the demon was split in two, slumping to the ground while pouring blood. Sango shed a tear that ran down her face as she caught her weapon, dropping it to the ground.

'_Sango,' _Miroku thought sadly as he stood up. The demon's body started to glow white, the two pieces of its body started migrating towards each other.

"What?" Sango gasped, watching the demon stand back up.

"It's the jewel shard, we have to get it!" Miroku yelled, quickly poising his monk staff in front of him. The baby deer ran up to its demon mother and looked into the demon's red eyes. The deer demon bent her head down and nuzzled into her baby's fur. Miroku and Sango stood confused.

"Where's the jewel?" Sango whispered, trying not to get the attention of the deer demon.

"I don't know," Miroku answered, looking everywhere on the deer. The baby deer turned from its mother and went under her chest, looking at the two humans. "There, maybe?" Miroku said confusedly. The monk slowly walked up to the pair, signaling Sango to stay back. The baby deer looked up. Miroku followed and put his staff on the mother's furry chest. A sparkle of light falling before Miroku, landing on the ground as the deer demon shrunk down to a normal adult female. Miroku quickly got out of the way and picked up the jewel shard. "Thanks," He said, not knowing if they could understand. Mother and child ran off into the forest.

"Wow," Sango said, the wind blowing into her hair.

"Yeah," Miroku said, walking to his wife.

"That baby deer was so sweet. One day, I wish I could have a child like that,"

"You can," Miroku smirked, making the demon slayer walk backwards into a tree. The sun has set long ago, leaving the couple in the darkness of the forest. The monk bent down and captures her lips. Sango kissed him back as she let her weapon clunk to the ground, Miroku's weapon following shortly. Sango's back scraped against the bark of the tree as she slid down. Miroku sat between her legs, kissing her senseless as he started to push her kimono out of the way.

"I love you," Sango panted, untying his robes.

"I love you, too," Miroku whispered, nibbling her ear lobe.

* * *

*

* * *

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	80. Lack of Common Sense

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Lack of Common Sense

"So, Master Inuyasha finally had his life fang made," Myoga said proudly, nodding in approval. "I am sure Lady Kagome will be so glad,"

"Life fang? Where'd he get that from?" Totosai asked in his raspy voice as he looked around his cave home in confusion.

"Didn't you make it for him, Totosai? You're the only person he would go to for something like this,"

"Did I? I don' remember," Myoga slapped a small hand to his forehead. "Ah! That young lad, he screamed when I took his fang again," Totosai said smirking in triumph.

"Good," Myoga sighed before thinking of something important. "You did make it so it was accustomed to a human body, right, a priestess at that?"

"I…uh… what?" Myoga's eyes got impossibly wide.

"Y-y-y-you d-didn't make it for a human?!"

"It must have slipped my mind," Totosai said as if it weren't a big deal. Myoga fell over onto his side.

"Did you at _least _tell him the side effects, human or demon?"

"There are side effects?"

"Totosai, you know the side effects!" Myoga screamed in his small voice as he jumped up and down. "This is bad. This is horrible. We have to go tell them right away!" The flea demon said, rushing through his speech frantically.

"Do we have to?" Totosai asked in a calm voice, his big bug eyes staring at the ceiling of his cave home. "I was about to take a warm bath," If a flea could kill a sword smith, Totosai would be in that warm bath, alright, but no one said that he wouldn't drown.

* * *

"Mm," Sango mumbled as she woke up to the sun burning her closed eyes with its rays. The demon slayer slowly opened her eyes, but quickly closed them and rolled over onto her back.

"Good morning my dear," a masculine voice said cheerfully as the cracking of fire was heard in the peaceful forest. "Did you sleep well?"

"Make it go away," Sango groaned softly. She then dropped her forearm over her eyes and pulled up her blanket to drape over her neck. _'Blanket? I don't remember a blanket,' _The demon slayer thought. Thinking back, she blushed at the memories.

"Make what go away?"

"The sun," Sango huffed. Miroku chuckled at that.

"As much as I would do anything for you, that is something that even I, a monk, cannot accomplish," Miroku said playfully.

"It's too early,"

"I think you've been spending too much time with Kagome," Miroku chuckled as he poked the fire with an extra stick from where he sat. Sango suddenly became quiet and slightly pulled her arm away from her eyes.

"I wonder how she's doing," Sango said quietly, mostly to herself. Miroku leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Inuyasha is probably taking good care of her," He reassured.

"Do you think we should go back? We got the demon, but…"

"But?"

"What if it wasn't the right demon? It could've just been one we found on coincidence," Sango argued with herself.

"Whatever you see fit, Sango, I won't argue," Miroku said, smiling. "Now that you're awake, I'm going to look for breakfast."

"How long have you been awake?" Sango asked sitting up but kept the blanket around her naked chest. She then realizes the blanket wasn't a blanket, but her pink kimono.

"An hour or two, I guess," He shrugged.

"What have you been doing?"

"Watching you," Sango blushed.

"Get out of here so I can get dressed," Sango hissed with no anger at all. Miroku laughed as he got up and walked into the surrounding forest. The demon slayer slowly got up with her kimono held up against her front. She then thought of something. "Don't even think about peeking!" A crash was heard as bushes rustled and twigs snapped, the sound getting further away from the demon slayer.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Avion asked softly as she flew to the roof of Kaede's hut. The spiritual creature then landed on the half demon's shoulder and softly looked at his faraway look. "Calling Inuyasha, you should fly back to Earth now," Inuyasha's body jerked slightly as he realized someone was talking to him.

"U-um, sorry, what?" Inuyasha asked, shaking his head lightly to straighten his thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She asked again. "Since yesterday you've been here with your body but your mind is gone,"

"Yeah, I'm fine," He said quietly, not even looking at the bird, but at the sun that was position itself for late morning.

"You've been out here since the sun rose, aren't you hungry or anything?"

"No," Avion stayed quiet, staring at the sun with him.

"You know, Kagome said it isn't good to stare at the sun, it could make you blind," She said, trying to lighten the mood. Since yesterday when the priestess collapse, she still hasn't woken from her sleep. Not even a kiss from her prince would wake her up, Inuyasha found out yesterday when everyone else went to sleep. He grunted his response but looked away from the sun, nonetheless, to stare at the rice fields. "She's going to be okay, you know that, right?"

"I know, she's always strong,"

"Then what's up?" Avion asked. Silence passed between them before the spiritual bird broke it again, "Is it the whole possibility she's pregnant?" Inuyasha moved his eyes to look at her briefly before bowing his head down and looking at the ground. "Do you not want it?"

"No! Of course I do." Inuyasha said quickly, lowering his voice at the end. "I just…" Avion waited patiently.

_Flashback_

"_I have a theory," Kaede said, sparing the half demon from answering. "Perhaps this is the effect of something demonic growing inside her,"_

"What does that mean?"_ Kirara meowed._

"_Kagome is human," Kaede said. "Craving, mood swings, nausea." The old priestess listed. "Perhaps she is pregnant with a demon child and her body is trying to hold the stronger being by making her pass out." The group stared at her with a mixture of surprise and fear._

"_Will she be okay?" Shippo asked innocently. "If it already made her pass out, what will it do to her next?"_

"_Nothing that I am sure of," Kaede informed. Inuyasha stared, his eyes still as wide as they have been when he saw his priestess naked at Togenkyo on accident._

"Hey, are you okay with this?" _Keiko barked softly as she sat next to the blushing Kohaku._

"_O-of course I am. W-why w-wouldn't I be?" Inuyasha stuttered, coming out of his shocked state._

"_Even if she is, you want the baby, right?" Kohaku asked, concern lacing his voice for the young priestess._

"_Yeah," Inuyasha said softly, things running through his head. The half demon's lips slowly turned up before lowering. _'Is she ready? Am I?' _He thought._

_End Flashback_

"I just…" Inuyasha repeated. "What if she doesn't want it?"

"She will," Avion said confidently, seeing the half demon snap back to reality.

"What if she's not ready? What about me? Will I make a good… father?" Inuyasha asked, his voice lowering towards the end. Avion looked up and smiled softly.

"You'll be great, especially with Kagome by your side," Avion said in a smooth voice. "Besides, if you get stuck, it's all instincts, that's got to be somewhere in your blood." Inuyasha moved his eyes to look at his mate's servant before smirking.

"You're not so bad to have around,"

"Well glad to hear it since I am pretty much Kagome herself. I have part of her soul and some of her spiritual power, and that's all I'm made of."

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" A shrill voice yelled.

* * *

Kohaku yawned as he placed his hands behind his head and continues walking through the village. Men and women were bustling about their business while the children's laughter echoed through the air. Kirara, by the young demon slayer's side, hopped in between his feet and then out, only to do it all over again. A little game she had made up. Kohaku stopped in his tracks and went to the fence that outlined a certain area of the village, leaning against its wooden railing.

"What do you think, Kirara?" Kohaku asked with a sigh. The two tail cat demon cocked her head to the side and looked at him confusedly from the ground. "Do you think Inuyasha would make a good father?"

"Mew," Kirara meowed in a slightly high pitched vocal. Kohaku smiled and put his chin in his hands as he looked out into the distance.

"I think he would be a good dad too," Kohaku said.

"_Especially with Kagome with him all the way," _Kirara snickered. The demon slayer laughed as he felt the demon climb up his back and sit on top of his head. They stayed silent as the echoes of laughter wafted through.

"I wonder how Sango's doing," He said absently.

"_Something I'd rather not think about," _Kirara cringed. Kohaku realized what he said and instantly blushed.

* * *

"So what did you decide?" Miroku asked, standing up and brushing his robes before offering a helping hand to his wife. The monk pulled her to her feet.

"I think we should keep going," Sango said, worry etched in her voice. "As much as I want to go back and check on Kagome, I know she's safe." Miroku kissed her cheek.

"Then let's get going. The quicker we slay the demon, the quicker we can check on our sister," Sango nodded in agreement. The tall trees around them rustled as the couple carefully maneuvered their way out of the forest and back onto the dirt road, dry ground crunching beneath their feet.

"You know what I realized?" Sango asked, looking around in fascination.

"What?" The monk asked, taking her hand in his and holding it lightly, but in a firm grip.

"We hardly travel south," Sango said. The barren land differed greatly from the lush forest back up north.

"Yeah, you're right," Miroku said as he spotted a horse hoof sticking out from behind a bush.

"What's that rotten smell?" Sango asked, covering her nose with her spare hand.

"Um… Let's keep going," Miroku said quickly, noticing a pair of red eyes over the hoof, blood slowly making small rivers through the dirt ground. "Keep your guard up," Sango nodded as she felt his hand unconsciously tighten around hers.

"Something wrong?" Sango asked in a whisper.

"Just keep going,"

"What happened to the forest?" Sango asked, looking ahead of them. The sparse forest had few trees that were still standing while the rest of them were knocked over, splintering wood sticking from the half of the trunk still connected to the ground.

"Be careful here, I'm getting a bad feeling here," Miroku said in a low voice, his eyes scanning back and forth while they continue walking down the road.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" A shrill voice yelled.

"What is it, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked, hopping down from the roof with Avion on his shoulder.

"It's Kagome," The fox demon said frantically.

"What? What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked worriedly, getting ready to bolt into the hut.

"She's awake!" Without another word, the half demon slammed through the mat covering the door and to the priestess's side.

"Kagome," He said in relief as he saw her tricolored eyes stare at him.

"Hey," Kagome said softly as she lay back on her elbows, her small smile fell as she saw the worry in her mate's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha repeated incredulously. He fell to his knees beside her and wrapped the priestess in a tight embrace. "You were sleeping since you passed out yesterday, that's what's wrong," He said softly into her hair, his arms tightening around her small frame.

"Y-yesterday?" Kagome asked shakily as she wrapped one arm around him while her other supported her upper body. "I-I didn't realize I was unconscious for that long,"

"Don't scare me like that." A comfortable silence passed between the two, still entangled in their embrace. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah," Kagome said, nodding into his shoulder. The half demon then let go and lay down on his side.

'_Should I tell her?' _Inuyasha thought. "Do you need anything?" He said instead.

"Water, please?" Inuyasha nodded his head, getting up and walking to a pot with a ladle in it. He took the ladle and scooped up some water into a small cup. Inuyasha then sat by her again and helped her drink it down.

"Anything else?" He asked, putting the cup down above her pillow. She shook her head negatively. Inuyasha nodded then leaned in to lightly kiss her lips. Neither noticed as Keiko slinked out of the hut, giving the couple their time. "Can I ask you something?" He lay back down on his side next to her, his head propped against his hand.

"Sure," Inuyasha scooted closer so their bodies skimmed each other's while his free hand rubbed her cheek. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"D-do… Do you…" Kagome cocked her head to the side before turning her head and kissing the palm of his hand, encouraging him. "Do y-you want kids… one day?" Kagome stared, shocked at his question, but soon recovered and smiled.

"One day," She said, smiling dreamily. "Do you?"

"Y-yeah," he said nervously.

"What brought this up?"

"U-um," He stuttered. _'How do I say this?' _Inuyasha thought, his ears flattening to his skull. Kagome saw him struggle and kissed his lips before laying her head back down on the pillow and turned to her side to look at him.

"I love you," Kagome whispered, smiling. Inuyasha sighed, releasing his tenseness.

"Kagome," He said, lovingly looking into her eyes. "Y-you're…"

* * *

"_Oh no you don't," _Keiko barked softly as she caught Shippo's shirt in her teeth as he tried to run pass her and into the hut.

"Aw, why not?" The fox demon wailed.

"Let them have their alone time," Avion said, standing on the ground. Shippo plopped onto the ground and crossed his arms.

"But I wanted to see Kagome," Shippo pouted.

"_I know, but you'll see her later. Right now, Inuyasha gets her," _Keiko barked, nudging the fox demon with her head. _"Why don't we go into the village? With any luck, that girl will probably be around,"_

"You mean Rika?" Shippo asked excitedly.

"_Yeah, if you hurry, you'll probably catch her around," _Keiko encourage. Shippo hopped to his feet and ran on all fours deeper into the village. Avion laughed softly.

"You sure know how to talk to little children," Avion commented.

"_You seem to forget I use to live in a village just like this. All I did for most of my afternoons were play around kids. I guess I picked up some stuff from their parents," _Keiko said, shrugging as her memories from her former village came rushing back. The two tail dog demon then stood up and shook her fur. _"Want to go spy on him?" _She asked after a few minutes, giving Shippo a head start.

"You're just as bad as the rest of them," Avion said with a smirk, but, nonetheless, transformed into a small dog and walked with Keiko into the village.

* * *

The clinking sound of metal was heard as a chain was thrown forward, the blade connected to it sliced through the flesh of a demon.

"Mew," Kirara meowed as she transformed back into her smaller size. Kohaku pulled his weapon back to him before wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand.

"That's something we don't see every day," Kohaku said absently, putting his arms to his sides. Kirara stared at him as if he were stupid. "Okay, so we do, do that every day, but we barely see water imps out of the water trying to kill a human," the demon slayer defended. Kirara looked to her right. A small lake with a river running out of his was glistening in the sunlight. "Well it was trying to eat me!" The cat demon shook her head from side to side before getting up and nudging the boy with her head.

"_We should get out of here before something is attracted to the blood," _Kirara meowed, walking deeper into the forest.

"W-wait up," Kohaku said, running to catch up as he tried to put his scythe in the back of his sash. The two walked in a comfortable silence, taking over sentry for Inuyasha as the half demon spent time with his ill mate. Kirara stopped in her tracks as her fur stood up while she hissed into the trees. "What is it?" Kohaku whispered.

* * *

"Oh dear," Myoga said, panting, as he hopped with all his might on the moist ground. "Maybe it's not too late. Maybe Master Inuyasha chickened out and didn't ask her yet," He hoped, readjusting his cloth made back pack that was wrapped around his shoulders. "Maybe he lost it on the way back." The little flea demon continue to pant. "Why isn't anyone here that can take me there quicker?" He whined before mumbling, "Stupid Totosai. Wouldn't let me use Momo,"

* * *

Sango screamed as she was unexpectedly hauled into the air, held by a large hand around her body. The demon slayer's arms were pinned to her sides as she struggled to get free, not even her hidden blade could be forced out.

"Sango!" Miroku screamed turning to come face to face with the culprit.

* * *

Kirara continues to hiss as her body burst into flames, transforming into a larger cat with long fangs, ready to pierce their enemy. Kohaku reached behind him and held a firm grip on his weapon, ready to attack what his demon friend had sensed.

"Kohaku!" A cheerful voice said, laughing. Kohaku relaxed slightly, but not fully. Just then, a small body clad in an orange checkered kimono came running out of the trees, launching itself into the demon slayer's body. "I missed you, did you miss me too?"

"R-R-Rin," Kohaku stuttered, sounding like he was cold. The boy blushed from her hug but slowly put an arm around her. Kirara spared the couple a glance, but then turned her gaze back forward, staring intently into a spot beyond the forest's trees. "What are you doing here?" Rin suddenly let go and stood straight, her facial expression serious.

"I need help," Rin said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice. Just then, a demon with silver hair and golden eyes glided out of the tree line, his hair gracefully flowing behind him slightly.

"_Sesshomaru," _Kirara meowed in a deeper tone than her smaller form. _"What can we possibly do for you?"_

"Hm," Sesshomaru grunted, emotionless eyes stared at the girl in front of the demon slayer.

"What's wrong?" Kohaku asked after taking a quick glance at the demon lord. The demon slayer knew that if something happened, Kirara would be there to help him out.

"Well Lord Sesshomaru found a jewel shard!" Rin exclaimed.

"Really? Where is it?" Kohaku asked hopefully. "I'll give it to Kagome,"

"Uh," Rin said nervously, looking down and pushing her two index fingers together in front of her.

"Rin?" Kohaku asked. "Where is it?"

"_Don't tell me you lost it, Sesshomaru." _Kirara asked, relaxing her stance. The dog demon stayed quiet, staring at his ward.

"Funny story," Rin said quietly as she laughed nervously. "You see,"

"Rin," Kohaku encouraged but in a slightly demanding voice. "A jewel shard is powerful, where is it?"

"Jaken accidently ate it," Rin said sheepishly in a small voice.

"_How do you accidently eat a jewel shard? Those things are sharp," _Kirara meowed, cringing at the thought of one going down her throat. _"And I can imagine how distasteful they are, too." _

"Well," Rin drawled out, looking up at the sky while going through her memory.

* * *

"Let go of her!" Miroku yelled, throwing a sutra at the green creature holding Sango suspended in the air.

"Damn, what I wouldn't give for Kagome's powers right now," Sango said with clenched teeth as she struggled against the grip around her. The demon slayer then saw the magical paper attached itself onto the wrist of the demon, abruptly letting her go. Sango screamed as she fell from the high altitude.

"Sango!" Miroku yelled in panic. He raced underneath the falling body of his wife and caught her none too gently. They both collapsed onto the ground, entangled between weapons and body limbs.

"Thanks, Miroku. Are you okay?" Sango asked, getting off of him by rolling over to the side.

"As long as you are, I'm okay," Miroku said with a loving smile. The monk's facial features then became serious as he pushed Sango onto the ground.

"Miroku," She gasped. Suddenly, the wind above them was whipped with the green hand of the demon. The demon had large, circular eyes that have a line in the middle for a pupil while the surrounding eye was bright red. His face had a beak like mouth and one triangular hole in the middle of its face for a nose. And like all demons, this demon's ears were pointed while it stood over thirty forty feet tall. Its hands only had three fingers, as well as its feet, while the skin all around its body was green.

"You okay?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, thanks again. I owe you big time," Sango said, both of them getting up to face the demon. "Hey, Miroku," The monk hummed, signaling he was listening while his eyes watched the demon intently. "Does that demon look familiar to you?" Miroku snapped his head to the demon slayer, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know, but we should defeat it first," Miroku said, getting to his feet and putting his monk staff in front of him. Sango nodded in agreement.

"Sense a jewel shard?" Miroku shook his head sadly.

"I'm not as good at sensing jewel shards as I use to be, and besides that, I've never been able to see them,"

"I've never realized how hard it became to fight without Kagome and Inuyasha. I guess they do most of the work, huh?" Sango said, laughing at the end. She readied her Hiraikotsu and threw it at the demon's belly. "And to think, I was fighting alone and training ever since I was able to walk." Miroku chuckled.

"As have I, Sango, as have I," He then threw another sutra at the demon's head, shocking it with spiritual power.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Give that to me, girl." Jaken chastised as he grabbed something sparkly out of Rin's hands._

"_But Lord Sesshomaru gave it to me to keep safe," Rin pouted._

"_You'll only lose it. I don't know why Lord Sesshomaru has so much trust in such a child as you," Jaken said, turning his head away while the sparkling object was cradled in his hand._

"_Well then you should be careful, Lord Sesshomaru would hate it if you lost it," Rin said, becoming happy instantly. She then skipped ahead of the green toad demon and sang a song. "I wonder where Lord Sesshomaru is."_

"_Ever since you came, I haven't been able to follow my lord," Jaken pouted, slumping onto the ground. Just then a piece of red fruit was thrust into his view._

"_Eat, Master Jaken," Rin said happily, holding the apple out. Jaken tentatively took it with both hands and stuffed the delectable fruit into his mouth, almost whole. Rin sat down next to the demon and ate her own apple in smaller bites. The two of them sat in silence as the sun set, the songs of the birds dying away. "Say, Master Jaken?"_

"_Yes, Rin?"_

"_Can I see the jewel shard?"_

"_What jewel shard?" Jaken asked absently, staring at the horizon._

"_The one you took away from me," Rin said, as if it were obvious. Jaken then became pale, something bubbling in his stomach. "Master Jaken?" Rin asked shakily as she saw the demon's eyes turn red. The toad demon then began to grow at an unsteady and unnatural pace, standing thirty six feet above the girl. Rin screamed, her voice echoing in the forest. "Lord Sesshomaru!"_

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, throwing her bone boomerang at the demon's stomach again. This time, instead of rebounding like it had done many times, Hiraikotsu pierced the demon's stomach, creating a large gash from one side to the other.

"You did it," Miroku noticed, watching blood flow from the demon's body. Something sparkled in the rays of the sun. "Did you see that?"

"See what? Hiraikotsu slicing that demon, yeah I saw that," Sango said proudly, catching her weapon when it returned. The green demon fell to one knee in pain.

"No, something caught the sun's rays," Miroku stated. Just then, the demon started to shrink, leaving nothing more than a foot and a half tall, green, imp looking, toad demon in its wake. The demon groaned in pain in its high pitched voice.

"Jaken," Sango gasped, the couple running towards Sesshomaru's servant. Miroku kneeled down and looked at the tainted shard of the jewel.

"Well looks like we have the demon that destroyed the trees," Miroku said, turning his head to look at Jaken. "You think he's okay?"

"You know, I'm not really sure. Sometimes Hiraikotsu won't kill you, but it can give you a lot of damage," Sango said, cringing from when her own weapon came at her after deflecting off Kanna's mirror. "Maybe we should bandage him up,"

"With what? We didn't really prepare for anything," Miroku said.

"We'll just use whatever's left of his kimono top I guess," Sango said, beginning to work on the demon's wounds. "You just worry about that shard," Miroku nodded, looking at the black shard lying in a pool of blood.

'_How do we get this from here to Kagome to be purified?' _Miroku thought.

"How do you think that got into his stomach?" Sango asked suddenly, finishing up tying cloth around the little demon's wounds.

"With Jaken, one can only guess," Miroku said, laughing lightly.

* * *

"_Sesshomaru, may I question you about your judgment in servants?" _Kirara meowed, hiding a grin. The dog demon turned sharp eyes to the transformed cat demon.

"Do you know which way he went?" Kohaku asked.

"South, I think," Rin said.

"Why couldn't Sesshomaru go get him?" Kohaku asked next.

"Lord Sesshomaru has to tend to Ah-Un. Ah-Un got hurt in battle," Rin said sadly.

"Why can't you tend to Ah-Un and Sesshomaru can go get Jaken?" Kohaku questioned, raising an eyebrow at the demon lord's thinking.

"Lord Sesshomaru said he didn't want to leave me unprotected," Rin said, smiling again.

"_Unprotected? You couldn't be more unprotected with Jaken as a body guard," _Kirara snickered. Kirara then heard a quiet growl coming from the dog demon, neither human having the ability to hear such low sound waves.

"So will you help? Please, Kohaku, please?" Rin begged.

"Well," Kohaku said nervously, drawing out the word.

"_I'm sure Sango and Miroku can get it," _Kirara meowed suddenly, saving the boy some embarrassment.

"What do you mean?" Kohaku asked.

"_They went south just the other day, remember? I'm sure they'll find Jaken somewhere," _Kirara said matter of factly.

"Oh yeah," Kohaku said. "Don't worry, Rin, I'm sure Jaken is okay,"

* * *

"U-um," He stuttered. _'How do I say this?' _Inuyasha thought, his ears flattening to his skull. Kagome saw him struggle and kissed his lips before laying her head back down on the pillow and turned to her side to look at him.

"I love you," Kagome whispered, smiling. Inuyasha sighed, releasing his tenseness.

"Kagome," He said, lovingly looking into her eyes. "Y-you're…"

"I'm…?" Kagome asked.

"Um…" Inuyasha struggled. "Y-you're going to be a great mother," Kagome sighed inwardly but smiled outwardly.

"Thanks, Inuyasha. You'll be a great father, yourself," Kagome complimented. _'That's not what you wanted to say, was it, Inuyasha?' _Kagome thought but decided not to push the subject.

"Why don't you rest, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, lying down beside her.

"I've been asleep since yesterday, why do I need more sleep?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha smiled softly and put an arm around her stomach and kissed her neck.

"Then let me enjoy your company," Inuyasha whispered against her skin, sending chills down the priestess's back.

"Shouldn't we do this in our own house?" Kagome teased, giggling slightly.

"We can go right now," Inuyasha smirked playfully. Kagome laughed along with him.

* * *

"_Where'd he go?" _Keiko barked softly, lurking in the shadows with Avion by her side.

"Over there," Avion whispered back, pointed at the fox demon with her dog snout.

"_Let's get closer," _Keiko barked, walking forward.

"You're so strong, Shippo," A little girl complimented admiringly. Keiko and Avion cocked their heads to the side, listening intently.

"Well I am a demon," Shippo said, his ego inflating. In the shadows, the two spies shook their heads in disappointment.

"_Inuyasha's rubbed off on him," _Keiko whimpered. Just then, the little girl kissed the fox demon's cheek. Shippo blushed madly and looked at the girl with wide green eyes.

"R-Rika, w-what…?" Shippo stuttered. Rika giggled behind her hand.

"Come on, let's go to the rice fields," Rika said, grabbing Shippo's hand and running down the hill.

"H-hold up," Shippo said, stumbling with his footing.

"I thought you said you were a demon, Shippo. Can't you keep up?" Rika teased.

"At least she can shoot things back at him," Avion said, running after the couple.

"_Just like Kagome can with Inuyasha, except she has the subjugation spell too,"_ Keiko said, inwardly laughing. Just then, laughing was heard from the children ahead of them. Entangled together, Shippo and Rika laughed together as they tumbled down the rest of the hill. Landing with a thud at the bottom, Shippo and Rika never stopped laughing; instead they fell onto their backs trying to catch their breath.

"I bet Shippo's blushing now," Avion said with a smirk.

* * *

*

* * *

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	81. Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

Secrets, Secrets Are No Fun…

…One Week Later…

Kagome sighed as she leaned her back against the hot spring's boulder, relaxing her tense muscles. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift off to random thoughts that have plagued her for the past week.

'_Inuyasha's been acting weird.' _The priestess thought softly. Her mind conjured up an image of the half demon lying beside her in bed, her on her back and him on his side next to her. One of his arms was behind Kagome's head while the other hand was stroking her stomach, almost lovingly. This was okay with Kagome, if she hadn't noticed that Inuyasha had a faraway look in his eyes, meaning that he wasn't really looking and caressing _her. _Her mind slowly stopped the memories of her mate and went to her siblings who have been away because of Kagome's crazy idea. _'I wonder when Sango and Miroku are coming back. I hope nothing happened, because then I would feel horrible,' _The priestess thought, getting more nervous from all her thoughts. _'Kirara and Kohaku came by and told us that Sesshomaru and Rin said Jaken swallowed a jewel shard and is running amuck somewhere in the south.' _She continued thinking, landing on the subject of the small child, Shippo. _'Shippo sure is attached to that village girl.' _Before Kagome knew it, she had been sitting in the hot springs for an hour; her skin had become a texture of a wrinkly raisin. The priestess sighed as she got up, water running down her body and hair in little rivers. She grabbed for a white towel she had brought along and wrapped it around her naked body, drying herself before putting on her fire rat kimono. She brushed off the short skirt that the kimono made and started to walk away.

* * *

"Are you sure that's a good way to hold a tainted shard?" Sango asked incredulously as she stared nervously at her husband.

"We have to make do with what we have," Miroku said, his hands twitching nervously as he looked at the tainted shard.

"Ha, pathetic humans." Jaken scoffed, his staff wagging in the air. "Can't even hold a single shard," Sango and Miroku raised an annoyed eyebrow at the demon.

"At least we weren't possessed by it," Miroku countered. The shard was carefully scooted onto a small piece of cloth while the cloth was lying horizontally with the circle on Miroku's spiritual staff. The monk carefully balanced the cloth and jewel shard on his staff and walked steadily or at least to the best of his ability. So far, the jewel has fallen five times within the last hour of traveling.

"Why you," Jaken growled, stopping in his tracks and faced the monk. The little demon then brought up his three fingered hand and fisted it, shaking the hand towards Miroku threateningly.

"I can't believe there was no demon that attacked _any _village to the south," Sango sighed, trying to avoid conflict while traveling back to Kaede's village. "Do you think they sent us on a wild goose chase?"

"Wild goose chase?" Jaken asked, his anger forgotten and got replaced with confusion.

"I heard it from Kagome. It means you got sent to follow a path that was fake and never there," Sango said off handedly. "Anyways, can you believe they did that, Miroku?" The group continues walking – slowly due to Miroku's balancing act.

"Perhaps they have a good reason," Miroku said, shrugging. "Or maybe a person really did say that a village was attacked but he was lying." Sango sighed again, readjusting her Hiraikotsu. The group walked in silence for another few minutes.

"Jaken, why are you following us?" Sango asked suddenly. The green demon's eye twitched and his face became sweaty.

"I-I-I don't need to explain myself to humans!" Jaken said, raising his voice as he went through his sentence.

"You're afraid you'd get killed out here by yourself, don't you?" Miroku asked, rolling his eyes.

"I-I am not! Lord Sesshomaru won't let me get killed!" Jaken defended.

"Oh? And where is he?" Miroku said smugly. The demon sweated more in nervousness.

"Look, the village!" Sango chirped, breaking the argument. The small village was just within a five minute walk until the group would reach its entrance. Sango laughed happily as she ran ahead.

"Hey, wait up!" Miroku yelled, trying to run after the demon slayer. He then remembered the jewel shard and pouted, slowing down. Jaken smirked at the monk.

* * *

"So have ye told her?" Kaede asked, sipping her tea lightly. The half demon sitting on the other side of the hut lowered his head and scowled into the floor.

"That would be a 'no'" Shippo announced. The fox demon suddenly began to cry when the half demon's fist connected with the fox demon's head.

"Inuyasha, I wouldn't take out your anger and frustration on others," Avion said calmingly as she watched Kohaku gently pat Shippo on the head.

"Yeah, Inuyasha!" Shippo wailed, his tears drying up.

"_Why haven't you? She has a right to know," _Keiko barked.

"Lay off, will you?" Inuyasha growled.

"_If you don't tell her soon, she's bound to notice something, don't you think?" _Kirara meowed.

"What do you mean? Even for a demon pup, women don't start to show for a month or two." Inuyasha asked.

"Well what about those symptoms? I remember back in the demon slayers village, pregnant women would get real sick in the morning and then start to have one mood right after the other," Kohaku added in.

"Well for the past week she hasn't really… had anything," Inuyasha said slowly, thinking. "Well she did have a fever yesterday and the day before. She was also complaining about stomach problems and that she feels like she's going to puke."

"_Well there's symptom number one, right there. Puking," _Keiko barked softly, but the group heard her anyways.

"I don't think a fever should be there though. What do you think, Kaede?" Avion asked.

"Perhaps it is accompanied by the demonic blood in the new child," Kaede suggested.

"_If you don't tell her soon, Kagome's going to be so mad at you," _Kirara said, laughing at the half demon's predicament. _"You brought this upon yourself, remember?"_

"Shut up!" Inuyasha growled loudly. "I'll tell Kagome she's pregnant when I think she should know!" The group didn't hear a small gasp outside the hut's wall.

"Don't you want the child?" Kohaku asked.

"Of course I do," Inuyasha said without hesitation. Footsteps that were too quiet for the group to take notice of quickly went away from the hut's perimeters.

"Then what's wrong? Are you afraid to tell her?" Avion asked.

"_She's not going to run away or anything," _Keiko encouraged.

"_She'll probably want to kiss you, and after that, you know where that leads." _Kirara meowed happily. The group stopped and stared at the cat demon.

"_I think you've been hanging around Miroku too much," _Keiko said dryly.

* * *

"Oh, Kagome!" Sango gasped as she saw the priestess walk out of the forest with a towel draped over her arm. "Did you just go take a bath?" Sango asked, noticing the priestess's wet hair.

"Hey, Sango," Kagome said, smiling. "Yeah, I would've waited for you but I didn't think you'd be here. Welcome back," Kagome then went up to her sister and hugged her.

"Don't worry about it," Sango said happily but then the demon slayer became serious as she released the hug. "How are you feeling?"

"It's been up and down, but I'm better now, thanks," Kagome informed. "How was the demon slaying?" Sango playfully glared at the priestess.

"Well, when we got to the village, they said that no demon ever attacked," Sango narrowed her eyes but had a small smile on her lips. Kagome laughed nervously.

"Oh? Really? That's funny,"

"Yeah, funny," Sango said sarcastically, still smiling. "But we did pick up two other jewel shards,"

"What? No way," Kagome said, her eyes widening. _'That wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to be alone!' _Kagome thought.

"And you won't believe this, but," Sango said, pausing for dramatic effect. Kagome rolled her eyes at her friend's antics but listened closely. "One of the jewel shards was possessing _Jaken_,"

"Jaken? The same Jaken that travels with Sesshomaru? _That _Jaken?" Kagome asked redundantly. Sango just nodded her head. "Well, that explains why I sensed Sesshomaru's aura. Inuyasha knew about it but he didn't want me to worry with my current state," Kagome said, putting air quotes on the word 'state.'

"Figures," Sango said, smiling enviously. "He loves you so much,"

"Which reminds me," Kagome said, smirking. "How was your _alone _time with Miroku?"

"I knew it!" Sango accused. "You were just sending us off to have us be together!" Kagome laughed nervously, putting her hands up in surrender.

* * *

"Mother, father!" A teenage boy around Kohaku's age yelled as he raced towards his hut in the center of Kaede's village.

"What is it?" his kind mother asked with a soft look.

"Yes, son, what is the rush?" his father asked gruffly but lovingly.

"It is about Priestess Kagome," the teenage boy said with a bright smile.

* * *

"My friends, no need to worry; I, Miroku, am back." Miroku announced proudly as he entered the hut's door with arms spread above his head.

"Hey, Miroku," The group said softly. Miroku let out a disappointed laugh.

"How was your trip?" Kohaku asked.

"Did you get the demon?" Avion asked next, attempting to keep up their charade.

"We got two actually," Miroku said proudly.

'_Two? There wasn't even supposed to be one,' _The group, besides Miroku, thought but kept their face passive.

"_Two? Really? The man only said there was one," _Keiko barked.

"Actually, my dear two tail friend, I and my lovely wife didn't even make it to the village when we got the two demons." Miroku announced.

"Then where the hell did you get them?" Inuyasha asked gruffly.

"Well one was from this deer in the forest." Miroku said, remembering the memory. "Then this other one was from Jaken,"

"Oh, so you found him?" Kohaku piped in.

"Yeah, how did you know about this?" Miroku asked curiously.

"Sesshomaru came by," Shippo said.

"_You didn't leave the poor guy in the middle of the road to rot, did you?" _Kirara meowed.

"No, I would never," Miroku said; his face was full of mock hurt. "He came with us; I don't know where he is now though,"

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken yelled as he raced through the forest, nearly in tears. The imp closed his eyes briefly and ran into something solid. Looking up, Jaken's eyes met with golden eyes, glaring down at him. "Lord Sesshomaru!"

"Master Jaken, you are back!" Rin said happily from beside the dog demon.

"Jaken, where is the jewel shard?" Sesshomaru asked emotionlessly.

"Th-the jewel shard, my lord?" Jaken stuttered, remembering that the shard was with the monk. "I-I-It's with the monk, my lord,"

"Very well," Sesshomaru said after a tense minute of silence. Jaken sighed in relief. The dog demon began to walk away gracefully with his human ward following, pretending to be an airplane with her arms spread out – even though airplanes weren't invented yet.

"W-wait, my lord, I have much to tell you about Inuyasha's mat-" Jaken tried to say buy was quickly silenced with a foot to his face.

"You have caused enough trouble," Sesshomaru said coolly, walking over the toad's body.

* * *

"Well, where are the jewel shards?" Inuyasha asked impatiently.

"One's right here," Miroku said, turning his body so his arm can reach into his robes and grab a small shard. A clinking sound was heard as the tainted shard fell from its resting place on Miroku's staff. "And that tainted one is the second one," The monk sighed. "We need Kagome to purify it,"

"You carried it all the way here on your staff?" Shippo asked, getting up to inspect the shard.

"Be careful, Shippo, even being close to a tainted shard can make you do weird things," Avion warned. Shippo instantly jumped back until he hit the back wall of the hut.

"_Where is Kagome anyways? She's been gone for over an hour," _Keiko barked.

"God damn," Inuyasha said as he got up, getting ready to look for his mate.

"Hey, what's this tainted shard doing out here?" A female voice asked. Miroku stepped away from the door and allowed two lovely ladies to enter.

"Kagome, ye are back," Kaede greeted.

"Hi," Kagome greeted with a nod of her head and a smile.

"Oh, that must be the one Miroku and I got," Sango said, eyeing the monk sharply. "Did you just drop it and leave it there?" Miroku put his hands up on either side of his head.

"N-no! I swear on my grave that I _just _dropped it." Miroku defended.

"Well that's two more to our collection," Kagome said, fisting her hand around the tainted shard. When she opened her palm, the jewel shard was sparkling white with a slight tint of pink. "Good job, guys,"

"Ah, Kagome," Miroku said affectionately as he gave the priestess a big bear hug. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thanks, Miroku," Kagome said, unsurely putting her arms around him. The hut echoed a loud growl. "Inuyasha, stop it,"

"Miroku, go hug your own mate, will you?" Inuyasha grunted, slumping against the wall and pouting.

"Sure thing," Miroku said, he then took Sango into his arms.

"What is wrong with Miroku?" Avion asked quietly to the two two-tails sitting next to her.

"If he were a girl, I'd say it was his time of month," Kagome whispered into Inuyasha's ear as she gently sat on his lap while he sat cross legged. Inuyasha just nodded.

"Can't you guys take it somewhere else? I'd rather not see my sister like this," Kohaku groaned, turning his head away as a blush raced across his face.

"Well are we done discussing things here?" Miroku asked. The others nodded silently. "Okay, then. Let us take our leave, Sango," Miroku then grabbed the demon slayer's hand and literally dragged her out. Sango stumbled out, not expecting the sudden pull, her weapon lightly hitting her back.

"Miroku," Sango gasped, getting tugged along towards their hut. The group that remained in the hut blinked twice before shaking their heads.

"_And it's still the middle of the day," _Kirara groaned, putting her head down in disappointment.

"What do you mean?" Shippo asked innocently.

"When ye are older, Shippo," Kaede replied calmly as Inuyasha, Kagome, Avion, Keiko, Kirara, and Kohaku laughed nervously.

"I'm going to put this towel away," Kagome said, getting out of her mates lap. A wet spot was on her shoulder where her hair was resting previously, temporarily dying her red fire rate kimono a deeper shade of red.

"Idiot, you're going to get sick," Inuyasha scolded lightly as he stood up with her and took the towel. He then grabbed her hair and rubbing the towel around it.

"_Aw, that's so cute," _Keiko cooed.

"Keh, shut up," Inuyasha growled, putting the towel around Kagome's shoulders and leaving it.

"Thanks," Kagome said, smiling. "Well, I'm off,"

"I'll go with you," Inuyasha announced, following his mate out the door like a loyal puppy.

"I've never seen Inuyasha so…. Loving," Kohaku said, trying to think of the right word to describe the changed half demon.

"Ever since Kagome has been dropped into his life, he slowly changes." Kaede said with wisdom. Shippo, Avion, Keiko, and Kirara nodded in agreement while Kohaku listened intently.

* * *

"You're such a pervert," Sango said dryly as she watched Miroku spread out their futon and lay down on his side.

"Ah, but you married me anyways," Miroku said with a smirk. Sango rolled her eyes.

"You're awfully cheerful since we got here," Sango noticed. The demon slayer then went to their futon and sat down, her legs spread in front of her as her lower back used Miroku's stomach as a back rest. "Something on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing," Miroku said, smiling brilliantly up at his wife. "Just glad to be home," Sango raised an eyebrow.

"You're just happy Jaken's gone, aren't you?" Miroku laughed nervously as Sango rolled her eyes again.

* * *

Kagome gently hung the wet towel on a strong line of rope that was connected from one tree to the next. She then smoothed out the wrinkles, her hands above her head. The priestess felt two arms encircle her waist, pulling her to a strong body.

"Your hair is still wet," Inuyasha murmured in a low voice as his breath scraped the girl's ear. Kagome felt a small shiver run down her spine.

"It'll air dry," Kagome said, putting her arms down to lay them on Inuyasha's arms around her and leaning her head into his shoulder.

"I don't want you sick," Inuyasha whispered. _'Especially since you might be carrying our child,' _He thought, closing his eyes and rubbing his nose into her neck.

"I'll be fine," Kagome reassured, turning in his arms and kissing his nose. She then looked up towards the sky. _'Mid day,' _Kagome thought.

"What are you looking at?"

"The time of day,"

"Why does that matter?"

"I was kind of hoping I could go back through the well," Kagome said softly, moving her head back down.

"What?" Inuyasha growled.

"Please?" Kagome asked, licking his chin in a dog submission technique Inuyasha had taught her a while back. She then kissed his cheek, and then the other cheek. The half demon sighed but kissed her lips lightly.

"Fine," Inuyasha relented as he took her hand. "We'll go now, the soon we go, the sooner we come back."

"Actually," Kagome said, taking her hand. "I was kind of hoping to go alone," Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "I haven't spent any time with my family and stuff,"

"You don't want me there?"

"No, it's not that, I just… have some things to do and you'd just be stuck playing video games with my brother," Kagome excused. The priestess then put her arms around his waist. "You can come by tomorrow, I just want some time with my family. Please, Inuyasha?" Kagome then pouted her lips, a move that the half demon would always fall victim to.

"Fine," Inuyasha relented again. "I'll walk you to the well," Kagome smiled and took his hand, interlacing their fingers. The couple walked in silence.

'_I have to find out for sure,' _Kagome thought as they reached the clearing where the well stood.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked, his ears drooping at the prospect of not seeing his mate until the sun fell and rose again. Kagome smiled gently, wrapping her arms tightly around his body, her cheek pressed against his hard chest. Inuyasha, in return, hugged her just as tightly, leaning his cheek on top of the priestess's head. She nodded against him, answering his question.

"I love you," Kagome said in a voice so soft that a person had to be standing directly in front of her to hear it.

"I love you too," Inuyasha said, pulling back and giving her a gentle, but longing, kissing. _'Why does it feel like I'm saying goodbye? I feel like something bad is going to happen,' _The half demon thought sadly, kissing a little harder.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi was humming as she cooked lunch on a hot stove for herself and Grandfather, who was idly standing behind the shrine gift store, waiting for costumers that never seem to visit. She gently placed some freshly cooked fish into a platter and turning off the stove. Placing the platter on the dining table, Mrs. Higurashi then got some rice and added it to the growing meal. She then looked at the clock.

'_A few more hours and Souta will be home.' _Mrs. Higurashi thought, drifting off to thoughts of her little girl. Said little girl wasn't so little anymore, considering she's married and has a life of her own. But of course, her daughter had to be unique and live in a place where modern civilization cannot reach her. Mrs. Higurashi sighed, missing Kagome. _'She hasn't been home in a while,' _She thought absently, shaking her thoughts out of her head and started to get pickled vegetables onto the table.

"Mom? I'm home," a female voice called from the front door. Mrs. Higurashi stopped in her tracks and timidly looked out the kitchen door frame.

"Kagome, honey, you're back," Mrs. Higurashi said happily, walking calmly up to her daughter and hugged Kagome fiercely. "Where have you been, young lady? I missed you,"

"Sorry, mom," Kagome said sincerely, hugging her mother back.

'_Even without a demonic sense of smell, I can smell Inuyasha's scent on her,' _Mrs. Higurashi thought with a smile. "I was just serving lunch. Are you hungry, dear?" Mrs. Higurashi said, pulling back.

"I always have room for your cooking," Kagome said brightly, following her mother into the kitchen.

"Oh, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi said, suddenly thinking of something. "Can you go get Grandfather? He's out at the shop,"

"Sure," Kagome said slowly, disappointed that she had to get out of the seat she just sat in. _'At least I get to see Gramps,' _She thought brightly. The priestess then looked out towards the city of Tokyo, seeing the big office buildings and sky scrapers. _'School is in session. If I go after lunch, I can probably get there and back without getting caught by anyone I know,' _Kagome thought, walking absently.

"Kagome!" An old voice said happily.

"Hi, Grandpa," Kagome said, turning her head back towards her destination and started running. The girl then ran into her grandfather's arms, hugging him close. "I missed you guys,"

"We've missed you as well," Her grandfather said. "I'm sure Souta will be happy you're back," Kagome laughed, pulling away.

* * *

"Where's Kagome?" Sango asked as she ran to the half demon with her hair tousled while random pieces stuck up and sideways. Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow questioningly as he looked at the demon slayer, but one sniff with his nose told him information that did not need to be shared outside the bedroom.

"U-um," Inuyasha stuttered, hiding a cough as he tried to block out the smell and thoughts that invaded his head. He blushed lightly and turned away to look at the sun. The position of the star was telling the half demon that it was well after lunch time, but it wasn't soon enough to dinner. "She went to see her family."

"And you didn't go with her?" Sango asked, not noticing his blush and awkward attitude.

"She said she had things to do." Inuyasha said, turning his body so Sango only looked at the sideways view of him. "I'm seeing her tomorrow,"

"Oh," Sango said, slightly disappointed. _'I wanted to talk to her about something, too,' _The demon slayer thought.

"There you are, Sango," a new voice said. Looking over, the half demon and Sango saw the infamous monk making his way towards them casually. "Hey, Inuyasha,"

"Miroku," Inuyasha greeted with a nod, turning away more. _'Damn, the smell got stronger. It's not like I _want _to know what they do during the middle of the day.' _Inuyasha thought grumpily. Without Kagome there, no one was there to keep the half demon calm and at ease.

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"With her family," Inuyasha said pointedly, getting ready to sprint away from the happily married couple.

"And you didn't go with her? You two have been inseparable," Miroku thought out loud.

"She had things to do," Inuyasha said, starting to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I have things to do," Inuyasha said, repeating the reason Kagome gave him. The half demon then bounded off towards his home, wishing he could go get his mate. Inuyasha abruptly stopped and turn towards the well. He jumped into the clearing and landed just before entering the well's dark abyss. The half demon dropped to his knees and crossed his arms on the wooden structure, looking down. _'Just the rest of today and the night.' _He thought, counting down.

* * *

Kagome quickly put on her modern clothes and tied wet hair up into a messy pony tail. Checking herself in the mirror briefly, Kagome ran down the stairs.

"Mom, I'm going to go pick up some stuff at the store. Do you want anything?" Kagome asked in a rush, putting on her shoes.

"Can you pick up some soy sauce, Kagome?" Her mother called from the living room.

"Sure," Kagome said, forcefully opening the sliding door in her haste. "Bye!" Without waiting for a reply, Kagome sprinted down the shrine steps. _'I have to make it back before school lets out,' _Kagome thought, checking the watched she put one – upside down. _'Damn, today's not my day,' _Kagome screamed in her head as she mentally figured out the picture her clock was showing her. _'I've got about twenty minutes,' _

The priestess ran to the local family mart and went into the automatic doors, nearly crashing into them with her speed. Kagome stopped and put her hands on her knees, bent of slightly while she panted. Standing up with determination, Kagome got a shopping basket and got a bottle of soy sauce for her mother first. The nearly black liquid in a glass bottle swooshed as if it were in a blender being beaten to a pulp by Inuyasha. The priestess then cautiously made it to a different aisle. A very different aisle. She peeked to see if anyone was there then stealthily made her way to the middle of it. She looked at all the boxes and scanned their names with her eyes.

'_This looks okay,' _Kagome thought nervously, reaching a shaking hand out to grab the box and put it into her basket. With that done and over with, Kagome went to get some medical supplies, a bit more calmly. _'I have been sick lately,' _She thought, getting a package of gauze then a box of bandages. Kagome walked around the mini mart and picked up random objects for both her families. Kagome looked down at her watch, which she switched right side up, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Crap, school lets out in four minutes!" Kagome yelled, catching a few eyes from frightened mothers and young adults who look old enough to be living on their own. She looked around and laughed nervously, putting her basket behind her legs and her other hand behind her head.

* * *

"Look, the sun's going down," Shippo said as he stood up straight and looking up at the horizon.

"_Should we go back?" _Kirara meowed, stopping in her tracks as well.

"We only have another mile to patrol; it couldn't take too much longer," Avion contemplated while flying above the group.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Avion? It's just us tonight," Kohaku said worriedly as he referred to himself, Shippo, Keiko, Kirara and Avion.

"And it's almost dinner, if we don't get there soon, Inuyasha will eat all of the food," Shippo whined.

"_Well we're not getting anywhere if we just stand here. Let's keep going until we make a decision," _Keiko barked, standing up and leading the group further into Inuyasha's forest.

"_Kohaku, maybe you should head back. Without demon eyes, you can't see in the dark as well as the rest of us," _Kirara suggested.

"Shippo, why don't you go with him?" Avion added. "And you guys tell the others we'll be back once we're done,"

"Okay," Shippo said, stopping and turning around. "Let's go, Kohaku,"

"Be careful, you guys," Kohaku said before running off after the fox demon towards the village.

"_Sure," _Kirara meowed quietly, turning back towards their journey.

"_Why can't Inuyasha do this? It's his forest," _Keiko complained, shaking out her fur.

"Because he's busy," Avion said, slowly drifting in her flight.

"_All he's doing is sitting in front of the well," _Keiko said. _"But then again, I can understand,"_

"_Well the faster we finish, the faster we can get to dinner," _Kirara said, running ahead. _"Come on!" _The other two followed steadily.

"How big is this forest anyways? It feels like we've been patrolling for hours," Avion said, flying higher.

"_That's because we have," _Keiko barked dryly.

* * *

"Where's Inuyasha, sis? Did you two have another fight?" Souta asked innocently with his chopsticks in his mouth as the family sat down for dinner.

"No, he's just back in the feudal era," Kagome said softly, not really paying attention.

"But why didn't he come with you?" Souta persisted.

"I just wanted to spend time with my family, is that so wrong?" Kagome snapped, her stress overriding her emotions. Souta, Mrs. Higurashi, and Grandpa stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "Sorry," Kagome whispered, carefully poking at her sushi with her chopsticks. "I have a lot on my mind,"

"Does it have something to do with Inuyasha?" Souta asked.

"Would you shut up about him?" Kagome asked tensely, trying her best to not yell at her brother.

"If it wasn't then-"

"Excuse me," Kagome cut in, standing up from her chair and stalking up stairs.

"Souta, that wasn't very nice of you," Mrs. Higurashi scolded her son.

"Mom, I was just-"

"No, go and apologize to your sister after she cools down," Mrs. Higurashi said sternly. "And then I don't want anyone to bother her for the rest of the night,"

"Okay," Souta sighed, dipping another piece of sushi in soy sauce.

* * *

'_Stupid brat,' _Kagome thought as she violently ripped through the grocery bags she brought home that afternoon. The priestess then took out a peculiar box and stared at it with distant eyes. _'Well, it's all or nothing,' _Kagome got up from her kneeling position and went to the bathroom down the hall. Locking the door behind her, she then opened it and read the piece of paper with instructions. She then took out the contraption from the box and peed on a stick above the toilet. _'Now… I wait,' _Kagome thought anxiously, snapping the cover on the tip of the modern technology. _'Well it would be stupid if I sat here for ten minutes doing nothing,' _She thought, turning on the shower and stripping off her clothes. A knock sounded at the door. "What?" Kagome shouted through the sounds of water splattering and the solid wood door.

"Kagome, I'm sorry about what I said at dinner," the voice of her little brother said, muffled slightly from the other sounds.

"It's okay," Kagome called back.

"If you want, we saved you some dinner,"

"Thanks," She then heard her brother's footsteps recede from the door, most likely to his own room. Kagome quickly finished her warm shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She then leaned over the counter and looked at the stick she peed on fifteen minutes ago. _'Oh no, what am I going to tell Inuyasha?' _Kagome thought frantically.

* * *

**Can you guess who was at the door when Inuyasha said Kagome was pregnant?**

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**THANKS FOR READING!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	82. Until You Tell Everyone

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

Until You Tell Everyone

"Mother, father!" A teenage boy around Kohaku's age yelled as he raced towards his hut in the center of Kaede's village.

"What is it?" his kind mother asked with a soft look.

"Yes, son, what is the rush?" his father asked gruffly but lovingly.

"It is about Priestess Kagome," the teenage boy said with a bright smile.

"What about her, son?" his father asked.

"She's all better!" the teenage boy said happily. "We won't need the funeral, after all,"

"That's great news," his mother said gently, but genuinely happy.

* * *

…Evening…

* * *

"Inuyasha, come have dinner," Sango said softly as she walked up to the half demon. Inuyasha sat, staring down into the dark well with his arms resting on its lip. "Come on, Inuyasha, the sun already set. She's going to be there in the morning."

"Hm," The half demon hummed, not really paying attention to the demon slayer.

"Would you like your dinner out here?" Sango asked, trying to keep her temper in check. Inuyasha stayed quiet. "Inuyasha, she's not going anywhere. Besides, don't you get to see her in the morning? Wouldn't you want to look well rested rather than…I don't know, dead to the world?"

"Thanks for being so caring," Inuyasha mumbled sarcastically, but reluctantly got up, dusting off his kimono.

"I know you've always sulked when Kagome went home," Sango began.

"I do not sulk," Sango ignored the comment.

"But this seems like more, what's wrong?"

"Keh, nothing," Inuyasha huffed softly, crossing his arms. Sango sighed.

"How Miroku ever gets anything out of you, is a mystery to me,"

* * *

"Yes, finally!" Myoga yelled happily, hopping higher in excitement. He crested over the hill near the village and ran with all his might towards it. Lights were slowly disappearing as families settled down for the night. _'Hopefully Lady Kagome hasn't succumbed to its effects yet,' _Myoga thought.

* * *

Inuyasha and Sango entered the hut quietly as the crackling of the fire was loud compared to the noise made by the hut's occupants. The half demon stepped inside and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"That's why you came to get me instead of making Miroku do it," Inuyasha said, understanding the situation now. In the middle of the hut, Miroku lay unconscious and sprawled on the ground with a large bump forming on top of his head. "You know, I'm kind of surprised you still hit him for that," Sango blushed prettily, smacking the half demon in the back of his head. "Ow, hey!"

"Shut up!" Sango yelled, stomping to her regular spot around the fire and sitting down, her face red with embarrassment.

"Why wouldn't she hit him for it?" Shippo asked.

"When you're older, Shippo," Avion said tiredly as she sighed.

"Here Inuyasha, why don't ye have some dinner?" Kaede asked kindly, handing the half demon a bowl of stew.

"Thanks," Inuyasha mumbled.

"Wow, Kagome must've really changed you. You never said thanks for anything in your life before," Shippo snickered. Inuyasha lifted his upper lip to show his fangs, accompanied with a growl.

"Master Inuyasha! Lady Kagome!" A shrill voice was heard. The group turned towards the reed door and waited patiently as a small speck hopped onto the half demon's shoulder while panting.

"Myoga, to what do we owe your presence?" Miroku asked. Myoga just continued to pant.

"Old man, spit it out," Inuyasha huffed.

"I've been travelling for a week, Master Inuyasha. Can't you spare a flea a few minutes to rest?" Myoga asked with tears in his eyes.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed.

"Inuyasha, don't treat him like that," Sango scolded. "Myoga, we were just about to have dinner. Would you like some?"

"Yes, please, Lady Sango," Myoga said gratefully. Sango got an extra, human sized, bowl and poured some stew into it, placing it next to Inuyasha's own bowl.

"Don't fall in," Inuyasha snickered. Myoga stared blankly at the bowl then hopped off of the half demon's shoulder and onto the demon slayers. Myoga attached his mouth into Sango's neck, making her flinch.

"Myoga," Sango gasped, slapping him flat.

"Oh," Myoga groaned. "But, Lady Sango, I thought you said I could have dinner?"

"I-I thought you meant stew," Sango stuttered, turning red in embarrassment.

"Why don't you go drink Inuyasha's blood, like you always do?" Shippo asked, noisily slurping down his dinner. The half demon growled.

"Don't even think about it," Inuyasha huffed, taking his bowl and putting it to his lips.

"I am sure Lady Kagome will let me have some dinner," Myoga said happily, looking around the hut. "Where is Lady Kagome?"

"She had some things to take care of," Kaede informed.

"Oh," Myoga said, looking gloomy.

"What are you even doing here, you old flea?" Inuyasha asked, putting down his, now, empty bowl. Something clicked in the flea demon's mind, suddenly.

"Oh dear," Myoga said, panic starting to rise in his little body. "Inuyasha, please tell me you didn't give Kagome that life fang?" the flea demon pleaded.

"Of course I did, why wouldn't I?" Inuyasha said, not noticing the flea's dread.

"Oh no," Myoga sighed.

"What's wrong, Myoga?" Sango asked worriedly. "Was there something wrong with it?"

"I'm afraid so," Myoga mumbled sadly.

"What?" Inuyasha growled.

"What was wrong, Myoga?" Miroku asked, cutting off the half demon's outrage.

"Totosai, kind of, um… how do I put this? He kind of forgot to…" Myoga stuttered, stumbling around the answer.

"Spit it out!" Inuyasha yelled.

"He forgot to make it for a human," Myoga said, whimpering after he finished. The occupants of Kaede's hut were stunned silent.

"I'm going to kill that old fart!" Inuyasha yelled, standing up while his face turned red in anger.

"Now, now, Inuyasha," Avion tried to coax the half demon to be calm. "Honest mistake," She said nervously.

"Honest mistake, my ass! That's going to kill her!" Inuyasha growled loudly.

"Is there a way to fix this?" Kaede asked.

"Well, from my studies, once a life fang enters a body, it cannot be take out," Sango said.

"That's not good," Kohaku said softly, finally joining the conversation.

"Myoga," Inuyasha growled out threateningly.

"What will happen to her?" Miroku asked.

"She'll get terribly sick. Perhaps run a fever and sleep for a few days straight. Maybe she'll faint in the middle of something and start seeing weird visions," Myoga ranted. "But since she's a priestess, she _might _not die,"

"Myoga!" Inuyasha yelled, scared for his mate.

"When you said 'maybe' to all of those symptoms, what did you mean?" Avion piped in.

"It means," Myoga said cautiously, afraid of his master's fists, "That I have no idea what's going to happen because something like this hasn't happened before," Myoga then winced, waiting for the pain.

"Then how do you know she's going to die?" Shippo asked.

"Because when two demons have a life bond, it's usually one demon that has a longer life span than the other. The life fang bonds the two souls and mixes the blood so the lesser demon could live longer." Myoga explained.

"Okay… and?" Inuyasha urged on.

"Do you _know _what happens when you do that with a human if it wasn't _meant _for a human?" Myoga asked. The group stayed silent as the flea demon sighed. "The fang will try to connect a demonic soul with another soul that it _presumes _is demonic. And _everyone _knows that a demonic soul is stronger than a human soul!"

"Kagome's soul is pretty strong," Sango commented absently.

"Yes, I know," Myoga said exasperatedly. "But her body isn't built like demons or half demons."

"So you're saying that her body will fail on her?"Miroku asked, almost nonchalantly.

"Yes," Myoga said, glad that the group finally understood. The occupants stayed quiet for a second. A flash of red was then seen bolting out the door, leaving a gust of wind in its wake.

"Wait, Inuyasha! She said not to go until the morning!" Shippo yelled after the half demon.

"Just let him go check on her, Shippo," Avion said as she stared after the half demon's running form. "But I don't see why he needs to. If I'm here, then Kagome's alive; I couldn't live if she wasn't."

"True," Sango commented, still getting over the suddenness of Inuyasha's departure.

"So, what will happen to Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"If she can get through the difficult parts of the soul fusion, she should be okay afterwards," Myoga answered. "Tell me, has she been ill lately?"

"Yeah, she had a fever just a week ago," Sango said.

"Well before that she started throwing up," Shippo added.

"And before that she had weird mood swings," Kohaku said.

"I see," Myoga said, a bead of sweat falling from his forehead. "Seems like she's doing better than I thought; I'm glad."

* * *

Kagome trudged down the hallway of her house in plaid pajama pants and a tight tank top. She sighed while pulling her hair to the side and rubbing the wetness of it away with a white towel. The priestess held the towel to her hair with one hand while opening the door to her room with the other. Opening it half way, she was suddenly wrapped in strong arms and was spun in a circle. Kagome let out a small scream as she dropped the towel and gripped the person's broad shoulders. After a complete cycle, the girl was put down.

"Inuyasha," Kagome gasped with her hands still on his shoulders as she looked up.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said in a relieved voice as he kissed her forehead then her nose, and then her lips. He continued to kiss both her cheeks and then both sides of her neck before settling for a tight hug.

"Wh-what are you doing here? What are you doing?" Kagome asked, still surprised by the unexpectedness of it.

"I'm here to check if you're okay," Inuyasha said into her skin."I didn't want you to die on me,"

"What are you talking about? I'm just in this time, Inuyasha," Kagome said, clearly confused as she wrapped her arms around his waist. The half demon nuzzled his face into her wet hair.

"Myoga came," Inuyasha said. "He said that the life fang I gave you was accidently made for demons and he said that you might die," With that, Inuyasha held onto his mate tighter.

"I feel fine," Kagome said soothingly. "Don't worry," Inuyasha nodded his head.

"I just need to know you were okay," Inuyasha said softly, pulling away. "I'll leave," The priestess grabbed his hands as she walked backwards to her bed. Kagome then sat down while looking up at the standing half demon.

"Nah, you don't have to,"

"But you said-"

"I know," Kagome cut in. "Don't worry about what I said, I had other things on my mind then," Inuyasha nodded. He bent down and got the towel off the floor and proceeded to kneel behind the girl that he loved.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked as he rounded up her hair and put it on top of the towel before rubbing it dry. Kagome hesitated.

"Before I tell you, do you have anything to tell _me_?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something important?" Kagome urged on.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_So have ye told her?" Kaede asked, sipping her tea lightly. The half demon sitting on the other side of the hut lowered his head and scowled into the floor._

"_That would be a 'no,'" Shippo announced. The fox demon suddenly began to cry when the half demon's fist connected with the fox demon's head._

"_Inuyasha, I wouldn't take out your anger and frustration on others," Avion said calmingly as she watched Kohaku gently pat Shippo on the head._

"_Yeah, Inuyasha!" Shippo wailed, his tears drying up._

"Why haven't you? She has a right to know,"_ Keiko barked._

"_Lay off, will you?" Inuyasha growled._

_End Flashback_

* * *

"Uh," Inuyasha said slowly, stopping his hands from drying her hair from a recent bath. Kagome waited.

"Inuyasha?"

"Look, Kagome," Inuyasha said softly as he dropped the towel around her shoulders then sat down next to her on the bed. "U-um… You see, the thing is," Inuyasha gulped down a lump in his throat then bit his lower lip. "I-I th-think you're p-p-pre-pregnant," The couple stayed quiet for a short minute. Kagome sighed in relief as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"For a second there, I didn't think you would tell me," Kagome said, smiling.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, pulling away to look at her confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"I walked by the hut when you said that to the others," Kagome giggled, but then her face fell.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked worriedly, putting an arm around her shoulders. Kagome silently got up from her bed and walked to her desk. She then grabbed a plastic stick and handed it to Inuyasha, who looked confusedly at her and the contraption. "What the hell is this?"

"I'm not pregnant," Inuyasha looked up at her.

"What?"

"I-I'm not pregnant," Kagome said, shaking a bit now. She then went to her knees in front of him as he sat on the bed. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha," The half demon looked from his mate then to the modern technology that she had placed in his hands. On it in digital letters it said 'not pregnant.'

"Oh," The two stayed quiet. The priestess then slowly leaned up and bent her arms around the half demon's neck. Inuyasha followed by wrapping both his arms around her small frame. He lifted her up and the two of them fell into the bed, the pregnancy test in Inuyasha's hand.

* * *

"Pervert!" Sango yelled, slapping him on his cheek. A bright red hand mark was seen on the monk's face as the couple strolled their way towards their hut.

"Now, now, Sango," Miroku said calmly. "It's not like I haven't seen or touch you there before," Sango's face became impossibly red. It was as red as skin when a mosquito would bite and the person would scratch the bite mark.

"G-get your head out of the gutter, Miroku," Sango said, using the slang Kagome had taught her. The monk had to think about the phrase before chuckling.

"It's hard when you're around," Miroku said, draping an arm around her. Her blush hadn't subsided yet as the two of them made it into the clearing that their home resided in. "Welcome home," He whispered, kissing her cheek. Sango just smiled and leaned her head on his, and then walking into their home together.

"I love you,"

"Me too, and I always will,"

* * *

"Well, we're off," Avion said, jumping up to begin flying.

"Where are you going?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Back home," Avion said, smiling.

"_We'll be back, don't worry,"_ Keiko barked, standing up. _"You just stay with Kaede and Myoga,"_

"_Aren't you going to be lonely in that hut?" _Kirara asked, getting ready to leave herself.

"Nah, we'll be fine," Avion said. "Come on, we'll walk you half way to your place,"

"_Alright," _Kirara said. _"See you in the morning, everyone." _

"Good night," Kaede said. Myoga sat on the old priestess's shoulder as he waved goodbye with two of his right hands.

"Can I come?" Shippo asked, looking at them with puppy eyes.

"_Uh," _Keiko hesitated, stopping at the doorway. _"Well,"_

"It's best if you stay here, Shippo," Avion supplied. "We're leaving in the morning to go to the modern era,"

"Oh," Shippo said as he sadly sat back onto his butt and put his head down. Keiko walked up to him and licked his cheek.

"_Don't worry, you're not alone," _Keiko said soothingly. _"I'll convince Kagome to get you something really nice," _She said, winking. At that, the fox demon brightened and sat up straighter.

"Alright," Shippo relented. "Bye, guys,"

"Bye," Avion said, waiting for Keiko to follow.

"Woof," Keiko barked, running out of the hut with Kirara by her and Avion above her.

"Shippo, would ye like to sleep in the back or in here?" Kaede asked. Shippo looked at her and then at the blazing fire.

"Can I sleep in the back?" Shippo asked. "I don't want to be alone in here,"

"Sure," Kaede said, slowly getting up. "Would ye put out the fire?"

"Yeah," Shippo said, getting up and walking to a bucket of dirt. He then tossed the earth into the fire, making it deplete before following the old priestess and the flea demon into the back room to get some rest.

* * *

"I can't believe it," Inuyasha whispered, his golden eyes examining the facial features of the woman lying next to him. Kagome laid on her back on her bed as the half demon lay on his side, his head propped in his hand.

"What?" Kagome asked, turning her head to look at him. Their noses brushed against each other, making them both smile with their lips closed.

"How I can have such a pretty mate," Inuyasha said, a blush tinting his upper cheeks. Kagome looked at him and bit her bottom lip to stop a face breaking smile. She then leaned up and kissed his chin.

"I'm not that pretty, Inuyasha, but thank you," Kagome leaned back a little more and looked into his eyes. "Besides, I'm pretty lucky to get you to myself," She used the hand closest to him, raised her elbow above her head, and raked her hand through his hair from his forehead to the back of his skull.

"No," Inuyasha said in a soft voice, closing his eyes at the feeling of her hand running across his head. "No, I'm just a half demon."

"So?" Kagome asked, taking her hand out of his hair and just laying her arm above their heads. "That just makes you even better in my eyes," Inuyasha smiled with closed lips, his eyes still shut. He lightly scoffed and laid his head on the pillow while lying on his side. The half demon then scooted closer.

"I'm glad," He said suddenly after long minutes of silence.

"For?"

"Everything," Inuyasha admitted. "I'm glad you're on our side, that you ran into my life, for protecting you, for you staying by my side." He paused. "I'm glad I chose you." Kagome let a tear slip down her face as she smiled. Inuyasha carefully brought up his hand and wiped away the salty water with his thumb, keeping his hand on her cheek long after the moisture was gone. The priestess turned to her side and brought down her arm. She then scooted even closer and put one arm around him while the other stayed close to her body, and the bed, to clutch at Inuyasha's kimono.

"Never leave me," Kagome whispered. "Because I'll never leave you,"

"I wouldn't dare," Inuyasha whispered back, his golden eyes shining with sincerity.

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

Slowly blinking his eyes open, Inuyasha was met with a head of ebony hair, casually tossed on the pillow below. He smiled tiredly but genuinely as he kissed the forehead in front of his lips.

'_She's not pregnant,' _Inuyasha thought, his mind reeling back to the night before. _'Well, we have more than enough time.' _He smiled at that thought, closing his eyes again after determining it was too early to be up, even for him.

* * *

"Ah, ye are awake, Shippo," Kaede said as she watched the fox demon groggily walk out of the back room while rubbing his eye with a fist.

"Morning, Kaede," Shippo said tiredly before yawning, showing his small fangs in the process. "Is Myoga still here?"

"He was when I awoken." Kaede said, looking around. "I believe he left,"

"Okay," Shippo said, yawning again.

"Perhaps ye should get more sleep," Shippo just shook his head from side to side.

"I'm going to prove to Inuyasha that I'm not a little kid," the fox demon said determinedly, but yawning again. Kaede sighed however she smiled.

* * *

"Mew," Kirara meowed suddenly, getting shaken awake by a stinging pain. She winced as she sat up and started using her hind leg to scratch at her neck.

"Hey, watch it, Kirara," a male voice said.

"_Well stop sucking my blood," _Kirara meowed irritably as she continued scratching. Swiftly, a speck came flying out of the two tail cat demon's fur, landing perfectly on the wooden floor of Miroku and Sango's hut.

"I wish Master Inuyasha were here," Myoga sighed, his stomach only half full.

"_Why, so you can get squashed?" _Kirara asked sarcastically. The flea demon just sighed again.

"Lady Kagome might let me," Myoga thought out loud.

"_Inuyasha certainly won't let you take blood from his mate," _Kirara commented, her sleep has officially been cut short. Sango and Miroku lay next to each other on the futon while the cat demon had occupied a corner of the soft mat. The flea demon sighed again before hungrily eyeing the sleeping couple. Kirara shook her head in disappointment. _"I don't want to be here when I see them kill you," _Kirara muttered, hopping off the mat and shaking her body to clean her fur of any debris. She then walked out of the room.

"Ow," Miroku groaned, reflexively slapping a hand to his neck as he sat up in bed instantly. Sango whined about the loss of warmth of another body but went back to sleep.

"Such is the fate, of a flea," Myoga groaned, his body as flat as paper.

* * *

"Ready?" Avion asked, flying above the old well.

"_Yep," _Keiko barked happily, not waiting for the spiritual animal as the two tail dog demon jumped down.

"Hey!" Avion shouted after her, following in a flash of light. The two were engulfed with a familiar blue light, travelling through the time stream. Once they softly landed on the other side, five hundred years into the future, Keiko started to sneeze and cough. "You alright?"

"_Yeah," _Keiko barked hoarsely, her lungs being attacked by coughing fits. _"I just forgot how much pollution is in this time,"_

"Once we get inside, it'll be okay." Avion encouraged. "They keep the house cleaner," Keiko nodded her head, shakily jumping out of the deep well. The demon ran up the stairs and through the newly installed doggy door before dashing through another one that led into the house. Avion followed at a slower pace, enjoying the feel of flight.

"Woof," Keiko barked, announcing her arrival.

"Hey, mom, look," A young boy said happily as he walked towards the two tail demon and picked her up under her front paws. "Keiko's here,"

"Hello, sweetie," Mrs. Higurashi said, popping her head out of the kitchen doorway. "Are you hungry?" Keiko barked happily again, wagging her two tails as she was held suspended in the air.

"Good morning," Avion said, coasting into the hall way. "How is everyone doing?"

"Hi, Avion," The young boy said, his voice still high and immature.

"Hello, Souta," Avion greeted, landing on his shoulder.

"Hello, Avion, we're doing fine, thanks," Mrs. Higurashi said. "Souta, bring Keiko in the kitchen for breakfast. And you have to be at school soon,"

"Alright," Souta said, running into the kitchen. He then gently placed Keiko down on the floor and went on to petting Buyo, the family's pet cat. The fattest cat any of them had ever seen, but a pet cat, nonetheless. Avion hopped off his shoulder to land on the back rest of a chair while the young school boy rushed upstairs to get his backpack.

"Here, Keiko," Mrs. Higurashi said, putting a dog bowl on the ground. "It's some of yesterday's steak dinner, I hope you don't mind." Keiko just hopped onto the older woman's shoulder and licked her cheek, knowing that she couldn't understand the demon language.

"Bye, mom!" Souta yelled from the hallway.

"Bye, dear. Have a good day," Mrs. Higurashi said.

"Where's Grandfather?" Avion asked once she heard the door shut.

"Out sweeping," Mrs. Higurashi replied as she watched Keiko jump from her shoulder and to the dog bowl. "Kagome is up stairs, if you wanted her,"

"That's okay," Avion said. _'Kagome's mom probably doesn't know Inuyasha's here if she didn't mention him. I'll just keep it to myself to save her the scare of why he rushed here in the first place,' _Avion thought, watching her clean. "Do you need help?"

"No, that's okay," The older woman replied kindly. "Why don't you go see if Kagome wants some breakfast?"

"Alright," Avion said, flying off the chair and going up the stairs. Avion shifted into a large dog and opened the door with ease before shifting back. The spiritual creature found the couple lying cuddled in bed. _'I'll come back later,' _She thought with a smirk, closing the door and heading back into the kitchen.

* * *

"Master Jaken," A small girl said curiously.

"What is it, Rin?" Jaken, the green demon, asked with a sigh. The two of them, with Ah-Un, followed their Lord Sesshomaru loyally through the forest, not knowing exactly where they were headed.

"Yesterday, you said something about Lady Kagome," Rin said innocently. "What was it about?" Jaken raised an eyebrow at the girl before it click.

"Ah, yes, Lady Kagome," Jaken said, happy he remembered. "She has fallen ill recently." Without notice from the other members of his party, Sesshomaru flicked his eyes to watch the little demon.

"Is she alright now?" Rin asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Jaken scoffed. "Who knows, really, she's only human," Sesshomaru twitched his hand with anxiety. His newly formed left arm had a tingling feeling at the thought of the priestess being ill; she had revived the arm, after all.

'_Inuyasha can take care of her,' _Sesshomaru thought, turning his eyes back to in front of him. _'If not, they can use their sibling mark to call Yuri,' _

* * *

Kagome blinked her eyes open and found herself face to face with a chest clad in red cloth. She smiled and nuzzled further into the warm body of her mate, not caring what time it was. The masculine arms around her tightened a bit more and crushing the two bodies together. Kagome looked up and found that Inuyasha had his eyes closed, his face peaceful instead of in a scowl.

'_How should I wake you up?' _Kagome thought mischievously, but decided against her evil thoughts. She settled with a kiss on the lips then the cheek then his neck, biting a bit. She bit his skin a little harder, rousing him from his slumber with a moan.

"'Gome," Inuyasha mumbled, not fully awake yet and still in dreamland. Kagome smirked against his, now, moist skin, trailing small licks up his neck until she was under his chin. She kissed him there then went up a little more and kissed his lips quickly, pulling back after initial contact.

'_How long does it take to wake up?' _Kagome thought, moving his kimono so it exposed his shoulder. She bit his shoulder, taking a small lump of skin into her mouth before letting go. Her teeth left marks just above his collar bone, making his skin glisten with wetness and red from the irregular blood flow after it was stopped by teeth. Kagome gasped suddenly, getting pushed onto her back. She then laughed happily and slapped the man above her playfully.

"Don't tease me if you can't take the punishments," Inuyasha joked, biting her nose lightly, using his fangs to tickle the sensitive skin. Kagome wrinkled her nose as it started to itch.

"Oh? Well what's the punishment?" Kagome asked, nervously looking on as Inuyasha put both her wrists in one of his larger hands and held them above her head. "Inuyasha?"

"Punishment?" Inuyasha asked, wiggling his claws in front of her face.

* * *

"I'm going to the store, you two," Mrs. Higurashi said as she grabbed a coat off the hanger. "And I'm taking Grandpa with me because he has a doctor's appointment,"

"Alright," Avion said, nodding as she understood.

"Watch the house, will you?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. Avion and Keiko nodded. "Oh and tell Kagome that there should be some leftover food in the fridge,"

"We've got it handled, don't worry," Avion said, smiling kindly.

"Thanks," The older woman said. "Bye,"

"Bye," Avion answered while Keiko barked. Mrs. Higurashi walked out the door and grabbed Grandpa's hand, taking him down the many steps of the shrine.

"_Now what?" _Keiko barked, getting bored already.

"I don't kn-"

"AH!" a scream was heard from the second floor of the house. Keiko and Avion ran up the stairs and opened the door to their Mistress's room. Their ears were suddenly filled with loud laughter and the rumpling of sheets as a body wiggled around.

"I know where all your ticklish spots are, Kagome," Inuyasha said as he straddled her hips and held her hands above her head while his other hand tickled her sides. "You can't get away,"

"Ah! I-I-Inuya-yash-sha!" Kagome said between laughter. "S-s-st-op,"

"No way," Inuyasha said smugly.

"C-c-co-ome o-on," Kagome said, about to run out of breath.

"Oh, alright," Inuyasha said. "But just because you look like you can't breathe," He let go of her hands. Kagome panted as she tried to get her breath back. After minutes of silence, besides the priestess's harsh breathing, Kagome gulped down some spit and air.

"I hate you," Kagome said, her face serious but her eyes not showing honesty. Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her lips softly.

"I know," Inuyasha said. "I love you, too," The two started to kiss, opening their mouths to start a war with their tongues. After a minute of pure kissing, the couple was in the middle of a game of tonsil tennis.

"Are we interrupting something?" Avion suddenly piped up from the door way. Inuyasha instantly hopped off of the bed and started to look too innocent, expecting someone else.

"A-Avion, Keiko, when did you guys get here?" Kagome asked nervously as she sat up.

"_This morning," _Keiko barked with a knowing smirk. _"But of course we can leave and let you two have some _alone _time."_

"K-Keiko!" Kagome gasped.

"Hm, good idea, Keiko," Avion said, playing along. "No one's home anyways,"

"What do you mean no one's home? They were all here yesterday when I came here," Inuyasha said, pertaining to his good sense of smell.

"_Well Souta went to school," _Keiko barked.

"And your mother and grandfather went to the grocery store and then they were going to go to the doctor's office for an appointment," Avion said.

"O-oh," Kagome said, still nervous from being caught.

"_Anyways, we'll leave you two alone," _Keiko barked, abruptly turning around and running down the stairs. _"Bye! Have fun!" _She barked loudly. Avion quickly followed the two tail dog demon out the door with a smirk on her face, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha red in the face.

* * *

*

* * *

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	83. On Again, Off Again

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

On Again, Off Again

"I love you," Inuyasha whispered as he pushed his body off of his mate's and rolled to his side, staring at her.

"I love you more," Kagome said with a smirk on her face. The half demon chuckled lightly as he brought up the blankets and covered both of their naked bodies. After the storm of complications in their relationship, the love birds had just renewed their love. Two pairs of sparkling eyes stared at each other, looking into the other's soul.

"I don't think you can love me more," Inuyasha whispered, his face was close enough so his breath fanned her nose. "Because I love you too much," Kagome smiled and got closer to him. His body is slick with the recent exertion of sweat.

"Fine," Kagome relented, biting lightly at his neck. "I loved you longer,"

"How is that true?" Inuyasha asked, pushing away the urge to shove the girl on her back and rekindle their love once again.

"Mm," Kagome hummed against his neck. "Because I've loved you since the first time you said you would protect me," Inuyasha twitched an ear, thinking back to the time he yelled at the priestess to let him protect her from Sesshomaru. At that time, the half demon had cut off his older half brother's arm. Later, Kagome had rebuilt the arm. How ironic.

"Fine, you get that one," Inuyasha gave in. "But I still love you more." Kagome giggled lightly, nuzzling her head under his chin.

"Whatever you want," Kagome mumbled, his warm skin making her body tingle.

"No," Inuyasha said, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her. He tightened his arms until there was no space between their bare bodies. "I'll get you everything you want, don't worry about me,"

"Seriously," Kagome said. "Don't do that. You deserve everything, too." He scoffed lightly but ended the argument.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"Can't we stay like this for a little bit longer?" Kagome asked and wrapping an arm around his body, her hand touching the half demon's toned back.

"As long as you want," Kagome nodded, closing her eyes to enjoy the feeling of warmth and security. Even though the priestess didn't mean to, she soon fell into a peaceful sleep. Inuyasha twitched his ears as he heard her breathing become lighter, serene. He smiled and kissed the top of her head lovingly before tugging the blankets further up their bodies so the sunlight wouldn't wake up the sleeping girl. "Sleep well, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, putting his chin on the top of her head, further protecting her from the bright light of the only star that shines during the day.

* * *

"You think they're okay?" Avion asked while looking at the shrine steps from afar.

"_They'll be more than okay, trust me.' _Keiko barked as a breeze brushed through. _"You know, even with all the pollution, it's amazing how much things change in five hundred years," _Avion stared at her friend before looking around them. The vantage point from a rooftop of an office building made it easy for the spiritual bird and two tail demon to admire the city of Tokyo. The location also made it easy to hide from the public.

"Yeah," Avion agreed. The rubber tires of cars rolled across the cement ground, the laughter and talking of the general public and stores and restaurants bustling in their daily routine echoed across the skies. The chill of fall was fast approaching, but the summer was still ending, making the breeze warm enough. The pair sat in silence.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Miroku asked, eyeing the pale demon in front of him. Myoga groaned pitifully as he lay on his back.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked next to the monk.

"I believe he is hungry," Kaede supplied as she sipped at her hot tea. Sango, Miroku, Myoga and Kaede were currently in the small wooden hut, talking.

"Oh," Sango whispered. The flea demon groaned again as he went paler. She sighed. "Alright, you can drink some of my blood, just promise you won't die on the floor," Myoga nodded weakly, sitting up.

"No, take mine," Miroku cut in while lifting the flea onto his arm. He then smiled at the demon slayer. "No need for a pretty lady to lose blood," Sango blushed at the comment. Myoga didn't care at the moment; the flea demon just stuck his mouth into the monk's skin and drank a hearty amount. The pale color Myoga's skin had taken instantly vanished as his system was replenished.

"Why, thank you, Miroku," Myoga said, taking his mouth away. "Oh, and you too, Sango,"

"You're welcome," Miroku said, looking at the flea's new size. Myoga, instead of being a speck on the floor, was as big and round as a basketball. That is, if basketball had been invented as of yet. Sango nodded.

"Miroku, why don't you go take a nap? You look a little pale," Sango suggested, concerned for her husband. "Come on, I'll take you home," Miroku smiled tiredly, getting up.

"Alright," he agreed. "I'll see everyone later,"

"I'll bring ye some tea to help with that later," Kaede said.

"Thanks," Miroku whispered, losing his strength fast.

"Don't black out on me, yet," Sango warned, putting an arm around his waist while moving his arm to rest on her shoulder. "Don't you think you took too much blood, Myoga?"

"I was hungry, I wasn't thinking," Myoga pouted.

"It's alright." Sango sighed, leading the monk into the forest towards their home.

"Poor, Miroku," Kaede whispered with her lips on the tip of her cup of tea.

* * *

Kagome moaned softly as her body awoke from peaceful sleep. The priestess carefully opened her eyes and found herself face to face with a slender neck. She grinned evilly, but tiredly, as she stuck out her tongue and dragged it from the dip of the neck to the half demon's chin. In return, Inuyasha groaned softly, tightening the arms around her waist.

"I see you're awake," Inuyasha mumbled, opening one golden eye and smiling softy. The sun beat on the half demon's back as he protected his mate from it.

"Hello," Kagome greeted, putting one arm around his torso and laid her hand flat on his toned back. "Ow, aren't you hot? Your skin is burning," Kagome hissed in surprised, taking her hand back. Inuyasha shrugged.

"I didn't want it to wake you," Kagome's eyes softened as she pushed him onto his back and kissed his lips.

"You're always doing stupid things for me," Kagome mumbled onto his skin. She then got up and put on his red kimono that was strewn on the floor. "Come on," Inuyasha blinked confusedly at her but took both of her offered hands and got up, buck naked. "Here," She said, handing him his pants.

"Thanks," He said, putting them on. The priestess took one of his clawed hands and pulled him out of the room tenderly. "Where are we going?"

"Just come with me," Kagome whispered, walking down the hallway. She turned into the bathroom and flipped on the lights. "Sit on the toilet, but have your back face me,"

"Alright," Inuyasha said cautiously, straddling the toilet seat. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you," She said, turning on the sink. After a little while, the priestess kept the water running as she put her wet hands on the half demon's back and started to run smooth circles in a massage.

"That's cold," Inuyasha hissed in surprise while her hands ran along his skin.

"Sorry," Kagome said, kissing the top of his head. Her skin was cold from the freezing water she just ran her hands under. "It'll make you feel better soon, I promise," Inuyasha relaxed and folded his arms on the back of the modern plumbing. The priestess went back and put her hands under the cold water again and repeated the process until she reached his lower back, massaging his skin all the way. "Better?" She asked, turning off the sink.

"Cooler, thanks," Inuyasha said, turning. "And more relaxed," Kagome giggled, kissing his cheek.

"I'm going to take a shower,"

"Mm, alright," Inuyasha answered absently, still enjoying the cool sensation on his back. Kagome giggled as she noticed that his body was there, but his mind was gone. The priestess shook her head from side to side softly and then left the bathroom to get extra clothes from her room before returning. She found the half demon sitting on the toilet, facing the correct way, and staring at her.

"Well?" Kagome asked expectantly.

"Well what?"

"Are you going to leave so I can take my shower?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like I haven't seen it all," he mumbled but got up anyways. Kagome rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Yeah, well, get out,"

"Keh," The couple argued for minutes, which soon turned into forty-five minutes before the two of them decided to take a shower together.

"What do you want to eat?" Kagome asked as the two of them stepped into the empty kitchen. "We have Ramen,"

"Then I'll eat that," Inuyasha said, staring at his mate's outfit. She wore a racer back tank top that was flowing and loose instead of tight. It was a medium purple colored and held low against her breasts. Her wet hair dripped droplets of water down her back and sliding down as it was held in a messily put up bun. She also wore a pair of white shorts that Inuyasha had deemed too short, but he wasn't complaining.

"Can't you think of anything else to eat?" Kagome complained, standing on her toes to reach up high into the cabinet for the Ramen. "Inuyasha, can you give me a hand, please?" Kagome asked as her fingers just brushed the package. Her purple shirt rode up her back slightly, showing skin, while it hung down in front. "Inuyasha?"

"Uh," Inuyasha said dumbly, snapping out of his admiration. "Yeah, sure," He went behind her and put his hands on her hips, then slowly up to the exposed skin. The priestess felt shivers running up her spine, almost making her gasp.

"N-not there," Kagome shakily said, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Get the Ramen down," Inuyasha just pushed his body into hers and reached up with one hand, easily taking the carton of instant noodles. "I'll get some hot water,"

"Mm-hm," Inuyasha mumbled, leaning down to kiss her neck and then her cheek while placing the Ramen in her hand. The half demon pulled away to sit down in a chair surrounding the dining table. "What are you eating?" He asked casually. Kagome took a deep breath to calm herself while shrugging.

"Leftovers from breakfast or something, I guess," Kagome said. She got a small pot and went to the sink to add water into it before placing it on the stove and turning on the flames. The priestess checked the water briefly, and then went to the refrigerator to get out a plate with clear plastic wrap over it.

"Why don't you eat Ramen?"

"Because, unlike you, I want real food," Kagome said, putting the cold plate on the counter and lifting up the plastic wrap. She then put the whole plate filled with small omelets and a small bowl of miso soup into the microwave.

"Keh! Ramen is real food," Inuyasha argued.

"Hardly," She muttered. The priestess opened the instant noodle cup and picked up the pot to pour the boiling water into it. Kagome then pushed down the paper lid. "Wait two minutes, okay?" The microwave bell rang as the noise slowly died down. She placed the ramen in front of the half demon with a pair of chopsticks on top of the cup and went to get her own meal, bringing it to the seat next to her mate. She sat down and suddenly felt soft skin pressed onto her cheek.

"Thanks," Inuyasha said softly, leaning away from the kiss he placed on her face. Kagome smiled sheepishly while using a hand to tuck hair behind her ear.

"You're welcome,"

* * *

…Evening…

* * *

"Hey, you woke up," Sango whispered as she watched the monk slowly blink his eyes open. Miroku groaned while his eyes started to adjust to the new light in the room. "For a few hours there, I thought Myoga sucked out too much blood,"

"How long was I out?" Miroku asked in a scratchy voice.

"From morning until now,"

"What time is it?"

"Um, well I would say sundown," Sango said, looking out the window to see the oranges and reds in the sky.

"Damn," Miroku groaned, still feeling rather weak.

"I'll get you some food and water," The demon slayer got up from kneeling beside her husband and went towards the burning fire. She then picked up some freshly cooked fish and a bowl of stew that was provided by Kaede. "Here, eat this," Miroku slowly sat up with the help of his wife and gratefully took the offered food. Sango then got up again and grabbed a cup full of water and put it next to him.

"Where is he?" Miroku asked suddenly.

"Who?"

"Myoga,"

"Probably at Kaede's hut, why?" Sango informed.

"I want to squish that little bug," He mumbled while sipping some soup. Sango smiled and shook her head negatively.

"You can get him later," Sango said, sitting on the futon next to him. "Right now, you need to rest,"

* * *

"Myoga, you're in trouble," Shippo sang as he pointed at the flea demon.

"Mew," Kirara meowed in agreement. The flea demon had multiple nervous sweat drops falling down his face as his body shook in fear.

"M-maybe I sh-should take my leave," Myoga said nervously, hopping down from the old priestess's shoulder and dashing towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Shippo asked, catching the flea by the back of his tiny shirt. Myoga flipped and flopped around in the fox demon's grip, trying in vain to get away.

"_You're not going anywhere today," _Kirara meowed, bringing her furry face close to the sweating flea demon. The flea demon swallowed a large lump in his throat.

"Ye brought this upon ye self," Kaede said softly, watching the youngsters torture the flea demon with words.

* * *

"Kagome, we're home!" a middle aged woman yelled into the moderate sized house.

"Ah!" a scream was heard as the sound of chairs scraping against the wooden floor echoed into the hallway. Mrs. Higurashi ran into the kitchen with their grandfather trailing behind. The older woman stopped in her tracks. A feminine laughter became louder as a man caught a woman around the waist and twirled her around to be held up against his own body.

"Now, what was that for, Kagome?" The man asked as his smile widened.

"It was for fun," Kagome replied while laughing as she tried to get out of her mates embrace. The two of them were covered in white flour.

"I thought you were going to make koo-ckies with that," Inuyasha playfully said.

"It's cookies, and yes, I was," Kagome said amusedly as she got out of his hold and turned around towards the door. "Oh, mom, gramps, welcome back,"

"Hello, dear," Mrs. Higurashi said, staring at the two teens covered in flour. Kagome noticed her stare and looked towards her clothes then towards the floor.

"Oh, don't worry, mom, I'll clean it," The priestess reassured.

"Alright dear," Mrs. Higurashi said incredulously. "Be done by dinner, please."

"Sure," Kagome said, smiling innocently. Her mother and grandfather left the kitchen doorway. The priestess burst out into laughter while the half demon chuckled lightly. Inuyasha leaned forward andkissed his mate's cheek.

"You'll pay for this later," He whispered against her skin. Kagome just giggled and turned towards her dough mix.

"Sure I will," She said sarcastically. The two of them silently helped each other, putting the moist cookie dough onto a cookie sheet before placing it in a hot oven. Of course, Inuyasha had thought it was going to spit fire at them and quickly grabbed Kagome, making her drop the tray.

"Are they done yet?" Inuyasha asked impatiently as he slouched in the wooden chair while leaning his elbows on the table.

"No," Kagome nearly growled. "But if you would help me clean all the flour and cookie dough up, it would go by quicker,"

"Keh, it's not my fault there's flowers on the floor,"

"It's flour, not the flower that grows in the ground. And fine, that wasn't your fault, but all this cookie dough is!"

"Keh! As if,"

"You're the one that jumped me and made me drop it!"

"Exactly, _you _dropped it, not me." Inuyasha said cockily. Kagome screamed with her mouth closed. Now, the he half demon started to get nervous.

'_I don't get it! He was so nice this morning, now he's being his old self. And not the good side either, this is the old self that never cared for anyone,' _Kagome thought angrily. The oven finally made a beep no ise while shutting itself off. The priestess ignored it and continued to scrape all of the cookie dough off the floor.

"Are you going to get them?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome glared into the floor.

"I'm busy here, Inuyasha," She hissed. "Why don't you get them?"

"No way, I'd rather kill a million demons than get something out of _that_," Kagome growled audibly and impressively for a human.

"See if I ever make anything for you again!" Kagome yelled as she took the cookie tray out and dropped it onto the kitchen counter with a clatter. She then angrily stomped out of the kitchen. A door slamming against its frame was heard seconds later.

Downstairs in the kitchen, the half demon sighed sadly, while dropping his ears to his skull.

'_Why do I always do that?' _Inuyasha thought forlornly. He then turned his golden eyes towards the kitchen floor and then to the modern contraption that held the baked goods in it.

"Is everything alright, Inuyasha?" Mrs. Higurashi said from the doorway.

"Um," He said uneasily. "Don't worry, I'll clean this up," Inuyasha then got up from his chair and kneeled onto the floor, using the dish towel Kagome was using to wipe up the cookie dough and most of the flour.

"Okay, dear," Mrs. Higurashi said. "Would you like me to talk to Kagome?"

"No, it's my fault," Inuyasha admitted. "I'll go talk to her when I'm done," Kagome's mother nodded her head and left the kitchen doorway, going towards the family room. After finishing the floor, Inuyasha bent backwards a bit and felt satisfying cracks in his back.

* * *

"Stupid Inuyasha," Kagome muttered, jumping face first onto her mattress. "I don't get it." She said into her pillow. "One minute he's the perfect husband, the next, he's a jerk….I'll never understand him," The priestess rubbed her face into the cloth cover of her pillow, willing angry tears to stay in her eyeball.

* * *

"Thanks for dinner, Kaede!" Shippo said happily as he stood up with Kirara at his side.

"Ye are welcome, child," Kaede said in her elderly voice.

"Kirara and I are going to sleep in Sango's hut, are you going to be okay?" Shippo asked innocently.

"Aye, I have slept alone in this hut every time ye are away on an adventure, do I not?" Kaede asked amusedly. "Good night," Shippo nodded.

"Good night, Kaede," The fox demon said as he and Kirara ran outside the hut.

"_Hey, Shippo," _Kirara meowed.

"Yeah?"

"_I was wondering,"_

"What?" Shippo asked impatiently. Looks like some of Inuyasha's behavior stuck with the little demon, after all.

"_Where did you put Myoga?" _Kirara stopped in her tracks and stared into his green eyes with her red ones.

"I put him in one of those water carrying jars that Kagome brings from her time," Shippo said.

"_Wouldn't he drown?"_

"I made sure there was no water in it," Shippo said, sounding insulted. Kirara shrugged and continued on the journey towards the demon slayer's and monk's home.

* * *

"Let me out!" Myoga yelled, but his voice was muffled by the plastic surround him like a barrier. Looking around, Myoga found himself at the corner of Kaede's hut. And with his luck, there were other similar barriers that were standing up around him, making it look like an army of plastic water bottles, except that there couldn't be more than eight of them. "Kaede! Shippo! Kirara!" He yelled pleadingly.

* * *

"_Oh, Mrs. Higurashi is home," _Keiko thought, only a little bit surprised.

"Looks like it," Avion said, looking down from her flight. "And here comes Souta," Keiko stopped running and looked behind her from the side walk. "What are you doing? We can't get seen out here," Avion yelled down from high above.

"_I'm going to get him," _Keiko barked up. _"Go ahead of us," _Avion sighed but followed Keiko, nonetheless.

"Hey, let go!" Souta yelled in his shrill voice. The young boy struggled to keep a hold on his backpack while an older, taller, and meaner looking boy tugged on it.

"Then give me all of your money," The older boy said evilly.

"No!" Souta yelled while tugging with all his might, however, the backpack didn't get free from the bully's hold. "Give it back!" Suddenly, the two boys heard a deep growling noise from their feet.

"What is this?" The bully asked with amusement. "A puny little dog,"

"Keiko," Souta whispered, momentarily forgetting about the backpack. Avion looked on from a nearby tree, hoping that she didn't have to step in and be seen.

"Aw, puppy is going to hurt me?" The bully mocked before bursting out laughing. Keiko got irritated and bared her fangs more threateningly. The two tail dog demon then transformed into a slightly bigger size and made her eyes turn red. The bully looked and got nervous as he looked at the five inch claws and six inch fangs. "Wh-what type of joke is this?!"

"Bite him!" Souta yelled while looking at his sister's dog. Souta didn't mean it, but the phrase was meant to scare off the bully. Keiko jumped forward, making the bully drop the backpack and run with his tail between his legs, that is, if he had one. Keiko shook out her fur and quickly transformed back into a cute and furry pet. "Thanks a bunch," Souta said in relief. He then kneeled on the ground and petted Keiko affectionately.

"Woof," Keiko barked happily while jumping onto the boy's shoulder.

"Wait, but what if he reports that I have a dog that can threaten people?" Souta said nervously. Avion chose that time to come out and fly onto the boy's other shoulder.

"Don't worry," The spiritual bird said. "There's no way he can prove it. Besides, we'd probably be in the feudal era soon."

"That's a relief," Souta said, taking Keiko from his shoulder and carrying her in his arms. "You're not hurt, are you?" Keiko just shook her head negatively, knowing that the boy can't understand her.

"Why don't we go home?" Avion suggested. "I bet dinner's on the table,"

"Yeah!" Souta said excitedly, running the rest of the way towards the hundreds of steps that lead to the shrine.

* * *

Inuyasha let out a nervous breath as he stood in front of his mate's bedroom door. He held a plate full of cookies in one hand while getting ready to knock with the other.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called timidly while rapping on the door. "Can I come in?" Silence was his answer. "Kagome? I know you're in there, I can smell your scent." He tried opening the door but found it locked. "Come on, Kagome,"

"Why should I?" A soft voice said from the other side.

"Because," Inuyasha said.

"Well, if that's the case," Kagome began saying, getting the half demon's hopes up. "No," Inuyasha sighed in frustration.

"Kagome," He whined. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about earlier. Can I come in and explain?" More silence. "Please?"

On the other side of the wooden door, the priestess grudgingly unlocked the door, but didn't open it for the half demon. Instead, she walked back to her bed and picked up the book she was previously reading. Kagome lay on her stomach while leaning on her elbows, ignoring everything the half demon did.

Inuyasha carefully opened the door when he heard the click of the lock. He then stared as his mate read a book, totally disregarding him. The half demon gently placed the plate of chocolate chip cookies on the bed side table and sat on the floor, watching the priestess.

"Well?" Kagome asked after a deafening silence. Even though she acknowledged his presence, she didn't take her eyes off the book in her hands as she flipped a page.

"Look, I'm sorry," Inuyasha said after swallowing his pride. "I was thinking of something else and I just let it out on you," Kagome stayed silent, her eyes moving as she read line after line. "I shouldn't have done that." She kept reading. "Do you forgive me?" He asked, getting a little closer. "Kagome?"

"Shh," Kagome whispered. "I'm reading," Inuyasha nearly growled. He then yanked the book out of her hands and placed it on the floor next to him. "Hey! I was reading that!"

"Now, you're listening to me," Inuyasha said sternly. "I'm sorry,"

"Hmph," Kagome harrumphed childishly as she lay on her arms and turned her head away.

"Kagome, I really am," Inuyasha whimpered. "I cleaned the kitchen, like you asked." He said, standing up on his knees. "I even got the cookies out," The half demon took a cookie from the plate and reached over her to put it in front of her face. "They're still warm," Kagome didn't respond. Inuyasha sighed in return and placed the cookie back on the plate. He then put a hand on the girl's back and rubbed soothingly. "I'm sorry, I don't know how else to say it." He paused. "Okay, well I was thinking about how I always had to do things myself, and for once in my childhood, I just wanted that person to do it themselves. It was always 'half breed do this' and 'half breed do that,' I guess I just lost myself in my mind and lashed out at you. I'm really sorry, Kagome," By this time, Kagome had turned her head so she was looking at the golden eyes of the half demon. "I'd do anything to make it up to you,"

"Give me a cookie?" Kagome asked, taking one hand out from under her head and waited for something to be placed in it. Inuyasha chuckled softly and placed the desert in her hand. She slowly nibbled on it while staring at the half demon. He smiled with his lips closed and leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"Everyone, dinner!" Mrs. Higurashi yelled through the house as the aroma of fresh miso soup and beef entered everyone's nose.

"Can you bring my dinner up here?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha just smiled and stood up, going out the door.

* * *

"There you are, Souta," Mrs. Higurashi said as her son walked in the front door. "Just in time for dinner,"

"Awesome," Souta said, slipping off his shoes.

"Go wash up and come downstairs, okay?" Mrs. Higurashi said. Souta put Keiko on the ground while Avion flew off his shoulder. "Hello, Keiko, Avion. Would you like some dinner, Keiko?" She asked, knowing that Avion didn't eat.

"Woof," Keiko barked in confirmation.

"Okay," Mrs. Higurashi said, going into the kitchen and making an extra bowl. Just then, Inuyasha came down the stairs.

"Um, Mrs. Higurashi?" The half demon asked timidly.

"Yes, dear?"

"Can Kagome and I eat upstairs? She doesn't feel like coming down," Inuyasha asked with a small blush.

"Of course," Mrs. Higurashi said, filling two plates and two bowls. "Are you two going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, smiling.

"Good," She said, handing him a tray full of two sets of food. "Don't make a mess,"

"Alright," Inuyasha said, taking the tray. "Thanks," He then bounded up the stairs.

"Is something wrong?" Avion asked, watching the half demon go up the stairs.

"He and Kagome just got into a little fight earlier," Mrs. Higurashi said. "They should be okay," Avion shrugged it off as another argument between the two love birds.

* * *

"Would you like me to feed you too?" Inuyasha asked jokingly as he placed the tray down on Kagome's desk. The priestess smiled.

"No," She said, getting up.

"So, am I forgiven?" He asked hopefully. Kagome smiled gently and placed a kiss on his cheek. In return, Inuyasha smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I won't do it again, I promise,"

"Okay," Kagome whispered, taking her plate of food then walked to her bed. Inuyasha took his own plate and shyly sat on the floor in front of the priestess. Between the two of them, silence ran through the air.

"How was the cookie?" Inuyasha asked out of the blue. Kagome looked up from her plate.

"Good, you should try one," She said. "Here,"

"What?" Inuyasha asked while staring at the pickled radish she put in his face.

"You like them, don't you?" Kagome asked.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Yeah, the only thing good was that crunchy yellow stuff." Inuyasha said while playing with Buyo's ear._

"_You mean the pickled radish?" Kagome asked nervously._

"_Yeah," He said dreamily. Kagome angrily got up._

"_Sit!"_

_[Movie One: Affections Touching Across Time]_

_End Flashback_

* * *

Inuyasha laughed nervously but took the offered food.

"Thanks," He said. "You know,"

"Hm?"

"I lied,"

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked with the tip of her chopsticks in her mouth.

"That day I told you I only liked the pickled radishes, I lied." Inuyasha clarified.

"Oh, really?" Kagome asked doubtfully. Inuyasha just laughed at her tone.

"Yes, really," Kagome shrugged and went back to eating.

"Why don't you sit up here?" She asked, patting the spot next to her. "It's comfier," The half demon got up and sat next to his mate.

"I love you, you know that, right?" Kagome smiled and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I love you too," She said. "Why don't we go home tomorrow?"

* * *

**THANKS FOR READING!**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	84. Thanks!

**THANKS!**

* * *

This is a special thank you to _Ranuel _for finding out that this story has just been plagiarized and has stopped _Kagome Loves Inuyasha _from further putting it on!

* * *

If anyone else has seen her copy any other story, please help us authors out by telling us and help stopping the hated action.

* * *

Three of my stories have been posted onto _Kagome Loves Inuyasha _page and that person is claiming to put them back on another website. Help me out guys! I can't do this without you! I can't even write without you!

Thanks again to _Ranuel! _I owe you one! Well, three times, technically, because you saved all three of my fan fictions! Thanks so much!


	85. Help!

Dear readers,

My fan fiction "Life After the Storm" is facing difficulties. Another author is still plagiarizing its contents and refuses to delete it off her website pages. Yes, pages, with an 's'. The updating process has been temporarily stalled. Sorry for the inconvenience! It will probably take a while to get the fake author to back down, but this story will continue. I need your help! Please! This is one website 'Kagome loves Inuyasha' has posted my story on: http : / / www . inuyasha – fiction . com / viewstory . php ? sid = 14723

To access the link, delete all the spaces in between. Please help me!


	86. A Demon's Bite

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

* * *

A Demon's Bite

"Kagome! Inuyasha! You're back!" Shippo yelled happily as he raced towards the couple on all fours. The priestess and half demon barely had time to look up before a fur ball launched himself into the woman's arms.

"Hello," Kagome grunted as Shippo barreled into her stomach, knocking some air out of her body.

"Watch it, runt," Inuyasha warned.

"I missed you!" Shippo whined. Kagome chuckled lightly, patting the fox demon on top of his head.

"Welcome back," Sango said, walking up towards their little family with Miroku holding her hand. "How was your time with your other family?"

"Fine," Kagome said sheepishly. "How were things here?"

"Well," Sango drawled out, looking at the monk next to her.

"Myoga's here," Miroku growled.

"What's gotten you in such a bad mood?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. The group stood in front of the Bone Eater's Well that was used for time travel. "And why the hell is that flea still doing here?" Sango nervously patted Miroku on the shoulder.

"Well, Miroku wants to kill Myoga," Shippo piped up from Kagome's arms.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" Kagome asked, looking down and then towards the monk. Two two-tail demons stood next to each other on the ground, observing with fascination while a spiritual creature with a body made of spiritual power flew around in the air.

"Well, Myoga was hungry and we didn't let him drink any of our blood," Shippo started.

"After a while, Myoga looked starved so Miroku volunteered to give the poor guy some of his blood," Sango continued.

"See, Miroku, that was your first mistake, right there," Inuyasha commented dryly.

"So I've learned," The monk said between clenched teeth.

"Anyways, Myoga drank too much of Miroku's blood, so Miroku blacked out for the entire day," Sango finished. Kagome bit her bottom lip to try and stop her laughter. Inuyasha noticed his mate's expression and decided to help out by standing slightly in front of her.

"Keh, come on, we have work to do," Inuyasha huffed, covering up his amusement. "There are still jewel shards out there,"

"Can't we spend one day at home, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked seductively, running a finger up his muscular back. The half demon shivered at the feeling.

"K-keh," The half demon spluttered out nervously. Sango and Miroku chuckled lightly to themselves while Shippo sat in Kagome's arms, smirking.

"Please?" Kagome begged, putting on her cutest face.

"Fine," Inuyasha huffed. The priestess smiled widely.

"Thanks," Kagome said, turning her body towards the village. "Let's go visit Kaede,"

The group made their way towards the village, slowly, much to Inuyasha's irritation.

"Ah, child, ye are back," Kaede said kindly. "How are ye? Myoga has told us disturbing news,"

"I was only telling the truth!" a muffled squeak came from the corner of the hut.

"What did you do to land yourself there?" Inuyasha said sarcastically while laughing obnoxiously. Kagome rolled her eyes and went to the jar that held the flea demon captive. The priestess then opened the jar and Myoga jumped onto her shoulder.

"Lady Kagome, thank you!" Myoga said appreciatively, bowing. Kagome smiled and looked towards the elder priestess once more.

"Thank you for your concern, Kaede, but, as you can see, I am perfectly fine." Kagome said happily.

"Kagome, I would be careful if I were you," Miroku said while eyeing a spot on the priestess's neck. The young priestess raised an eyebrow at the monk.

"I wouldn't do that, Myoga," Shippo mumbled to himself as he sat in the corner of Kaede's hut, waiting for the entertainment to start.

'Oh boy,' Keiko and Kirara thought as they sat up tall next to the fox demon.

'_Three… Two…' _Avion counted down in her mind. Sango laughed nervously while scratching the back of her head.

"Ow!" Kagome yelped, smacking a hand to her neck.

"Myoga!" Inuyasha growled dangerously, turning to his mate. "Don't touch her!"

"But Master Inuyasha," Myoga groaned as he inflated himself back to normal. "She is just so delectable. Surely you know this," The half demon's face became as hot as the sun.

"He would also know other delectable activities with our dear Kagome." Miroku said quietly, not wanting to be hit. A loud smack was heard as skin connected with skin. "Ow, Sango," The monk whined.

"Pervert," The demon slayer hissed.

"Damn monk," Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws. "Say that one more time, I dare you," Miroku laughed nervously as his life flashed before his eyes. It was Kagome's turn to become a shade of red, Myoga forgotten.

"This doesn't look too good for Miroku," Shippo said, sitting innocently in the hut.

"No it does not," Avion agreed while the two two-tail demons shook their head negatively. Kaede sighed at the group's antics.

* * *

"What are you doing in my territory?" A female dog demon with black hair and golden eyes asked as she dropped down from a tree gracefully. The male dog demon with silver hair and golden eyes stared at her, not saying anything. The wind blew by, lifting both of their long hair away from their body.

"Do you hear that?" The male dog demon asked quietly and emotionlessly. She nodded affirmatively.

* * *

Inuyasha let out an exhausted breath as he lay over his mate. He then pulled away and lay on his back next to her on the futon in their feudal era home, deep inside the forest. Suddenly, Kagome started to laugh softly and increased in volume and intensity. The half demon raised an eyebrow at the priestess.

"What?" Inuyasha asked, still panting softly. Kagome calmed down and turned her head to the side, her chest heaving.

"It's just after mid day and we've already had sex," She said, laughing at the end. "Maybe Miroku's right." Inuyasha rolled his eyes playfully while slipping a callous hand to the outside of Kagome's right thigh.

"Good to know that you're thinking of something else while doing that." Inuyasha said sarcastically. "Maybe I should step it up?" Kagome laughed cheerfully while the half demon's hand started to gently rake his claws down her leg, and then back up to just under her breasts.

"I love you," Kagome said, rolling to her side and staring into his golden eyes.

"I love you, too," Inuyasha whispered, kissing her. "Should we do that again so I can blow your mind this time?" Kagome giggled once again, her body shaking from the motions. She then playfully slapped him on his naked chest that glistened with perspiration.

* * *

"We're free, Kanna, we can do whatever we want!" Kagura said excitedly, looking up into the clear blue sky. Kanna stayed silent. "Kanna, say something, we're healed, we got our hearts back you should be happy,"

"All good things come to an end." Kanna said in her soft, monotone voice.

"Well aren't you just Ms. Negativity," Kagura mumbled. _'Finally, I can live like the wind,' _She thought, feeling the breeze run across her face.

* * *

…Next Day…

* * *

"Can we go _now?_" Inuyasha whined. Kagome just signed.

"Fine, after breakfast," The priestess relented.

'_They'll never change,' _Sango thought, at peace with everything.

"Where were you guys yesterday afternoon? You two disappeared." Miroku said perversely with a grin. A loud crash was heard.

"You're digging your own grave," Sango said passively as she looked at the mark Inuyasha had made on her husband's head.

"How many shards do we have left?" Shippo asked innocently.

"I don't know, Shippo, but we're not too far off," Kagome said, taking out the jewel. The jewel sparkled white as it stood 80% finished.

"We still need to get that mangy wolf's shards," Inuyasha grumbled.

"If we ask, I'm sure he'll give them to us," Kagome reassured. The group walked down towards Kaede's village from their huts, enjoying the fresh outdoors. "We'll just let him keep them for a little while longer."

"No way in hell! We're getting them today!" Inuyasha yelled. The group sighed.

"I'm going off ahead!" Kohaku said happily as he leapt into action. The young demon slayer ran ahead, dodging trees and jumping over rocks.

"He's so energetic in the morning," Miroku observed.

"Wait up!" Shippo yelled. The fox demon ran off with Keiko, Kirara, and Avion following close behind.

"Should we take them with us?" Sango asked in concern.

"They'll get good experience with battling. It'll help them one day. Besides, we're there to protect them," Kagome reassured. Sango smiled kindly. Soon, the gang made it to the old priestess's hut. "Hello!" Kagome cheered happily.

"Kagome, hello. Good to see all of ye," Kaede sad, stirring stew.

"We're going to be leaving today, so you won't see us for a while." Kagome admitted.

"Then ye better eat before ye leave." Kaede said in a grandmotherly voice.

"Where's the flea?" Inuyasha asked.

"He left before dawn," Avion supplied as she sat near the other youngsters and two two-tail demons who were eating stew.

"Hurry up and eat, we have a lot of ground to cover." Inuyasha huffed.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Kagome mumbled.

The group soon finished eating and was off on the latest adventure.

"What? No way!" Inuyasha growled. "We're going to get him!"

"Why do we have to? It's not like those are the _only_ shards!" Kagome yelled.

"_And things are back to normal."_ Keiko sighed.

"You could say that again." Miroku said, letting a content breath as he watched the bickering couple. Everyone but the half demon and priestess stopped and stared at the monk.

"Miroku," Shippo said in awe.

"What?" The monk asked confusedly.

"You just understood Keiko," Sango said, still in shock. Miroku rewound his memories.

"Yeah," The monk said, a big smile forming across his face. "I did, didn't I? I guess it just took time,"

"No, we're going to the stinking wolf's territory to steal his shards, and that's final!" Inuyasha yelled to his mate. Kagome screamed in frustration.

* * *

"Here's dinner," Ginta panted as he and Hakkaku dropped a dead and bloody boar onto the cave ground. The wolf demons around the two of them quirked their eyebrows and stared at the animal.

"What did they do to it?" a wolf demon with black fur clothing whispered to his comrade next to him.

"I don't know, but a small pup could probably get a cleaner kill than those two," the comrade answered.

"Why are they Koga's right hand men again?" the black furred wolf demon asked. His comrade shrugged.

"Where's Koga?" Hakkaku asked, looking at the other wolf demons around him. They shrugged.

"Probably securing the territory before sundown," A female wolf demon said. She had light brown fur and dark blue eyes, the beauty of the tribe. She wished for Koga's attention, but alas, he only has eyes for a certain white wolf demon from the north. Perhaps he still craves the attention from the priestess in the human village, the beauty didn't know. The two right hand men nodded in thanks before walking out of the cave.

"Don't forget to save some for Koga!" Ginta yelled into the cave, referring to their 'dinner.'

"Save some for Koga? This won't even feed three wolf demons." The wolf demon with black fur said, watching Ginta and Hakkaku run into the forest. The wolf demons sitting in the cave nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Where the hell did it go?" Koga mumbled to himself, carefully eying his surrounds. A loud screech rang through the air. "What the hell?" Nothing popped up, only the sounds of the creature echoed to the wolf demon's ear. The sun made a glare towards the forest as its cycle across Japan ended. A mighty roar sounded, startling Koga to whip his body around and come face to face with a gust of air that smelled like decaying flesh. The wolf demon's eyes widened. He narrowly dodged a clawed paw that was descending upon him. Koga skidded across the dirt forest floor, turning quickly back to the demon.

"Koga!" A pair of voices yelled into the tress. The prince of the wolf tribe turned his head towards the voices, momentarily forgetting about the rat demon in front of him. Hot, red liquid splattered onto the ground.

* * *

"They're still glaring at each other." Miroku said with the fire light dancing on his face. Sango sighed as she watched her two angry friends, who were, obviously, in love with each other. Kagome and Inuyasha leered eye to eye, electricity running between the two.

"If looks could kill, one of them would be dead right now." Shippo said innocently.

"_By the time they go to sleep, they'll be back in each other's arms,"_ Keiko barked, sticking her tongue out and making a funny face.

"_Or in the middle of the night,"_ Kirara added in. _"They'll probably wait until the rest of us are asleep."_

"Where's Avion?" Kohaku asked suddenly, looking up towards the trees.

"I believe she went ahead to find Koga." Miroku supplied.

"Looks like Inuyasha won," Sango said, giggling behind her hand. "First time for everything,"

"And it seems we're going to be seeing our wolf demon friend very soon." Miroku said.

"Kagome, we're going and that's final!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Why do we have to? They are plenty of other shards!" Kagome yelled back. Inuyasha's eyes flashed red just before he lunged at his mate, clamping his mouth at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Blood started to drip down the priestess's right arm. Time stood still. A silent wind blew against each of their bodies, the scent of blood hitting them full force.

"Inuyasha," Shippo whimpered. "L-let her go," Slowly, Inuyasha's eyes became gold once again. The half demon slowly retracted his fangs that were now stained red.

"Bitch," Inuyasha whispered against the priestess's skin, not meaning it in the offensive term.

Kagome's brown eyes turned dull for a moment as she answered, "Yes, mate," The blood made droplets at her fingertips before splashing to the ground. The half demon grunted, licking the puncture wound once before standing up straight. Kagome's eyes became their vibrant self the second his mouth wasn't at her neck. Looking at the half demon now, a person would mistake him as a feral animal that just finished eating. Blood coated his lips and fangs, while some of the red liquid was around his chin and neck.

"Kagome, that's bleeding a lot more than it should, I'll help you clean up," Sango said cautiously as she slowly stood up. Inuyasha growled fiercely for the female demon slayer to sit back down. Sango sat down but looked pointedly at Kagome, worried for her friend. Kagome looked back, her eyes kind while she nodded comfortingly at the demon slayer. The priestess had a small smile in her face; the puncture wound in her neck or the half demon standing in front of her didn't scare her in the least.

"Let's go clean you up," Inuyasha grunted, crossing his arms and walking out of the clearing. As expected, Kagome followed a few steps behind him. The group sat in stunned silence.

"Wh-what just happened?" Kohaku asked shakily, his face pale.

"I have never seen Inuyasha raise claw or fang at Kagome before. I never thought he ever would," Miroku added. Shippo sat down next to the two two-tail demons, sniffling as tears weld up in his eyes.

"_That was a prime example of demon dominance," _Keiko barked softly, trying not to startle the frightened group.

"Demon dominance?" Sango asked, facing the smaller creatures of the group.

"_Yes," _Kirara answered. _"Didn't you guys see Inuyasha's eyes flash red?"_

"Yeah," Miroku said.

"_Well, he got tired of arguing, so, being a demon trait, his demon side took over and took control of the situation." _Keiko said.

"_By biting your mate in the neck means that you either cooperate or you die, that's why the wound bled more than it usually would've," _Kirara meowed.

"So, do males only do this?" Sango asked.

"_Not necessarily," _Kirara answered her mistress.

"_Females can do it too, but males usually like to take dominance more," _Keiko said. _"Besides, Kagome's human, I don't think human teeth would puncture a demon's or half demon's skin." _

"Is she going to be alright?" Shippo asked shakily.

"_You all saw her smile," _Keiko said, lying down sleepily. _"She knows what happened and accepted it. Besides, Inuyasha will take care of her,"_

* * *

"Take off your fire rat kimono and your battle armor," Inuyasha instructed as he stood next to a river. Kagome complied without a thought, carefully peeling off her clothing. The half demon didn't turn to face her; instead, he looked into the rushing water. After a few minutes, Kagome stood as naked as the day she was born, her arms making an 'x' as she covered her chest. Inuyasha didn't hear any more movement behind him and turned. His expression didn't change as he eyed her naked glory, dried blood staining the whole right side of her upper body while new blood slowly oozed out of the four puncture holes in her neck. "Come here," The priestess silently obliged, walking forward. He gently placed his hands on her shoulder and sat her down at the water's edge, her feet and calves dipping into the blue liquid.

Inuyasha took off his fire rat kimono and kneeled next to her. He dipped his hands into the cold water and gently dripped it down Kagome's right shoulder. She shivered.

"That's cold," She whispered, her bangs covering her eyes. Inuyasha looked up to her face and placed a soft kiss onto her cheek.

"Sorry," He replied. "Does it hurt?" She shook her head negatively.

"Are you mad at me?" The half demon stopped pouring water on her body and looked up to her face again.

"No, are you?"

"No," Kagome murmured, a small smile fleeting across her lips.

"Sorry for this," He said, rubbing off the dried blood.

"It's a demon thing, I know," Kagome reassured. He kissed her cheek again before standing up and undressing. "What are you doing?" She asked, looking up when he took off his pants, the last of his clothing. The half demon didn't say anything. He slipped into the water and held in a shiver as the coldness hit his bare skin.

"Do you trust me?"

"Always, but-" Kagome said, protesting a little when his cold hands were placed on either side of her rib cage. He then lifted her off the ground and held her against his chest as they floated in the flowing water. Kagome gasped at the bitter temperature and put her arms around her mate's neck.

"It's alright, I'm here," he whispered soothingly, letting her cling to him as he embraced her. Inuyasha took one arm off of her and started cupping water in his hand, pouring it over the puncture wounds. Kagome, still shivering from the freezing water, started to relax and let her mate take care of her.

* * *

"Do you think they're okay?" Shippo asked.

"Don't worry so much, Shippo," Sango said soothingly. The fox demon nodded but eyed the dried blood staining the ground nervously.

"_The rain will wash it away," _Kirara purred lightly, rubbing her head against Shippo's shoulder.

"_Besides, it isn't that bad of a wound," _Keiko added.

"But it bled so much," Kohaku whispered, staring into the campfire.

"_It's supposed to," _Keiko barked. _"But don't worry too much, they're both okay,"_

"_This will probably bring them closer to each other, if anything," _Kirara meowed, stretching with her front paws forward. The group stayed silent, processing everything that had just happened. A loud grumbled disrupted the quietness. Five heads turned to set accusing eyes on one in particular.

* * *

"I never thought finding Koga would be so hard," Avion whispered to herself as she soared in the air while keeping her head down, looking towards the earth. She sighed. "I guess we were kind of far from his territory."

"Koga!"

"But then again," Avion started, eyeing where the sound had come from. A scream of pain echoed afterwards. The spiritual creature narrowed her eyes in concentration as she sped up. "That sure didn't sound like a guy though, more like a girl," Avion circled in on a certain part of the surrounding forest. She landed on a tree and found herself looking towards the greasy haired back of a rat demon.

* * *

Hot, red liquid splattered onto the ground. A high pitched, feminine shriek of pain boomed across the lush forest, quickly followed by the yell of the rat demon in front, disappointed that it didn't hit its intended target. A wolf demon fell to their knees, clutching their right arm with their left hand.

"Ayame," Koga whispered, shocked to find the white wolf demon girl in front of him, protecting him.

"You okay?" Ayame asked weakly, breathing heavily from the pain in her arm. The limb held on by a thread of muscle poured blood onto the dirt ground, staining it until the next rainfall.

"Me? You're the one that's hurt!" Koga argued, kneeling down next to her and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled painfully. "Why did you save me?" Without noticing, two other wolf demons snuck around the couple to attack the rat demon themselves. Weak, shrill battle cries made their way towards the ears of Ayame and Koga. The prince of the wolf demon tribe whipped his head up, seeing his two right hand men weakly stand between him and the rat demon.

"Die, demon!" Ginta yelled, raising his right hand as if to slash the enemy with his claws.

"You'll regret hurting Koga and Ayame!" Hakkaku added, pointing accusingly with his thumb and pointer finger outstretched in front of him and towards the rat demon.

"No, wait!" Koga yelled desperately, getting up and tackling the two to the ground. As a result of his heroic actions, Koga ended up with three lines running parallel down his back to his butt.

"Koga!" Ginta, Hakkaku, and Ayame yelled in concern. The three boys landed with a thud onto the unforgiving ground before quickly rolling away to avoid being bitten by two giant buck teeth. The rat demon squealed, moving to attack with its tail. A pink ball of light flew into the clearing, temporarily blinding all five demons.

"Looks like you're losing your touch, Koga." A female voice taunted teasingly.

"Avion!" Koga yelled in surprise once his vision focused. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you think that" Avion nodded her head to the snarling rat demon. "Is more important?" The wolf prince turned his attention away from the spiritual creature and eyed the filthy rat. Koga kicked and punched at the demon. Avion rolled her eyes and flew into the rat demon, like a beam of light. She emerged with a sparkling jewel shard in her mouth.

"A Shikon shard," Ayame said in awe, watching the rat demon shrink into a small mouse that was no more than two inches off the ground in height. It sniffed a few times before scampering off.

"You guys aren't going to die, are you?" Avion said jokingly, hovering just above the ground. "If you died from those injuries, what kind of demons are you?"

"Shut up," Koga growled, stumbling to get up and walk towards the female wolf demon. Avion smiled knowingly. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Ayame whispered, getting a helping hand to get to her feet.

"Hakkaku, Ginta, you two okay?" Koga yelled over his shoulder.

"Yeah," They said in unison.

"So," Koga started, looking at the spiritual creature. "What are you doing here?"

"No thank you?" Avion asked, smiling. The wolf prince scoffed. "Well, I was looking for you,"

"Why?" Koga asked.

"We were in the area and wanted to check up on you," Avion said.

"We?" Koga asked, smirking.

"Kagome and the others,"

"What does _she _want?" Ayame sneered.

"It's not only her," Avion tried to console. "Besides, we're only checking on a friend,"

"Sister is here?" Ginta asked, stepping towards the group with Hakkaku.

"How is she doing?" Hakkaku asked.

"Fine, thank you," Avion answered, circling the group around their ankles. "Yes, well, I better be off then," Avion said, flying away. _'I am not going to answer any more questions, especially if Ayame is still jealous. Kagome is mated to Inuyasha for heaven's sake,' _She thought. _'Well, at least I got the jewel from the rat demon and the jewel shards I just stole out of Koga's legs,' _The spiritual bird snickered in her mind, flying away from the pack of wolves as fast as she can.

* * *

"Can I do anything for you?" Inuyasha asked softly, rubbing his nose to Kagome's neck. He licked it softly, a dog demon affection.

"Mm," Kagome thought out loud in a daze from his ministrations. "I-"

"You're cold," Inuyasha answered for her, feeling her skin temperature with his hands and tongue.

"No, not really,"

"Liar," He accused lightly, stepping back and taking off his fire rat kimono. The half demon put it around her shoulders. The kimono looked almost exactly like what the priestess was originally wearing, except that hers has black swirls on the shoulders.

"Thanks," she whispered, kissing his cheek. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Keh, I'm half demon, I don't get cold," He said stubbornly, resting his chin on her shoulder as he rested his arms on her hip, one hand grabbing the other wrist behind her. His finger tips lightly brushed the top of her ass while he leaned the side of his head against hers. Kagome sighed, ignoring the brush on her butt and leaned her own head on his. The priestess put her arms around his neck, holding him close.

"Inuyasha," She asked softly.

"What is it, love?" He asked affectionately, kissing the spot where he had bitten her.

"Thank you," The half demon raised an eyebrow and leaned back just enough to see her face.

"For what?"

"For everything." Kagome whispered, leaning in closer to him. She lightly kissed his chin, moving down to his neck and suckling softly, licking his skin every so often. He moaned lightly, unsure what had caused this shift in emotion in his mate. "I love you,"

"I love you, too," His voice making vibrations run in his throat.

* * *

…Morning…

* * *

"Where have you two been?" Miroku asked with a smirk as he eyed the mated couple just returning to their camp site. The monk was then smacked in the back of his head by his own wife.

"Shut up," Sango said, blushing lightly.

"None of your damn business, monk," Inuyasha said gruffly, plopping to the ground. The half demon looked up and tugged on his mate's hand for her to sit next to him. The priestess complied before leaning her head on his shoulder. "Something wrong?" Inuyasha asked so quietly that only Kagome could here is question.

"A little dizzy," The priestess mumbled softly, her cheek pressed against the half demon's strong shoulder.

"You alright?" Inuyasha asked, rubbing her back up and down.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked in concern, eyeing her sister.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, hoping to sooth her. "Lay down, you might feel better," Keiko walked up and whimpered softly, rubbing her furred head onto the priestess's limp hand. The group looked on worriedly. Kirara transformed and offered her stomach to be a pillow. The half demon nodded appreciatively.

"Shippo, Kohaku, why don't you two go get some water?" Miroku suggested. The two younger group members nodded and quickly ran to fulfill their duty.

"No, its okay, I'm fine," Kagome argued weakly, trying to stand up on her own. Her vision lost focus as the surroundings started to move without actually moving.

"Careful," Inuyasha chastised, getting up with lightning speed and catching the priestess. "You're not fine," She groaned, putting a hand to her forehead, trying to stop the spinning.

"Kagome, why don't you lie down?" Avion suggested, standing on the ground and refrained from moving too much, for Kagome's sake.

"Didn't you want to keep moving to get more shards?" Kagome asked, leaning her weight on Inuyasha.

"You're more important," The half demon said, sitting her down and putting her head on Kirara's soft fur. Keiko gently moved to lie next to the priestess's hand. Inuyasha reached into his kimono and grabbed a handkerchief that Kagome had given him some time ago. He then folded it into a rectangle.

"Sango, why don't we go look for breakfast?" Miroku suggested, noticing that their friends needed some time alone. The monk got up, closely followed by the demon slayer.

"Sure," Sango replied, taking her Hiraikotsu and strapping it to her back. The wedded couple silently crept out of the camp site. Inuyasha watched but didn't say anything as he used some water from yesterday to wet the handkerchief. He then gently placed it on Kagome's forehead.

"Here," The half demon said, putting the cloth on his mate's forehead.

"Thanks," Kagome mumbled, closing her eyes and trying to get her head to stop spinning. Inuyasha leaned down from his kneeled position and kissed her cheek.

"You'll be okay soon, I promise,"

"Is this part of the demon thing?" She asked softly, putting an arm over her eyes to block out the sun.

"Well if you were a demon, no, but since you're human, yes," Inuyasha chuckled, sitting next to her and picking up the priestess's hand, gently rubbing it.

"What is _that_ suppose to mean?"

"If you were demon, the blood you lost wouldn't matter, but since you're human, you didn't recuperate it all yet," She groaned in pain as her head started to ache. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen,"

"It's okay," She mumbled, turning her face to the side, the cold cloth falling. Inuyasha picked it up and put a hand to her forehead.

"You're not sick, which means you should feel fine soon,"

"Good to know," She said sarcastically.

"We got the water!" Shippo yelled into the clearing. Inuyasha growled, making the fox become quiet and the demon slayer to stop running.

"Is she okay?" Kohaku asked, putting water bottles onto the ground.

"She's strong, she'll pull through a little headache," Inuyasha joked, hoping to lighten his mate's mood. The half demon looked at her. Nothing. A blank expression was on Kagome's face, her arms still covering her eyes. _'That's the last time I try to be cheerful,' _Inuyasha thought dryly.

* * *

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	87. Whisper

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do own my own characters and ideas. Please, do NOT steal them!**

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* * *

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Whisper

The group had spent the day in the same clearing they had before Inuyasha had disciplined his mate. Kagome felt her world spinning every time she stood up, so the half demon had made the decision to stay put until she healed.

Now it was early morning into the day after, the group spent the premature hours sleeping in their love's arms, cuddled warmly into each other's body warmth. The birds chirped around the forest, giving good mornings to their fellow family members. Avion stood watch at the tip of a tree, moving her head this way and that to get a better view of their surroundings. Other than nature's talking, the area was completely silent in a peaceful calm.

The half demon slowly fluttered his golden eyes open. The yellow brown color shone with the sunlight as it highlighted the brown ring around his pupil. He took his first deep breath and stretched his back by contracting his muscles. He looked up from his spot on a tree branch and saw that the sun had just risen over the horizon about an hour ago. Inuyasha leaned his head back onto the trunk of the tree and closed his eyes, relaxing. In his arms and between his legs sat his mate, curled on his chest, sleeping soundly. He opened his eyes again and leaned down to kiss Kagome on the crown of her head. After kissing her, he rested his lips there, not moving.

Below the supernatural couple, lay the married monk and demon slayer, the trees providing shade for the couple. The monk lay on his back while the demon slayer was on her side and using his chest as a pillow, both of them sleeping without disturbance. Miroku held his wife by having an arm around her shoulder and the other loosely laying on her waist. Sango, on the other hand, fisted his monk robe in her hands.

On the other side of the clearing, lay a bundle of fur. The two two-tail demons curl together for warmth while the fox demon slept next to them.

* * *

"I wonder what it was," a woman with black hair and golden eyes said to the man walking next to her. "I have half of my army searching my territory and yours." The man next to her with silver hair and golden eyes stayed silent. "Are you even listening or am I talking to myself?"

"Hm," He mumbled. The female dog demon growled him.

"Sesshomaru, we don't have time to be fooling around. There's something out there and neither of us know what it is, or whether if it's a threat or not." She chastised with a barely suppressed growl.

"Perhaps we should call our little brother," Sesshomaru said unemotionally.

"Inuyasha? How come?" She asked.

"Yuri, his mate is a priestess," Sesshomaru said, as if it answered everything.

"A demon can do just as well as a priestess," Yuri said, her eyebrow ticking, thinking her older brother had just insulted the demonic race.

"Yes, we can. Most of the time we are superior," The female dog demon raised a confused eyebrow. "But she is of a different race, human, yes, but with spiritual powers. We sense different things,"

"So you're saying she can sense things we can't and we can sense things she can't?" Yuri asked, making sure she understood. Sesshomaru nodded. "Maybe we could,"

"Do you have a sibling mark with either of them?"

"Both,"

"Call Inuyasha,"

"Why don't you?" Yuri accused. "Oh, that's right; you never gave a rat's ass about him,"

"You have my sibling mark, isn't that enough?"

"Not to him!" Yuri growled loudly. "You're a jackass,"

"The priestess is nice,"

"The priestess is nice," Yuri mocked, making her voice deeper to imitate her brother. "Of course Kagome is _nice. _She's always _nice. _She got you your arm back, for God's sake. You care more about our little brother's _mate _than our little _brother_." Sesshomaru stayed silent. "You care more about her and yet she doesn't have your mark either,"

"You should feel honored, Yuri," The older, male dog demon said pointedly, staring at the younger dog demon from the corner of his eye.

"For what? Having your sibling mark? Oh, so honored," She said sarcastically while rolling her eyes. "What is it about them that you hate?" Again, Sesshomaru stayed quiet. "Is it the human blood that runs through both of them?" Silence. "You're such a racist," With that, Yuri turned a corner, not wanting her older half brother to follow. "I'll ask Kagome to search _my _territory, but if you want your precious _human _child to be safe, I suggest you find a different source to help you." The female dog demon crossed her arms and stubbornly turned her back to the silver haired male, leaving him to his thoughts. She walked out the closest castle door and back to her own territory.

* * *

Inuyasha, still being the only one awake, stared off into the distance, watching as nature slowly rose from their slumber while the nocturnal creatures started their sleep. A flash of light distracted the half demon's eyes. He moved to look at the source of the illumination and found it on his mate's hand that was resting on his chest. Inuyasha looked at it closely and found that the light came from her fingertip.

'_Yuri is calling Kagome?' _Inuyasha thought in confusion. He then took one of his hands away from his mate and looked at it. _'She's not calling me,' _A mumble from the girl laying on his brought his attention elsewhere once again. The half demon gently kissed her forehead, encouraging Kagome to wake from dreamland. "Morning," Inuyasha greeted in a whisper.

"Morning," Kagome mumbled into his chest, yawning afterwards.

"Sleep well?"

"You're a comfy pillow," He chuckled lightly at her comment. "My finger is tingling," She thought out loud.

"Probably because Yuri is calling you." Inuyasha whispered to her, trying not to wake the others.

"Oh? Why?"

"I don't know,"

"Is she calling you?" Kagome asked, moving her head to look up at her mate.

"Nope,"

"That's mean," He chuckled again before kissing her lightly on the lips.

"We should go see what she wants,"

"What about Koga? You were so adamant about getting his shards," Kagome asked, bewildered. Inuyasha stared into her eyes before shrugging.

"We could go get them, it's not like it's going to be hard or anything," Inuyasha said nonchalantly. The priestess lightly, but sleepily, hit him in the chest, just above where her head was laying. She then left her hand where she hit him and gently rubbed in soothing circles.

"Oh, that reminds me," Avion chirped in, landing on the branch that the couple was sitting on.

"What is it, Avion?" Kagome asked. The spiritual bird unfolded her wings and presented her body, showing three glows inside where her stomach would be if she had one. "Are those jewel shards?" Kagome asked in surprise, sitting up and reaching for her friend.

"Yep, when I went to find Koga yesterday, him, Ayame, Ginta, and Hakkaku were fighting a rat that had a jewel shard. Then I just stole Koga's without him noticing," Avion answered, letting Kagome reach into the artificially made body of spiritual power and take the shards.

"Well that solves that problem. I told you it wouldn't be hard if he didn't notice that they were gone," Inuyasha snickered.

* * *

"Where the hell did they go?" An angry wolf demon howled, lifting up a sleeping wolf to look under it. The wolf yelped as it was lifted by their pack leader and then dropped.

"Where did what go?" Ayame asked, sitting by the wall of the cave. The female wolf demon had stayed the night to recover from her injuries.

"Yeah, what are you looking for?" Ginta added in.

"My damn jewel shards. I woke up this morning and realized that they were gone," Koga growled.

"Maybe you dropped them back in the forest yesterday?" Hakkaku suggested. Koga growled even louder before bolting out of the cave, through the waterfall it was behind, and into the forest, though a lot slower than normal. The pack of wolves in the cave stared at their leader.

* * *

"Thanks Avion," Kagome said happily, petting the spiritual creature on the head then on her back. "You're such a good friend,"

"You're welcome, and thank you," Avion said, flying up a little bit. "I'll just leave you two love birds alone," The spiritual creature said as she winked and flew away. The priestess rolled her eyes before gently laying her head back down on the chest behind her.

"When should we go?" Inuyasha whispered to her against her hair.

"Do you think it's urgent?" Kagome asked, sleepily blinking her eyes as she took out her pouch that held the jewel inside it. The half demon took her hand and watched as the sibling marked glowed green."

"Well it's green," Inuyasha said, stating the obvious.

"No, I thought it was black. Of course it's green," Kagome hissed sarcastically. "Is it like the mating mark?"

"Same concept," The half demon replied, ignoring her earlier comment.

"So when should we go?" Kagome looked up at him, staring at his intense golden eyes.

"When the others wake up, we should probably start going," He leaned down to kiss her lips. "But we shouldn't waste time,"

"Mm, okay," Kagome said, her head swimming from the kiss. The priestess leaned up once more and gently placed her lips over his. Opening her mouth, she deepened the affection and slipped her tongue into his mouth, tracing his fangs.

"I wouldn't do that in a tree, you might get lost in passion and fall out," A teasing voice said from the ground. The mated couple pulled away sharply and glared down to their companion.

"Miroku," Inuyasha growled, slipping his legs from around his mate to jump down to the ground, making sure she was steady on the tree branch first. The half demon then hit the monk on the head with a fist, making Miroku cry out in pain. "Serves you right,"

"You couldn't leave them alone?" Sango asked sleepily as she sat on the ground next to the monk.

"I couldn't help it," Miroku pleaded, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Sure," The demon slayer answered doubtfully. Inuyasha stood next to the monk, growling louder and louder.

"We should make breakfast and go, shouldn't we, Inuyasha?" Avion asked, landing in the clearing next to Keiko, Kirara, and Shippo. "I thought we couldn't waste time,"

"You eavesdropped on us?" Inuyasha hissed, glaring at the spiritual bird. Avion chuckled nervously. Kagome smiled in amusement as she sat and listened from her sport in the tree, where Inuyasha had left her.

"Why can't we waste time?" Miroku asked, saving the spiritual creature from the wrath of the half demon. "Koga isn't going anywhere,"

"We're not looking for Koga anymore," Inuyasha said. "Avion stole his shards already,"

"Really?" Sango asked. The spiritual bird nodded her head.

"Then what are we in a rush for?" Miroku asked, noticing the movement of the two two-tail demons in the corner of his eyes.

"_What's going on?" _Kirara meowed as she yawned.

"We're getting breakfast and going," Inuyasha huffed, crossing his arms. "Come on, we don't have all day,"

"It would be nice if you'd help," Sango pointed out.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed, but went out into the forest anyways.

"_What's gotten him in a bad mood?" _Keiko barked, standing up and stretching with her front paws in front.

"He's not in a bad mood," Kagome said, finally joining in on the conversation. "He just doesn't want to show generosity, it's a male demon thing." Keiko nodded in understanding.

"Kagome, why don't you come down?" Sango asked, looking up at the priestess.

"Because, I'm afraid that if I land, there's going to be a stabbing pain in my ankle," Kagome admitted sheepishly.

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked, standing up.

"Well, you know that feeling when you're ankle hasn't had weight on it for a while, then you land on it with more pressure and it feels like you broke it?" Kagome asked.

"I get that sometimes when I get off of Kirara after flying somewhere," Sango acknowledged.

"It hurts," Kagome said. "I don't want to get down and feel that," The priestess whimpered.

"Well, come on," Miroku said. He walked under the tree branch and opened his arms. "Jump," Kagome hesitated.

"Hey, monk, there is no way you're laying a hand on my mate," The half demon growled, dropping the few fish he had caught for breakfast.

"I-Inuyasha, it's not what it looks like," Miroku said nervously. Sango sat by idly, shaking her head. Inuyasha just growled more at his friend before looking up at the priestess.

"Come on, Kagome, get down," The half demon called up.

"I don't want to," Kagome whined.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to hurt myself,"

"You do this all the time, come on, stop fooling around,"

"No, Inuyasha, if she jumps now, she'll hurt her ankle," Sango said, stopping the argument.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked, getting concerned, but not showing it.

"She hasn't put pressure on her ankle since the day before yesterday. If she lands on it, then it'll be more than just her weight that it has to support. Haven't you ever had sharp pain when you don't use your ankle and then land?" Sango explained. Inuyasha raised his eyebrow but took the demon slayer's word.

"Alright, Kagome, come down," Inuyasha said, standing under her landing spot.

"Will you catch me?" Kagome asked nervously.

"I wouldn't let you hurt yourself. Come on, you big baby," The half demon teased. Kagome narrowed her eyes.

"Well, now I don't want to come down," Kagome said stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"We don't have all day, let's go," Inuyasha said. The others stared in amusement.

"No,"

"Kagome," Inuyasha growled in warning.

"Fine," The priestess huffed, pushing herself off the branch with her hands. Her heart plummeted, knowing that if her mate didn't catch her, her ankles would be in a world of pain. Strong hands and arms wrapped around Kagome's waist before twirling to get rid of the momentum of gravity weighing down on them. She was then gently set to her feet.

"There," Inuyasha said, letting her go and crossing his arms in his kimono sleeves. The half demon was still peeved from their mini argument.

"Thanks," Kagome said softly.

"Keh," Silence commenced afterwards.

"So, why don't we get breakfast started?" Sango suggested, relighting the fire with the help of her fire cat demon.

"Yeah, you said we couldn't waste time, right, Inuyasha?" Miroku said, picking up the dropped fish and started to clean and gut them.

"_Where are we going, anyways?" _Keiko barked.

"Yuri's," Inuyasha answered, turning away from his mate to sit down, staring at the flames of the new fire.

"_Why?" _Kirara meowed.

"I don't know, she was calling Kagome," Inuyasha huffed. Kagome stared depressingly at her mate, silently sitting down next to him.

"_Should I wake Shippo?" _Keiko cut in, moving the conversation to a different topic. The group looked at the two tail dog demon before shifting their eyes towards the slumbering fox demon.

"I think that's a good idea," Miroku said, pinning the fish onto sticks.

After breakfast, the group set out towards the west. Sango and Miroku walked up front with the two two-tail demons and the fox demon. Avion flew above their heads, keeping a vigilant over the surrounds. This left Kagome and Inuyasha to bring up the rear, the tension building so much it could be cut with a knife.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered, looking next to her. The half demon moved his golden eyes briefly before moving them to stare ahead at the backs of their companions. He didn't utter a sound. She sighed.

* * *

"God damn it!" Koga yelled, barging through the waterfall that kept the wolf den a secret to intruders.

"No luck?" Ayame asked in concern.

"Not even a single shine of anything when the sunlight hits it," the male wolf demon growled loudly.

"You've been gone all day looking though," Hakkaku said, looking out through space between the waterfall and the mountain side to see the sun setting.

"Thank you for noticing," Koga hissed sarcastically, obviously irked by the fact that his jewel shards were stolen under his nose. "That damn bird probably has them,"

"What bird?" Ginta asked, thinking back to the Birds of Paradise that use to reside in the area.

"That bird that hangs around Kagome," Koga answered, punching the cave wall.

"The one we saw yesterday with a body made of spiritual power?" Ayame asked, getting up from her seated position to cradle Koga's fist in her two hands.

"Yeah," The wolf prince growled, relaxing his fist when the female wolf demon started to message it.

"Should we go after sister?" Hakkaku asked.

"Maybe we should leave it alone," the she wolf with brown fur and dark blue eyes said calmly. The beauty of the tribe sat serenely by the cave wall, stroking a black wolf's fur by his ears.

"What do you mean by that?" Koga asked, narrowing his eyes at the seductress. She looked up from her caress, dark blue clashing with light blue.

"The priestess, she is collecting the jewel shards, is she not?" She asked without a hitch in her voice. Koga nodded, waiting to see where this conversation was going. "Well, it would've happened sooner or later. She would've eventually taken them."

"What do you know?" Koga growled. She raised an eyebrow, her eyes burning with jealousy of Ayame and Kagome, though she didn't let it show at all and covered it with a calm façade.

"Even if you were her friend, would she really keep the jewel from being complete by letting you keep two measly shards? I think not," She said, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Friend or foe, she is the protector of that jewel,"

"Koga, calm down," Ayame pleaded in a whisper, directing the wolf leader to sit down. The beauty laughed calmly behind her hand, almost in an evil tone.

"Besides, doesn't her _mate _have something against you? What would possess him to let that priestess come near you? If you had them, she would have to keep watch over you, something the half demon would not allow," the female wolf demon with brown fur and dark blue eyes said with a knowing smirk. She knew she hit a sore spot on their pack leader. By now, the sun had passed under the horizon, setting an eerie darkness in the cave.

* * *

"Maybe you should go find her, Inuyasha," Miroku suggested, calmly stroking the fire with an extra stick the group had gathered earlier. They had set camp for the night, deciding that they needed rest before they encountered whatever Yuri had in store for them.

"Keh," Inuyasha huffed, but standing up, nonetheless. He walked into the surrounding forest, relying on his demonic eye sight to pierce through the darkness that had settled over the land. _'Where'd she run off to? I know she's okay, Avion went with her.' _The half demon thought, sniffing the air around him. He then followed his sense of smell towards a clearing. The priestess lay on her back, hands to her sides as she stared into the starry night. Avion saw his approach and silently flew away and back to the main group.

Inuyasha walked over to his mate silently and lay down next to her. His hands were at his sides while he lay on his back to look at the night sky. He moved his head to stare at her, slowly beckoning her to look back at him. Finally, the priestess moved her head so she looked at him, her cheek pressed against the grassy ground. The half demon reached for her hand, slightly brushing against her skin. Kagome looked down at their hands and slipped hers under his, letting him grip her hand.

Kagome suddenly let go of his hand and rolled to her side. She curled her knees into her chest and brought both of her hands near her face. Inuyasha rolled to his side, propping his head on one arm while the other went around Kagome's shoulder. She looked up at him, rubbing her nose against his. She smiled and rolled back onto her back, gripping his chin with her pointer finger and her thumb. Both of their smiles brightened in the silent apology. She rolled back to her side and put her forehead against his, laughing at their silly argument while the half demon grinned and let out a chuckle.

The half demon pulled her so she was on top of him. He then sat up, letting her sit on his thighs while his legs were spread in front of him. She gently put her hands on his shoulders, pushing his kimono away from his body. Soon, the half demon was shirtless.

Kagome braced herself by putting her hands behind her and on his legs, holding her up. Inuyasha had put his hands on her lower back while she straddled him. The priestess moved up and kissed him longingly. He moved from the kiss and started nipping at her neck. Kagome stood up on her knees and hugged her half demon's head to her, smiling brightly as he played with the skin on her neck. Inuyasha looked back up, since she stood taller than him when he was sitting, and kissed her, smiling onto her lips. He slowly rolled his back onto the ground, pressing his hands onto Kagome's shoulder blades to make her follow. They kissed again and again, showing the love they shared. The priestess left his mouth to whisper into his cheek, her lips brushing against his skin.

Inuyasha rolled her over so he was above her, his weight on his elbows which were next to her both sides of her head. He started to kiss her ear, moving down to her neck. Kagome moved her head to opposite way to let him have more room. She raked her hands down his sides, her elbow resting on the ground. When he put his hand in her hair, Kagome reached her hands to wrap around his broad back. He stopped his teasing and looked the priestess in the eye, tilting his head and kissing her.

* * *

"We should go to sleep," Sango said, watching with a soft smile as the fox demon stared into the forest.

"Shouldn't we wait for them?" Shippo asked innocently, turning his green eyes to the demon slayer.

"They will be fine, they're probably enjoying some time to themselves," Miroku said, lying down as a perverse grin appeared on his face. Sango rolled her eyes and lay next to the monk.

"Go to sleep, Shippo. They'll be fine. Besides, we have a long day tomorrow," Sango suggested, having trouble keeping her eyes open.

"_Sleep, Shippo," _Keiko barked through a yawn. _"They have each other,"_

"_They're fine," _Kirara added, curling into a ball next to Keiko. Shippo reluctantly lay down and closed his eyes.

* * *

"_Yuri,"_

The dog demon whirled her body around to look behind her. The strange whisper flowing with the wind as it blew. Yuri warily scanned her surroundings with her golden eyes. She then tentatively started to sniff the air. Nothing.

"Akane," Yuri whispered. The two tail dog demons that surrounded the area looked calm and at ease. "Did you hear that?"

"_Hear what?" _Akane barked in confusion.

"That whisper of my name,"

"_No, sorry," _Akane said, tilting her head to the side. _"Are you okay?"_

"Um… Yeah," Yuri said, shaking her head. "Let's turn in for the night." Akane nodded her head, scampering off to gather the others. _'Maybe I'm going insane. Or maybe whoever it is only wants _me _to hear it,' _The female dog demon thought, her golden eyes staring into the dark forest.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you going to let that bitch disrespect you like that?" A green demon that was two feet tall asked in a shrill voice. The silver haired male dog demon ignored his servant and kept walking to the dining room. "Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Be quiet, Jaken," Sesshomaru said in a cold voice. "In what term do you use 'bitch' as?"

"Th-the dog demon term, my lord," Jaken stuttered nervously as he lied. The dog demon looked down and narrowed his eyes at the smaller demon. Jaken fearfully swallowed a lump in his throat. Just then, the pair entered the dining room. They were greeted by a small, human girl that had a side pony tail for some of her hair while wearing an orange and white checkered kimono.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The small girl said excitedly.

"Rin," Sesshomaru said in his monotone voice.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what should we do about the-" Jaken started, but didn't get to finish as the dog demon's foot made contact with his face.

'_Perhaps I can steal the priestess for a few hours to have her search out my territory.' _Sesshomaru thought, going into a different room.

* * *

…Afternoon…

* * *

"_Kagome," _

The priestess stopped walking and looked around her and the group.

"Is something wrong?" Inuyasha asked, walking up to her and stopping.

"Um," Kagome mumbled before shaking her head out of her stupor. "No, nothing's wrong. Let's keep going to Yuri's," Inuyasha raised a doubtful eyebrow but walked forward, the others following.

"_Kagome," _

The priestess looked ahead, memorizing the path before closing her eyes and concentrating her senses.

'_What the hell is that?' _Kagome thought, irritated.

She was brought out of her concentration when Inuyasha said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," The priestess said quickly, snapping her eyes open.

"Are you sure, Kagome?" Sango asked, looking behind her shoulder to her little sister.

"Absolutely, don't worry about it," Kagome said, laughing nervously.

'_Kagome,' _Avion thought, narrowing her eyes at the priestess. Since the spiritual bird had a connection with the priestess, they knew what each other were feeling, sensing, and thinking.

"Well, then," Inuyasha said, bending down and putting his arms around Kagome's knee's and the middle of her back. "Come on, slow poke, we have to get going," The priestess gasped as she was suddenly lifted up, putting her arms around his neck on reflex.

"_Inuyasha," _

The half dog demon twitched his ear and tried to listen closely. Nothing but the wind and feet crunching against the dirt ground was heard. Inuyasha brushed it off as his ears playing a trick on him. By nightfall, the group made it to Yuri's territory.

* * *

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	88. Sister Kasumi

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

Sister Kasumi

"I think we should rest here," Sango suggested, turning around to face Inuyasha, the leader of their pack.

"We're in Yuri's territory, so I guess it's alright," Inuyasha relented, putting Kagome on the ground. The priestess slipped off his back and placed her synch bag on the ground.

"I'm going to gather some wood," Kagome announced, eyeing the forest surrounding them.

"I'll go get some food," Inuyasha sighed, bouncing away quickly with Kagome quickly on his heels.

"I thought Kagome said she was going to get wood?" Shippo asked. The group shrugged.

"I'll try and find a river," Sango said. "Come on, Kirara,"

"Mew," Kirara meowed, skipping towards her mistress.

"Ah, Sango, my dearest, I'll go with you," Miroku said flirtatiously. His monk staff jingled as the three of them walked away, leaving Avion, Keiko, Kohaku, and Shippo.

"Do we need anything else?" Kohaku asked, looking down towards the ground at his other companions.

"I think they have it covered," Shippo said, plopping on his butt.

* * *

"What is taking them so long?" Yuri whined as she stood tall on a tree branch.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon enough,"

"Sesshomaru," Yuri greeted emotionlessly. She was still peeved from their last conversation. "Are you waiting for them to come so you can get rid of the human race one family member at a time?"

"No," Sesshomaru said coolly. The female dog demon harrumphed. "I have come to give them both a sibling mark,"

"Sure you are," Yuri said skeptically. "You're probably only going to do that to protect your territory,"

"Are you done with your childish behavior?" He said in an even tone, further annoying his sister.

"Me, childish?" Yuri asked, turning towards him with a haughty, fake laugh. "You're the one that can't get over some childhood hatred to look at your own bloodline. Look at Inuyasha, Sesshomaru! He has a mate, a strong pack, and soon enough, a family. And what do you have? An imp, a two headed dragon, and a _human _girl that couldn't be older than thirteen years old."

"Perhaps," Yuri screamed with her mouth closed in frustration.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Yuri asked, jumping down from the tree to land a foot in front of her older brother. "You've got nothing important in your life. You have nothing to protect,"

'_Just like father,' _Sesshomaru thought as her words mimicked their deceased father.

"Just because they have a different type of blood running through their bodies, doesn't mean that they are completely different. A human can be cold, evil, unforgiving and they could be kind and respectable. When are you going to see that when you care about something, it makes you stronger?" Yuri asked in exasperation, her anger dying down to sympathy. "You're the oldest, Sesshomaru. You're supposed to guide me and Inuyasha. Instead, it's Inuyasha that's guiding you." Sesshomaru stayed silent, staring down at his sister. "If you haven't figured it out, power isn't everything. And even if it was, you'd be somewhere at the bottom. Inuyasha and his mate, Kagome, can beat you with a hand tied behind their back."

"I doubt that,"

"I'll bet my life on it," Yuri countered. "You don't care about anything except your _precious _territory and power."

"Not anymore," Sesshomaru said, still emotionless as ever.

"Then prove it,"

* * *

"That was great," Shippo said happily as he finished his dinner. "Thanks, Kagome,"

"You're welcome, Shippo," Kagome said, patting the fox demon on the head.

"I'm going to scout the area," Inuyasha announced, getting to his feet.

"Okay," The priestess said, gathering up everyone's wooden bowl. The half demon quickly laid a kiss on the crown of his mate's head before leaping into the nearby trees.

"You'd think he would've done that_ before _we sat down and ate dinner," Miroku mumbled. Sango elbowed his side.

"Well at least he's doing something to protect us," The female demon slayer said. "Besides, we're more at risk when we're sleeping, not when we're eating," The monk just grumbled as the half demon got praised by Sango. Kagome giggled lightly behind her hand. She then shifted so she sat crossed legged and her hands where resting on her ankles.

"What are you doing?" Shippo asked innocently.

"She's going to meditate," Avion answered for the priestess, seeing her mistress deep in concentration.

"Miroku, shouldn't you do that?" Kohaku joked with his brother-in-law. Shooting a glare at the young demon slayer, Miroku stood up and went over to a tree, sitting Indian style at its base. Sango playfully rolled her eyes.

Kagome expanded her spiritual senses to the surrounding area, detecting any subtle change in the forest. Every living creature was pictured in her mind as she passed over them with her spiritual power. Suddenly, an odd aura emerged deep in the forest, calling to her inner being.

"Um," Kagome said out of nowhere. The group looked at her as she stood up. "I'm going to look for Inuyasha," She lied.

"He'll be fine, Kagome," Sango said.

"I know, but I wanted to help him. We usually do scouting together, anyways," The priestess said.

"Alright," The female demon slayer said slowly, not totally believing the priestess. Kagome smiled and started to walk into the forest.

Once the priestess was out of hearing range, Sango turned to the group and said, "Do you think we should follow her?"

"I think she'll be okay," Miroku said, his eyes still closed. "Even if she's not going to Inuyasha, she can take care of herself,"

* * *

Kagome walked through the dense forest, following her spiritual senses towards the unusual, but familiar, aura.

"Kasumi," Kagome called out softly, making sure to keep away from Inuyasha and the rest of the group.

"Sister," a little girl said as she popped her head out from behind a tree trunk. The little girl, Kasumi, smiled brightly and ran to her sister. The priestess knelt down and opened her arms, hugging the little girl to her body.

"Kasumi, what is it? Is something wrong?" Kagome asked worriedly, hugging her little sister.

"Mommy said it's time." Kasumi said in a cute voice.

"And mom sent my six year old sister to come and tell me?" The priestess questioned. "Doesn't she know it's dangerous down on Earth?" The little girl nodded, but kept her smile bright.

"She's watching over me," Kasumi said, letting go of the hug and staring at her older sister intently in the eye. "But she said tonight,"

"Then tonight then," Kagome said seriously, nodding her head. The priestess suddenly felt her mate's aura move towards the group. "Listen, I have to go. I'll see you tonight, alright?"

"Okay," Kasumi said, kissing Kagome on the cheek while the priestess did the same to her.

"Be careful going back," Kagome said while standing up. Kasumi nodded and kept smiling as her body became transparent and a glowing orb replaced it. Suddenly, the orb shot into the sky. Kagome stared after the orb for a few seconds before rushing over to her mate's side. Once Inuyasha was in sight, Kagome jumped and landed next to him, kissing him on the cheek.

"When'd you get here?" Inuyasha asked, stunned that he was caught off guard.

"Just now," Kagome winked. "Find anything weird?"

"No, just the forest," Inuyasha answered in a bored tone. "Come on, let's go back to camp."

"Okay," They took each other's hands and interlaced their fingers together.

* * *

"Where are they?" Yuri asked, biting her thumb claw.

"They're probably fine," Sesshomaru asked, not worry one bit.

"But I can feel their presence in the forest in my territory. You know we don't know what's in there,"

"Well, you called them here to help you, by being in the forest, they're helping," Yuri narrowed her golden eyes at her older brother. The sun descended under the horizon, making the sky dark but the ground illuminated by the moon's light.

"What's going on?" Sesshomaru asked as he saw his hand start to turn transparent. His younger sister gasped as her body disappeared and turned into an orb. The silver haired dog demon was about to turn and attack whatever had done that to Yuri, but found himself in the same situation. The two orbs shot into the sky, disappearing with the sun.

* * *

"Good night," Kagome said, faking a yawn. She sat in the half demon's lap as they were resting on a low tree branch.

"Mew"

"Woof,"

"Night," The demon slayer siblings chimed in unison. The rest of the group closed their eyes. Kagome closed her as well, but only pretended to sleep until she knew the others were in dream land. An hour later, when even the half demon fell into slumber, the priestess opened her eyes and stared at Avion above her.

"Ready?" Avion asked, starting to glow more prominently.

"I've already kept mother waiting," Kagome answered. Each group member, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Keiko, and Kohaku, was engulfed in light. The light died down to show perfectly circled orbs, hovering in mid air. The priestess looked around one last time before closing her eyes and making herself into an orb, also. Shooting up into the air, the oblivious group shot up into the air and into the night sky.

"Well, their souls are where they should be now," Avion whispered, her body made of spiritual power growing dim. A gust of wind passed by, blowing the spiritual bird's body away and into dust.

* * *

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**Short, I know, but it'll make sense when you read the next chapter.**


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